Ask Lafeber

Pin feathers

My green cheek has pin feathers on her head. How can I remove them for her? Or should I leave the pin feathers alone? Will she eventually take care of them?

Hi Barbara,

In the wild, the mate or even a flockmate would help groom another bird’s head. You can very gently break up the coating between your fingers. If a feather is not quite ready, she might fuss at you or even give a little nip. The coating is dry and brittle when ready to come off. If it feels waxy and bends instead of crumbling or flaking, it is a little too soon. She will eventually remove the pins by rubbing her head on things. But it’s a nice thing to do for her if you can help the feathers along.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda