Please help me I'm so worried

[Reem]

Hello,
I'm new here. I just signed up to ask this question.

I have a galah who is almost 3 years old, lately I have been seeing a lot of feathers on the floor but i have not seen any bold areas in his body so I know he's not plucking them.

but today while he was grooming himself I noticed this area which looked odd to me! I'm not sure what it is, It looks like baby feathers and he chews them a lot! and he has the exact same thing on the other side of his body.

Please put in mind that he's my first cockatoo and he's never been with any other pet.

I attached a picture and a video of him and the weird area I'm talking about.

Please tell me anything you know about this case I'm so worried

Thanks.

[ame="http://youtu.be/t8aA477R6Qc"]Meme - YouTube[/ame]

 

[riddick07]

Do they feel like little woven knots?

I can't play the video since I'm at work so was just looking at the pic...

 

[Reem]

Haven't touched them, but they kinda look like them

 

[riddick07]

If thats what they are or feel like then it is most likely that he is twisting them and causing them to grind down into little knots. Often it is the beginning of a plucking problem. How long have you had him?

What does his setup look like? Does he play with toys or know how? How often does he get out to hang with you? What is he eating? Though the twisting usually has more to do with behavior stuff then true health issues.

 

[Siobhan]

I was going to say he's just molting, because parrots usually lose a few feathers here and there and then have a big molt at least once a year, but then I looked at the picture and I don't know. I've never seen that and I have eight birds. Do you have an avian vet you could consult?

 

[Jayyj]

I'm inclined to second Riddick07's response. I don't know what exactly is going on there but that isn't typical galah moulting / pin feathers. Galahs moult slowly so the pin feathers tend to be spaced out more than that and they don't look like normal pin feathers anyway. If you have an avian vet you could see that would be the obvious next step. Whatever it is, you've hopefully caught it early and it might not be too big a deal but a vet visit would be worthwhile.

 

[Scott]

While I've never had a Galah, the video seems unlike typical Cockatoo feather and skin development. I'd also suggest a vet visit.

 

[Reem]

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm going to take him to the vet soon.

 

[Ryled1]

Id take the bird to the vet & also discuss the bird's diet. It may be missing something. What do you feed it? You can also get a type of toy where the bird preens that and not himself. Leather or rope toys might help.
How to you bathe your bird? My bird likes a misting sometimes, other times not interested, and other times wants to be drenched. I follow his lead on how wet he wants to get. I also carefully blow dry him right after a thorough drenching, so I know his body feathers arent damp for hrs. Just put it on low and feel the air that is hitting him that's not too hot. He luxuriates during this and his feathers get blown in all directions. He then goes on a grooming binge. His feathers are perfect after 13yrs.
This might help, but a vet check w an avian vet for a wellness check is the best to rule out anything. Good luck.