Post by ekkiemum on Dec 21, 2005 12:58:10 GMT 8
ECLECTUS MOLTING PATTERNS
Generally speaking, Eclectus lose and re-grow new feathers continually throughout the year. Although the smaller feathers of the head, neck and body are molted earlier, Eclectus usually don't shed the large flight feathers of the wings and tail until around the age of one year. Thereafter, they molt the large feathers only twice a year, in the spring
and fall, so that the unflighted adult Eclectus parrot will need a wing clip twice a year. Gradual molting of the small feathers seems to go on year round in captive Eclectus parrots.
MOLTING SYMMETRY
Birds are programmed by nature never to lose so many feathers at the same time that their ability to fly is compromised. Flight capability can mean the difference in life and death for Eclectus in the wild. Watch the feather loss of your Eclectus during a molt and you will notice that it is
symmetrical. A primary feather lost on one wing will be matched by the loss of the same feather on the other wing within a few days. This keeps their wings aerodynamically sound. Often birds molt almost imperceptibly -- dropping feathers gradually until one day, you suddenly notice that the
bird looks brand new.
FEATHER QUALITY
Post-molt feathers are stronger than original baby feathers, perhaps because the baby feathers must be flexible to fit into a nest. Also, young birds are clumsy and as they learn to climb and fly, the feathers take quite a beating. Because neonatal feathers are soft and flexible, they don't break as often as one might expect.
MOLTING COLORS
It is normal for the feathers of a molting bird to show several different shades of color since the bird has old dull feathers, new bright feathers, and gray down feathers all at the same time. You will be able to see lots of pin feathers when the molting bird is wet, and once all of them have grown in and opened, the bird will be evenly colored again.
THE "MOJO" MOLT
There is a little-known molting pattern that we call the "Mojo molt", named for a TEC member's male Eclectus, Mojo, who was the first Eclectus that we observed with facial and neck balding during the molt. In this pattern, Eclectus experience varying degrees of baldness on the face, head and neck
area when molting.. This balding can persist for months. Most Eclectus molt without balding, but new owners need to be aware of this pattern to prevent worry about mites, skin and feather follicle infections, and Beak & Feather Disease (PBFD). We have compared dietary information of birds that occasionally molt in this pattern and found no correlation between diet and the Mojo molt.
NOTE: Here is a link to photos of the Mojo Molt:
www.shadeseclectus.com/Mo..._Picts.htm
DIET FOR MOLTING BIRDS
Since molting can be stressful and uncomfortable, it is not unusual for birds to experience a loss of appetite. The bird's metabolism will speed up as several thousand new feathers are made, so the molting bird could also experience an increase in appetite if it is not uncomfortable. Molting birds benefit from more quality protein in the diet which can come from cooked eggs, well cooked meats and seafood, and
vegetable sources such as cooked beans and rice, which together form a complete protein. Nuts will provide additional protein and the good fats needed to create strong and lustrous feathers. This is a good time to feed flax seeds and most of us must grind them and sprinkle them over the food
to get the birds to eat them. Hemp seeds also provide the beneficial oils.
BATHING DURING MOLTING
Bathing is especially important during molting when birds probably feel itchy and uncomfortable as the new pin feathers break through the skin. It must be somewhat like 'teething all over' with so many feathers pushing through the skin. Keeping the skin and feathers hydrated is very helpful with molting. Adequate bathing is one of the best preventive remedies against feather plucking too. Aloe Vera spray made with distilled aloe without additives can help to hydrate the skin and feathers and prevent itchy skin while birds are molting. A daily soaking bath is helpful along with spritzes of water or aloe spray in between. It is easier to see new
pin feathers emerging if you first wet down the feathers, so a good time to check for new feathers is after a soaking bath.
REST AND SLEEP
Make sure that molting birds get lots of rest. Cover the cage for ten to twelve hours at night and if the cage is in a noisy area, provide a smaller sleeping cage in a quiet room. Molting birds sometimes are uncomfortable while being handled because of multiple pin feathers breaking through the skin, so handle with care.
THE OVERDUE MOLT
Parrots in the wild experience seasonal fluctuations in temperature and light which signals the onset of molts. In captivity, we have relatively constant light levels, photo periods (hours of light), and temperature. One of the main reason for the delayed molt of indoor birds is a low level of light which actually describes most indoor lighting.
