AboutChrys Meatyard Expertise I`ve been raising/breeding/handfeeding/selling parrots for over 20 years (parakeets/budgies, cockatiels, 6 subspecies of conures, parrotlets, amazons, lovebirds, etc.). I've been published in "Budgies" and "Cockatiels" offered by Bow Tie Productions, and have written avian articles for publication in England. I can provide advice in raising healthy birds, handfeeding/weaning babies, some health problems, nail/beak/wing clipping, general husbandry, etc. I also have experience with racing/showing homing pigeons. I cannot diagnose specific illness over this website. If you suspect your bird is ill or if you have an emergency, contact a certified avian veterinarian or emergency pet clinic ASAP.
Experience Experience: Over 20 years raising parrots and over 13 years raising pigeons. Organizations: Currently, American Racing Pigeon Union. Prior member Miami Valley Bird Club, Southern Ohio Pigeon Association, National Cockatiel Society, Miami Valley Sportsman's Club, others. Publications: Monthly newsletters of bird clubs.
Education/Credentials American Federation of Aviculture, completed Level I course, Fundamentals of Aviculture. Keeping/breeding parrots and other birds for over 20 years.
Question Hi! I have a male cockatiel that is probably about 14 years old. Just recently, he has begun to lose the small soft feathers on his upper breast area and on the area on his lower "torso", so that he has a patch of feathers on his "middle" chest, but is losing them above that and below that. He has feather loss on his underwings where they connect to his chest, but his wings, tail feathers, back, neck and head are all just fine. He does NOT appear to be pulling these out himself and his male cockatiel cage mate does not appear to be doing it TO him (they have been together for probably over ten years). I must confess that I do feed them cockatiel seed...I have tried to get them to eat vegs & fruit to no avail. However, he has been on a seed diet for several years now and I have never had this problem. He seems to be content and he still enjoys interacting with us and the other bird. What do you think is going on? We have no real avian vets in our town and the one that says he specializes has outrageous prices and won't even address this problem unless we pay for a full "new patient" workup first. Help!
Sherry
Answer Hi, Sherry. Thanks for posting!
I don't know for sure what's going on. Could your bird be in a severe molt? Another possibility could be that the all-seed diet is starting to take it's toll, particularly with this bird being elderly. Does this bird bathe at all? Do you provide full-spectrum lighting for your birds?
Avian vets are expensive because of the extensive avian training they had to go through, and it may be necessary for you to pay to have some workups done in order to find out what the problem might be, if there is a problem.
See if this website might help you find a different avian vet in your town: www.aav.org
Send me answers to my questions and I'll see if I can offer any further advice.
