Is it molting time?

[dudemom]

Kiwi is starting to have lots of fluffy white feathers flying about when he shakes, and lots of dandruff stuff too, and has even lost a couple of pretty feathers. Please tell me this is normal for this time of year since I just got him early july?

 

[Kiwibird]

It most certainly is the molting time of year. Amazons tend to have their yearly major molt in the late summer-early fall. It can last 4-6 weeks and since it makes them uncomfortable, it also makes them a *tad* on the crabby side (please be aware). Frequent baths help molts AND dander. It can look like an explosion of feathers when they first start dropping them. In another few weeks, you'll start to see things that look like little porcupine quills on him, which are called "pin feathers" and are his new feathers growing in But expect a rather ratty looking bird for a couple weeks. There should be NO bald patches on him. Depending on your area, if it gets super cold in winter, parrots will grow in extra down and have a smaller molt of primarily down feathers in the spring when it begins to warm up.

MY Kiwi is having a most awful molt this year and my mom says her 2 zons are having a bad year too. I actually asked in another part of the forum if anyone else's zons were having bad molts. I wonder what the heck is going on this year lol?