Ask Lafeber

Cockatiels do not grow feathers

Hello, I have two cockatiels. The first is more than four years old. A long time ago, the long feathers on its tail and wings fell out and they never grew back I consulted a doctor and he gave me vitamins, in addition to other vitamins that different people advised me, but all of them did not help. The second bird is about 8 months old I have been raising it since he was a few weeks old. At first, everything was normal and his feathers were beginning to grow but later on they began to fall out and no longer grow. Their situation worries me a lot, as they have been unable to fly for a long time. To be frank, the big bird’s health condition is not the best he makes a sound when breathing and in a previous period he was losing its voice. As for the little one, he is very active, but he does not know how to climb.
I would be very grateful to get an answer from you.

Hi,

I would recommend that you seek a second opinion from an Avian Vet who has more experience with treating birds. There are a lot of causes for feather loss. Now you have two birds with the same issue. It could be poor nutrition, but it could also be a disease like a virus. Are the cages large enough? Losing the longest wing and tail feathers is unusual, and especially for two birds to be involved now. If a bird is on a poor diet, like a seed mix, vitamins are not going to help much. If given in the water, they don’t drink enough water. If put on the seeds, they don’t get them because they remove the hulls from seeds. Even on soft food, they probably will not get what they need. The best diet is a nutritionally balanced food like pellets. You should also offer dark leafy greens, chopped veggies and some fruit. However, this still sounds more like a disease process, and something the younger one caught from the older bird. You need to find a qualified vet to try to diagnose these birds.

Take care,

Brenda