Feather issues on my painted conure

[Zhichun]

Hi everyone, I'm Chun. New to this forum and have some problems that I would like to ask to the experienced bird owners here.
My painted conure is 14 months old on roudybush pellet diet n occasionally some almonds and walnut as treats, she has a lot torn feathers near the tail feather and shoulder area, just wondering is it anything to be worried about? Thanks in advance![Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]


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[Dragonlady2]

:pp_welcome:
Your bird looks like it is overpreening. There could be lots of reasons for this and it wouldn't hurt to have a vet check her out. Maybe she is having issues with her preening gland.
Does she have toys that she can chew, in her cage?
Does she take a bath regularly?
I would give her some fresh food such as chopped kale, chopped broccoli, chopped carrots, strawberries, blueberries and peppers to start with.
As well, it wouldn't hurt to give her one or two sunflower seeds.
Is she chewing feathers on her chest/belly?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hello Chun and welcome
She does look a bit tatty, if you can stop whatever is causing the problem the damaged feathers will be replaced over a period of time as she moults them out.
Helena has suggested that she may be overpreening, is this the case? Or is she damaging her feathers on her cage or something? Does she mix with other birds?
Please let us have some more information and some more pics, we love pics and they may give us some clues.

[Zhichun]

Hi thanks for the response, most of the time we will not be at home from 7am til 6pm, she is the only bird at home, I tink it might be due to Boredom because last yr I had my newborn and we had lesser time together, she does have a lot of toys in the cage. Here are some pics of chippy. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]


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[Casper's 2nd best friend]

She's lovely :)
If she is bored while you are out all day try leaving a radio on for her to listen to. A radio station with a lot of talking if there is one.

[Zhichun]

She's lovely :)
If she is bored while you are out all day try leaving a radio on for her to listen to. A radio station with a lot of talking if there is one.

Thank you, I will try to switch on the radio for her to keep her out of boredom [emoji16]. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]


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[Dragonlady2]

She is beautiful. Try to find some toys that she can shred like wicker/straw baskets, balsa wood, thin pine pieces etc. Hopefully she will transfer her preening to another toy.

[Lady]

She is a beauty, love her painted feathers. My girl likes to groom the cotton knots that come on a wooden toy she favors. She also enjoys chewing on sisal rope.
You can make her some toys yourself if you have the time. T.V or music is also nice to keep on while she is home alone. Foraging for her food is also another way to keep her busy. You could wrap up a few nuts in a cupcake paper liner or even in a piece of brown paper bag. If she is new to foraging then just put a loose piece of paper over her food dish enough so she can see her food but has to pick out the paper. You could also use a paper towel, when the towels are all used up the brown tube can be cut down and used for toys too.

[SquawkandHowl]

People have tackled boredom and over preening. But no one has mentioned this particular possibility- when the feathers grow in, are there black bars or spots on them? or do they look uniform and green?

If they are growing in with black patches as shown here, it is a malnutrition issue. Veggies high in vitamin A will help, and more fresh foods with pellets always available will go a long way.

[Stephen12]

Thank you, I will try to switch on the radio for her to keep her out of boredom [emoji16]. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]


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Your bird just stole my heart..its beautiful! :th_heart::hahns:

[Zhichun]

Your bird just stole my heart..its beautiful! :th_heart::hahns:

Thank you! [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]


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[Zhichun]

People have tackled boredom and over preening. But no one has mentioned this particular possibility- when the feathers grow in, are there black bars or spots on them? or do they look uniform and green?

If they are growing in with black patches as shown here, it is a malnutrition issue. Veggies high in vitamin A will help, and more fresh foods with pellets always available will go a long way.

Yes I'm now adding a lot more fresh veggie and sprouts, see whether it improves her feather.


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[Mare]

Getting them to eat what they need, is difficult..God knows, we try! Your bird is a beauty, I don't think I've ever seen one like her. Does she chew on her self constant or just sometimes? My Goffins Cockatoo, Sassy, chews her feathers off half the year..the other half, she lets them grow in beautifully.

[Zhichun]

Getting them to eat what they need, is difficult..God knows, we try! Your bird is a beauty, I don't think I've ever seen one like her. Does she chew on her self constant or just sometimes? My Goffins Cockatoo, Sassy, chews her feathers off half the year..the other half, she lets them grow in beautifully.

Hi she Seldom Chew on them, I try to keep her out as much as I can to prevent her from getting bored.


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[Zhichun]

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
Some picture updates on chippy for these few weeks. Enjoy and have a nice day ahead [emoji847]


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