Is my bird molting or feather picking?

Question

I have a two year old parrotlet, which I thought was a male, but for three weeks has been laying eggs so is obviously female! As I have never had a female bird before, I'm not sure if her current condition is due to molting, feather picking, or the egg laying process. For about a week now she is losing her feather on her chest. It looks very tender on the patch without feathers. So far she has laid 11 eggs. I have been taking them away from her, since I know they will not hatch as they are not fertile. When I noticed the feathers missing, I thought she might be feather picking, so I gave her an egg back and she has been laying on it since. I see no other signs of molting, so I'm stumped if the egg laying is related to the feather loss. She is eating and drinking well, very vocal and playful with her bells, etc. I did buy her some molting conditioner today to see if that will help. I'd like some advise as to her feather condition, and whether I should be taking her eggs away from her as she lays them. Thank you very much for your help. Jade appreciates your help too!

Answer 1

Your parrotlet has very likely plucked a "brood patch" from her breast.  Female parrotlets frequently do this and if your bird is only missing feathers in this area, I wouldn't be too worried.  She'll let them grow back in after she's finished raising her "family".

After eleven eggs I'm a bit worried for Jade's health.  That's a lot of eggs for a parrotlet!  Unfortunately she is likely trying to replace the eggs you keep removing.  

If she is still laying, please leave the eggs with her.  Without a male they won't be fertile.  Just leave them and let her incubate them until she tires of the routine.  She will give up sooner or later.

Your bird is probably running low on calcium about now.  Please make sure she has a cuttlebone and a mineral block available.  If she's not eating the cuttlebone, scrape some into her food dish.  Also offer her some chopped, boiled egg and lots of leafy greens.  Keep an eye on her for any trouble passing an egg.  After 11 eggs, if she's still laying the eggs might be lacking in calcium and be "soft shelled".  That's dangerous to Jade because they could break before they're laid and she could develop peritonitis.  If you see any signs that Jade is having trouble laying, please take her to an avian vet immediately.

You might want to cut down on Jade's daylight hours.  Hopefully this will discourage further laying.  If she's no longer laying, remove anything that she may perceive as a nest.  Jade needs a rest and restore her calcium levels.  Birds have the ability to quickly pull calcium from their own bones when required and if she keeps laying, her own health is in danger.

I hope this helps!  If you would like more parrotlet-related information, please join us on the Yahoo Group "ParrotletsPlus", a group dedicated to the tiny little parrotlet where we discuss their nutrition, housing, training, medical care, basic genetics - and the love we all share for these incredible little birds!

Colette

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Parro...

Answer 2

this is what happens to chickens...it means that you bird wants to be a mother

it is called going broody

they loose feathers on their chest so they can incubate the eggs, you see the eggs hatch from the warmth or the skin not the feathers

u should consider getting a male so you can have babies

but if you want this broodiness to go away take the eggs out and maybe put her somewhere where she cannot sit or lay anymore eggs, egg a bottomless cage that lets air flow from under her, or u can try freezing the eggs and putting them back which will coool her down...cureing broodoiness can take a few days

this happened probably because it is their breeding season

goodd luck

its nothing to wotty about, she just want to be a mother :)

Answer 3

It sounds like plucking due to the fact you say the area is isolated and looks very tender. A malt will be wider spread and should not look tender at all. Let her lay on the eggs, she will loose interest soon enough. Contrary to popular belief, feather plucking is usually not a behavoural problem, it has more to do with diet, and nutritional needs not being met. If you can get her on a high protien and diet she should snap out of it. If she keeps laying eggs get her checked out, she may have a hormone issue, but it's not the end of the world. Just do some research and treat it right, she'll be back to normal preety quickly.

Answer 4

Eleven eggs is a lot for a budgie! She will continue to lay eggs ( or try to) to replace the missing ones. Boil the eggs and after they cool, put them back in the nest. After a while she will lose interest in them.

Since her body is being depleted by the egg production, she needs lots of extra protein and calcium. Give her scrambled eggs (with shell and all) nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains and greens. If she continues to lay eggs she may have hormone problems. The feather loss may be a sign of stress or poor nutrition. Molting usually is more evenly distributed whereas feather picking is usually in one spot. Try misting her with warm water from above so it falls like a gentle rain. This should be done daily if she isn't taking baths. It will help with her feather condition and help her to preen properly.        

Answer 5

She isn't feather picking or molting, she's lost a certain number of her chest feathers naturally... birds lose those feathers when they start to incubate the eggs, it's called a "brood patch" and it makes brooding more efficient by allowing direct contact between the eggs and the mother's skin. It's quite normal, and the feathers will eventually grow back.

However, you must not take the eggs away after she lays them. She is laying more eggs to try to replace the ones you keep taking away--this is depleting her calcium reserves, and will make her very sick and unhealthy! Just leave the eggs she does lay in the cage until she loses interest in them, and then you can take them out with no worries.