Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 4/13/2008

Question
I have two very new parakeets.  I have barely had them for them a month.  I've noticed that both birds are continuously scratching and pulling out feathers.  I don't know if they're molting or have mites or something.  What should I do and how do I know if there is a serious problem?

Answer
Hi, Jessica,

Parrots rarely get mites, unless they are housed outside and exposed to something with mites or provided sticks from trees that contain mites.  Keets can get scaly-face mites, but these look like warts on the skin on the feet/legs and around the face/beak.  If your keets are molting, you'll notice feathers on the floor/bottom of cage, but your birds should only lose a few feathers per day during a molt.  In addition, you would see pin feathers growing in which look like white sticks coming out from between the other feathers on your birds.  This can result in scrathing because pin feathers are often itchy (similar to a man's beard/moustache growing back in).  Scratching can indicate not enough humidity in the home/room your birds are in, birds not bathing regularly, fat under the skin causing itching (usually from a poor diet of all seed), etc.  

What you need to do is examine your birds in order to figure out if they are molting or not.  Look for pin feathers and/or short feathers amongst the other feathers in an area.  If not, then it's a process of elimination to find out what's going on.  Get them on a better diet if they are on all seed.  Allow them to bathe regularly (give them a dish of warm water or spray mist them every day/every other day).  You can add some aloe vera to the water in a spray mister, but avoid spraying in the eyes/ears.  Add some humidity to their room.  You won't see a change overnight, so be patient.  If none of the above work, come back and we'll try something else.  Spread the feathers apart and look at their skin.  If you see yellow deposits under the skin, this is fat and this might be why they are scratching.  Keets on all seed diets are prone to fatty liver syndrome which also affects other organs in their body, including the skin (which is an organ).

If you are overly concerned, you can always consult a certified avian vet.

Chrys