*One way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to increase the level of light. This can be done by adding full spectrum or other lighting, or moving the cage closer to a sunny window. Part of the cage will need to be covered to provide shade and care must be taken that the cage does not overheat during the hottest part of the day.
*The second method of encouraging a bird to begin an overdue molt is to increase the photoperiod. You can add two hours to the daily light period by starting the bird's day an hour earlier and putting the bird to bed an hour later.
*A third way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to increase the temperature. If a bird is kept in a very cool house, the molt is sometimes delayed. Birds who are losing feathers require additional heat to stay warm and by raising the temperature to seventy-five or eighty degrees, a bird is likely to begin its molt.
*A fourth way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to bathe him daily. Pure water is sufficient but some owners choose to use aloe spray after a soaking bath. A daily soaking bath in the shower with a spritz of water or aloe between baths is another alternative. This encourages more
preening and softens the feather sheaths in preparation for molting.
*A fifth way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to enrich the diet. If a bird is on a substandard diet or a diet with too little protein, the molt could be delayed simply because the bird does not have the nutritional support needed to produce a new set of feathers. By adding foods of deep color and a form of high-quality protein every day or
two, the bird will have enough protein and nutrients to manufacture the thousands of new feathers required for a molt. Bits of well-cooked turkey and chicken, drumsticks, fish, shrimp, eggs, steak and other forms of protein can be added to the diet. A balanced diet of sprouts, fruits, veggies, bean/corn/rice cooked mix, and protein foods will supply the
nutrients necessary to support a molt.
*A sixth way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to minimize stress. When a bird feels stressed, it is less likely to begin a molt. In the wild, molting time is the time that a bird is most vulnerable to predation, so if a bird is stressed by anything in its environment, molting will be put off until a "safer" time. Make sure the bird gets ample rest including 12 hours sleep at night and find a way to increase his feeling of security. This could be as simple as moving the cage to a less busy area or to a corner of the room.
Obviously there are other factors that can interrupt or delay molting. Some of these causes are trauma, malnutrition, infectious diseases, hypothyroidism, internal parasites, and Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease. If you suspect any of these causes of delayed molt, a vet check is in order.
Finally, molting is a normal function and should not cause undue worry to the owner. By following the guidelines above for diet, bathing, and rest, Eclectus should come through every molt with flying colors!
Generally speaking, Eclectus lose and re-grow new feathers continually throughout the year. Although the smaller feathers of the head, neck and body are molted earlier, Eclectus usually don't shed the large flight feathers of the wings and tail until around the age of one year. Thereafter, they molt the large feathers only twice a year, in the spring
and fall, so that the unflighted adult Eclectus parrot will need a wing clip twice a year. Gradual molting of the small feathers seems to go on year round in captive Eclectus parrots.
MOLTING SYMMETRY
Birds are programmed by nature never to lose so many feathers at the same time that their ability to fly is compromised. Flight capability can mean the difference in life and death for Eclectus in the wild. Watch the feather loss of your Eclectus during a molt and you will notice that it is
symmetrical. A primary feather lost on one wing will be matched by the loss of the same feather on the other wing within a few days. This keeps their wings aerodynamically sound. Often birds molt almost imperceptibly -- dropping feathers gradually until one day, you suddenly notice that the
bird looks brand new.
FEATHER QUALITY
Post-molt feathers are stronger than original baby feathers, perhaps because the baby feathers must be flexible to fit into a nest. Also, young birds are clumsy and as they learn to climb and fly, the feathers take quite a beating. Because neonatal feathers are soft and flexible, they don't break as often as one might expect.
MOLTING COLORS
It is normal for the feathers of a molting bird to show several different shades of color since the bird has old dull feathers, new bright feathers, and gray down feathers all at the same time. You will be able to see lots of pin feathers when the molting bird is wet, and once all of them have grown in and opened, the bird will be evenly colored again.
THE "MOJO" MOLT
There is a little-known molting pattern that we call the "Mojo molt", named for a TEC member's male Eclectus, Mojo, who was the first Eclectus that we observed with facial and neck balding during the molt. In this pattern, Eclectus experience varying degrees of baldness on the face, head and neck
area when molting.. This balding can persist for months. Most Eclectus molt without balding, but new owners need to be aware of this pattern to prevent worry about mites, skin and feather follicle infections, and Beak & Feather Disease (PBFD). We have compared dietary information of birds that occasionally molt in this pattern and found no correlation between diet and the Mojo molt.
