Molting/wing clipping question?

[Devann]

Hi guys,

I'm just wondering how often you need to clip your alex's? Vino was clipped right before I got her at the beginning of august and she still has the clipped primaries. I'm expecting her to start molting any day now so i'm guessing she'll molt them out then and then need to be clipped...
Also, when the alex's molt do they lose their tail feathers as well? the number of little white feathers I'm finding seems to be increasing but no green ones yet...
Does anyone have any pics of their Alex molting??

 

[Ash]

My alexandrine is just starting to go through his molt. His tail feathers also molted first : )

He is just starting to grow some new tail feathers. I know alexandrines go through a heavy molt and they look very messy.

Don't have any pics though D:
I might be able to take some. But he is just starting his molt.

 

[BradGC]

Our alex is one year old and didn't seem to have much of a heavy molt, mostly those white feathers and a few greens.I think it depends a lot on the conditions, if you keep you bird indoors, the artificial lights throws off their body clock and they'll get a slower milder molt, whereas outdoors they get a quick heavy molt.

Also about the clipping, when they're young they can grow their feathers back kind of fast without even molting, so it's up to you if he seems to be getting a bit of lift when flapping

 

[khaiqha]

You could try letting your Alex fly. Flying does many good things for birds, both physically and mentally.

Also, it's much, much easier to house train a bird that can fly. My Alex for the most part only poops on his play stands.

 

[Timgeorgr]

When my Alex molted, after the fluff feathers started increasing, his longest tail feather dropped off. He was walking on the floor and it just fell right off. I was worried; this was the first time I've seen him molt. The next day another tail feather fell off. Then the feathers on his head started to come off and a few on his neck. His wing and belly were fine. With some research I realized it was just a normal molt. Just make sure you give him a bath or mist him every day. Good luck.

 

[Ian]

If I remember right , the first 'baby feather' moult seems quite light compared to the second (when you may get your first ring).

Sometimes the primaries and tail feathers get twisted/stuck during the shedding for a few long seconds. Its one of the very rare times you may hear the pain sqwark. The tail feathers make great bookmarks haha

I like giving them a heavy shower during the moult. They love it and you get to see the patterns of the new feathers coming through in little rows.

I've got a few moult pictures...If I can figure out how to post....:22:

I agree with khaiqha about letting them have full wings, even if only for a while, if its safe in your house and environment. Its brilliant when they fly to you of their own choice. Its not so brilliant when they unhook the curtains. All I would caution is that I returned my rescue female to full flight and it took months before she achieved any real control and even now years on she 'flys with her undercarriage down'.

 

[Ian]

If this pic works...and you can ignore his bling...this is half way though his second moult. The ring was only partly formed the first time and (I suppose depending on sub species) the back of his head became cyan after the second moult.

Cyan. I always knew one day I'd find a use for that colour.

At this stage the layering between green and downy white feathers was very thin even though it looks complete in the pic. He had 'no tail' for about 2 weeks which makes for some funny 'wobbly' flying.

 

[RedFeather]

We got Kado in his late teens or early 20s and we had him for more than 7 years. He had a full moult like clockwork every year starting in June and he'd be done sometime in August. When he dropped those tail feathers he looked so strange! A short tailed Alex just looks wrong

We never clipped his wings as he was just happier after we taught him to fly. That boy flew like a green missile! We miss him sooo much

 

[Devann]

She still hasn't moulted?!?! I would love to leave her flighted, I feel awful about clipping her but I'm just not sure my home is quite bird-proof enough to allow it and I'd rather the guilt of clipping her than the guilt of something bad happening to her.... When we have a bigger house and she gets her own room then I will definately let her be flighted....

Do birds ever "skip" a molt?? If so is that a sign of something terrible??? Her previous owner said she molts in October and we are very near the end of October and still just the little white fluffy feathers on the floor, no green ones!

 

[Brodie]

Last time my Alex molted I thought she has plucked all her feathers over night! Turned out I was wrong, and she was quite featherless for a while, I missed her nice long tail feathers all grows back though!

 

[khaiqha]

Molting cycles for domestic birds can be complicated. When they molt depends on how much light they get in a day, and I also suspect how much undisturbed darkness they get as well (that's how plants know when to bloom). This all gets messed up by artificial lights. As long as your bird is healthy otherwise, I wouldn't be too concerned about it.