how long does a moult last?

[pagie]

just wondering how long it goes on?

 

[suebee]

i'd say a good 6 wks if not more? with nut a few feathers dropped, then loads and when it seemed to have stopped she still had pin feathers coming through

 

[Rio Mom]

River has been molting for a while now, I'm not sure exactly when he started though. I've collected up quite a few feathers, not sure what I'm gonna do/make with them but I will think of something lol. He's still got a lot of pin feathers on his head, makes him look a bit "scruffy". Today I found a molted tail feather (it's so pretty!). I think I read somewhere that they molt from head to tail? Not sure if that's true though?

 

[mellykyitus]

angel started i january and its still going on! it was just a few little ones and now i have wing and tail feathers! one tail feather is 22 inches long!!!

 

[Spiritbird]

My vet said a major molt can take up to 5 months. Ughhhhhh.

 

[PetoftheDay]

How often do most parrots moult, anyway? Does it vary species to species? I've always been curious about that!

 

[Spiritbird]

They are so mixed up with the indoor lighting and season changes as well as time changes there is not set molt time for indoor birds. It may be 1 or 2 times a year. So far in 2011 my Rosie has molted 2 times and they both lasted for several months.

 

[pagie]

thats very reassuring Jimmy seems to be going on forever, I think its been at least 6-8 weeks already. Its amazing with the number of feathers coming off him that he isn't bald! Plus when he sits on my shoulder he does all his major preeening so I am covered in what I can only describe as birddruff! Is it normal for tail feathers to come out too? he currently has no tail feathers, the last 2 came out about a week ago, he wasn't bothered but he's looking quite stumpy.

 

[cnyguy]

Ralph's first full molt last year lasted roughly 4 months. This year's molt is now at 9 weeks and counting...


George the YCA routinely molted twice a year-- a light molt in the spring, lasting about 6 weeks, and a heavier molt running from late fall into winter, lasting about 3 months.

 

[Tadwick]

Wanted to thank the people who provided info on this. My Amazon has had annual molts which varied a lot in length of time. The reason I was searching for info on the topic is that she has been moulting for at least three, maybe now close to four months and she's not done. She looked really scruffy for most of that time but recently (within the last few weeks) is back to looking like her gorgeous usual self ... even though she continues to moult.

I've kept major feathers which dropped at home (no idea how many I've missed on walks or hidden in floor paper or cage litter) and she has cycled through most of the tail and the four red-banded wing feathers (each side).

Someone commented on how messy it is. In our case it's like living in the aftermath of a pillow fight, which fortunately doesn't bother me. I also have a lot of houseplants, so things are dropping off all the time everywhere.

She still has some significant gaps in the primary flight feathers, which I find a little odd, but given how long this has been going on I'm not going to get worried yet. She has had several instances of dysmorphic regrowth of two flight feathers (no recurrence in this moult afaik) and I'm waiting until it appears she's pretty much at the end of her moult before taking her in for her annual (now rather late) checkup.

Any case, thanks for the info and happy holidays.

Oh, P.S.: From her doctor I understand that they lose the large feathers bilaterally, synchronized, essential to keeping them balanced and operational in the wild. From what I've observed, that's indeed the case.

 

[Tadwick]

How often do most parrots moult, anyway? Does it vary species to species? I've always been curious about that!

Had mine now close to 3 years. Moult has happened at least 1x/year. I think the first year it lasted @ 1.5 months; the second year she had two short ones; and this year (reason I joined the group) it has been interminable, I'd guess 4+ months now and still going.