NOTE: Here is a link to photos of the Mojo Molt:
www.shadeseclectus.com/Mo..._Picts.htm
DIET FOR MOLTING BIRDS
Since molting can be stressful and uncomfortable, it is not unusual for birds to experience a loss of appetite. The bird's metabolism will speed up as several thousand new feathers are made, so the molting bird could also experience an increase in appetite if it is not uncomfortable. Molting birds benefit from more quality protein in the diet which can come from cooked eggs, well cooked meats and seafood, and
vegetable sources such as cooked beans and rice, which together form a complete protein. Nuts will provide additional protein and the good fats needed to create strong and lustrous feathers. This is a good time to feed flax seeds and most of us must grind them and sprinkle them over the food
to get the birds to eat them. Hemp seeds also provide the beneficial oils.
BATHING DURING MOLTING
Bathing is especially important during molting when birds probably feel itchy and uncomfortable as the new pin feathers break through the skin. It must be somewhat like 'teething all over' with so many feathers pushing through the skin. Keeping the skin and feathers hydrated is very helpful with molting. Adequate bathing is one of the best preventive remedies against feather plucking too. Aloe Vera spray made with distilled aloe without additives can help to hydrate the skin and feathers and prevent itchy skin while birds are molting. A daily soaking bath is helpful along with spritzes of water or aloe spray in between. It is easier to see new
pin feathers emerging if you first wet down the feathers, so a good time to check for new feathers is after a soaking bath.
REST AND SLEEP
Make sure that molting birds get lots of rest. Cover the cage for ten to twelve hours at night and if the cage is in a noisy area, provide a smaller sleeping cage in a quiet room. Molting birds sometimes are uncomfortable while being handled because of multiple pin feathers breaking through the skin, so handle with care.
THE OVERDUE MOLT
Parrots in the wild experience seasonal fluctuations in temperature and light which signals the onset of molts. In captivity, we have relatively constant light levels, photo periods (hours of light), and temperature. One of the main reason for the delayed molt of indoor birds is a low level of light which actually describes most indoor lighting.
*One way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to increase the level of light. This can be done by adding full spectrum or other lighting, or moving the cage closer to a sunny window. Part of the cage will need to be covered to provide shade and care must be taken that the cage does not overheat during the hottest part of the day.
*The second method of encouraging a bird to begin an overdue molt is to increase the photoperiod. You can add two hours to the daily light period by starting the bird's day an hour earlier and putting the bird to bed an hour later.
*A third way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to increase the temperature. If a bird is kept in a very cool house, the molt is sometimes delayed. Birds who are losing feathers require additional heat to stay warm and by raising the temperature to seventy-five or eighty degrees, a bird is likely to begin its molt.
*A fourth way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to bathe him daily. Pure water is sufficient but some owners choose to use aloe spray after a soaking bath. A daily soaking bath in the shower with a spritz of water or aloe between baths is another alternative. This encourages more
preening and softens the feather sheaths in preparation for molting.
*A fifth way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to enrich the diet. If a bird is on a substandard diet or a diet with too little protein, the molt could be delayed simply because the bird does not have the nutritional support needed to produce a new set of feathers. By adding foods of deep color and a form of high-quality protein every day or
two, the bird will have enough protein and nutrients to manufacture the thousands of new feathers required for a molt. Bits of well-cooked turkey and chicken, drumsticks, fish, shrimp, eggs, steak and other forms of protein can be added to the diet. A balanced diet of sprouts, fruits, veggies, bean/corn/rice cooked mix, and protein foods will supply the
nutrients necessary to support a molt.
*A sixth way to encourage a bird to begin an overdue molt is to minimize stress. When a bird feels stressed, it is less likely to begin a molt. In the wild, molting time is the time that a bird is most vulnerable to predation, so if a bird is stressed by anything in its environment, molting will be put off until a "safer" time. Make sure the bird gets ample rest including 12 hours sleep at night and find a way to increase his feeling of security. This could be as simple as moving the cage to a less busy area or to a corner of the room.
Obviously there are other factors that can interrupt or delay molting. Some of these causes are trauma, malnutrition, infectious diseases, hypothyroidism, internal parasites, and Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease. If you suspect any of these causes of delayed molt, a vet check is in order.
Finally, molting is a normal function and should not cause undue worry to the owner. By following the guidelines above for diet, bathing, and rest, Eclectus should come through every molt with flying colors!