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This afternoon, I had to pull two of Chibi's incoming tail feathers because he broke them. Poor little critter now has exactly 1 tail feather, and it's very short at the present, but still growing. He lost all of his tail feathers as a chick, to breaks and now the rest of them, bar that one, which probably won't survive for long either. Same deal on flight feathers. Had to pull 2 on each wing earlier this week because he broke them. I know what the problem is, but don't have a clue how to "fix" it. The trouble is, he's growing in one feather at a time, and there is nothing around it to help protect the new ones. (Thanks BirdBrained) He was clipped completely on the wings, and cannot even glide, but rather he flips backwards if he flaps. Chibi is a very active birdy, and is always in a rush to do something, which is part of his problem too, but without having other feathers around the new ones growing in, there is little to no protection. So...... if anybody has any ideas, regardless of how ridiculous they might sound, please give me some ideas. I'm completely out. The envelope on the tail feathers was a thought, but you have to have something to staple to, which there isn't, and if I know him well, he'd shred any kind of envelope attached to his rear end. The other thing, from what I'm told, new feathers growing in most likely itch, and they will chew or scratch as the case may be. That kind of leaves out similar ideas about envelopes on the wings. If I don't come up with something, he'll never fly or have tail feathers either.

Please put on the thinking caps and help me out.. I'm more than frustrated I can't solve this one.

Sam

That's a tough one Sam. My female tiel, Buddie, had a problem when she was only a few months old with broken tail feathers. However, that situation was resolved when she was able to fly as she no longer landed on her bum. It seems like once the flight feathers grow in, Chibi will be able to prevent the "back flips" and will grow out his tail feathers. If it were me, I would try to limit or closely monitor his activity until the flight feathers grow in. I know that's easier said than done!!

I did a quick search to see how old Chibi is and see that he's only about 8 months. It's not uncommon for tiels his age to be without tail feathers, just as Chibi is. Losing wing feathers isn't quite to common, but you posted about his being clipped way too short. That's often a reason birds begin chewing bristly wingtips.

Certainly bleeding from broken blood feathers is scary, but a healthy bird clots well, and a bird can lose a lot more blood that we used to think a decade ago, without dire consequences. And you're home 'most all day, so if he begins bleeding you'll likely find him fast and get the bleeding stopped by applying corn starch and some finger tip pressure.

Sooooooo, I recommend that you try to find something else to worry about Tiels are not prone to behavioral feather plucking, so it's not probable that his condition will be anything other than temporary. I agree with you that the envelope remedy probably wouldn't work with Chibi. I predict that in another couple of months, you'll be posting pictures of his lovely feathers.

Try to chill for your Chibi

Paca

Bubba has never had his wings clipped and has never (yes, I mean not even once) had a problem with broken tail or wing feathers... for that reason, I am inclined to agree with Shirwin's mom on the whole tail feather problem--it does seem if he has restricted flight that he would be more suseptible to landing oddly on his tail feathers breaking them.

I have never had a problem with Casper and her wings ARE clipped. But then again, she is not much of a flier. She only flies off of her cage once in awhile. And she always seems to land on her feet with her tail out straight. Lucky, I guess. I have to keep my fingers crossed!

when I first got gizmo his tail feathers were a mess. the pet store had him in a cage with multiple Love birds and they distroyed them when i took him home there was 2 left and they were in bad shape after 2 days one droped out and about a week later the second one went. They have now grown back and look terricfic. and it did not take very long

Lots of showers when new feathers are growing in help with the itching.

ParrontPlus wrote:I did a quick search to see how old Chibi is and see that he's only about 8 months. It's not uncommon for tiels his age to be without tail feathers, just as Chibi is.
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Sooooooo, I recommend that you try to find something else to worry about

Paca

It's not so much the loss of the feathers that bothers me as is the pain he suffers after breaking them, and then bumping them again and that has been how I knew he broke them. His screams of pain really upset me, and I just want him to not have to endure that pain. In my first post, I said Chibi was very active, but in reality, he's just plain out rambunctious! His roughness is mostly the problem aside from being startled so often.

Sam

Add aloe juice to a spray bottle to mist him - about a Tablespoon per 8oz water. I will hel with the itching and dry skin. Is your house on the dry side? That may also contribute to the problem.

