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How often do they lose thier feathers and stuff. It seems that every time we turn around my Lovie is losing feathers. She started again about 3 days ago. I ask because this is like the 4th or 5th time she is going thru this and I have had her for about a year and a half. My friend has a military macaw and he said that his bird only does it once a year??

Birds who live outdoors do seasonal molting, but those who are indoors routinely molt gradually year 'round, especially if our home is usually closed and dependent on a heating/AC unit to keep the temperature fairly constant. When it gets cool enough in late fall for our heater to begin coming on, birds usually react with a more extensive molt because the heat fools them into thinking spring is coming. Rosie seems very normal by my experience.

OK Cool thanks.. I was wondering why she was molting so much when he said only once a year. But he also feeds his bird apples with the seeds in em.. Yikes..

Thanks again

My two are always losing feathers......but I can notice when it's a molt because it's alot more feathers. I believe it's twice a year for tiels and once a year they usually lose alot more feathers and are more uncomfortable......I notice this too with mine.......one molt will be not so bad, then the next one I will find tons of feathers! Woody's been losing some feathers......Ivy just started molting and Pip has been going through a molt........you can always tell by all the preening.......to the point where it usually keeps them from doing things they would normally do......like a vocal male might be more quiet and my little monster Pip stays outa trouble.....too busy preening!

Rosies Mommy wrote:...he also feeds his bird apples with the seeds in em.. Yikes..

Thanks again

You're welcome! Your friend probably read this article: http://www.exoticbird.com/gillian/apple.html

Thats how Rosie has been the last few days she is losing them left and right and when she preens she has a feather in her mouth constantly. The living room floor is covered with feathers from today only I was noticing tonight. She was walking around playing with them all. I was surprised to see her losing feathers all of a sudden cuz usually I see tons of new feathers coming in around the time that shes losing them, but not this time so it was like a surprise to me.

Pip the little monster.. I always think of his picture and how tiny and innocent looking he is when I hear you talk about his antics. I remember I felt so bad for him in that one pic where he is sitting off to the side all alone .

I freaked out one day cuz Rosie had bit into a apple seed when I was cutting her apple and it fell out and I didn't notice. I was crying when he called me and I had a call into the dr and he said "don't worry Cucu eats apple seeds all the time, he has been eating them for years now" like it was no big deal.

As stated previously, a 'tiel in a normal household climate will molt almost continuously, but with additional daylight and somewhat warmer temps in the summer, you will have periods where the molt seem to be more, more often, and more frequent. Right now, my flock of 14 produces enough feathers to make a full sized feather pillow if I were to capture all the small ones. I only keep flights and tail feathers with a few of the remigies (sp?) thrown in for good measure. I've filled up 3 blocks of styrofoam about 6" square with flights and tails with spacing on the order of 1/16" or so. Now, I've got some 9 or 10" circle flower styrofoam "hoops" like you'd make a wreath out of and already have one about 1/3 covered. It's just amazing how many feathers 14 birds can lose in a weeks time! Maybe I'll make some pics of the feather blocks and post.. I still have no clue what to to with them, but I'm sure some artistic person could arrange them in something that would look better than just a wad of feathers

Sam