I took Luna about a year to learn how to move - even in the cage - without breaking her tail feathers.

This time of year, yes, the house tends to be much on the dry side with heat running and low humidity, but this past month, it's been a lot better humidity-wise due to low heat demand, and a gulf moisture influx. Maybe some will think I worry too much about things like this, but the thought has occurred to me that perhaps Chibi is lacking something in his diet that causes feathers to not have the strength they need to bend instead of break. All the feathers he's broken have been partially sheathed as well. I was under the impression that the sheath would split and fall off, as well as them chewing on it to let the feather expand, but with so much sheath exposed, maybe he's not getting it off fast enough. Granted, Chibi does not bathe by himself.. he hates water, so I don't push him to get wet too often, but I could dip his wings and tail in water to help soften the sheaths without wetting him all over. My wife has an aloe plant growing, so I guess I could just extract some of the juice and mix it with water and either dip or spray those areas where the feathers are growing in. I'll give that a try and see if it helps. Short of having a line of feathers growing in all at once, I still don't know how a single feather will survive without being damaged as rough as he is.

Any more ideas, perhaps something to protect the in coming feathers?

Sam

thought has occurred to me that perhaps Chibi is lacking something in his diet

Doesn't he eat the same as the rest of your flock? Do they have the same problem? Could it be heredity? Or he's just an active guy that breaks his feathers. As he grows and maybe settles down some he should get better at not breaking them.

Yes, Chibi does eat the same as the rest of them, and will eat other foods besides birdy type food. I do know he loves sunflower seeds, but he does not usually just stick to those. I suppose it's possible for him to have an inherited feather problem, but who knows who his parents were.. with 100 breeding pair, impossible for that breeder to know who produced whom!

Yeah, if he'd settle down a bit and not spook so easily, things would be much better, but I'd have thought by now, and especially living with us since July of '06, he'd be a little more calm. Rambunctious is saying his activity level mildly

Has he gone througha molting yet? When I first got Luna she had beautiful tail feathers! I soon figured out it was because she didn't climb in the pet store "tanks" so she didn't have much opportunity to rough them up.

After about a month or so they started breaking 1 by 1 till she had none! I was worried also, but on a tiel chat board I was told that it is very common for young birds to break their tail feathers. They are clumsy and get get excited so they don't pay attention to the tail.

Now her tail is full and fine. She molted and learned how to move so she doesn't break them I'll post a picture when I have a good one.[/img]

AFIK, he's in a semi-molt now, or just finishing. Most all his body feathers have changed, but he's only lost about 4 or 5 flight feathers. As for tail feathers, I'm not sure how many he's pulled out, or how many just fell out, but I do know he's attempted to regrow 4 or 5 tail, and broken all but one. I doubt he'll ever get to keep tail feathers till he gets wing feathers and they will let him lift up instead of doing back flips on his tail end. Chibi is now approaching 9 months, so molting as such as it will be, won't be drastic because of constant temps.

I got my bird at about six months of age-----he was just finishing his first molt when I got him. He has never had any feather problems. He has great feathers and a nice big crest. After we got his wings clipped, there is no problem whatsoever. He LOVES to fly! and still tries often, From the floor he can lift up about a foot, his flight is very limitted now, but he has enough to get himself to the floor safely if he does fly. His wing clip seems to be just perfect! Even though it looks a bit choppy, like he got a bad hair cut! but hey, this wasn't for looks, it was to serve a purpose and that it does! Also my bird is very hyper at times, very active and flaps and is clumsy sometimes. He has lost feathers-----a few times, one tail feather and a couple from his wing, but none have ever broken. Maybe I have just been lucky? I don't know, but we have to force him out of his cage most times because he is still not very tame. Once he is out, he is good, gets on fingers, on shoulder, and he is coming around, but he just does not like coming out of that cage! I hope chibi grows new feathers soon---poor baby-------I saw chibi's picture and what a pretty bird even without the tail feathers. From what everyone has said here, I take it that chibi WILL grow feathers and be fine in time. I know it's hard waiting. I can't wait til mine will come willingly out of his cage, and be more comfortable outside of it.