FINCHforum

Hi everyone,

I was moving a few of my Gouldians around this weekend and I had a chance to "inspect" them.

I need some opinions on health.

1. I have one male who is molting right now (head is full of pins) and he's lost A LOT of feathers on his belly that haven't grown back. If the head is the last to molt...what am I to make of his bare belly..? Should they grow back, is this normal, should I be looking at another cause? He's very healthy overwise that I can see, sings all day, eat/drinks normally etc.

(in the picture I am actually blowing on his belly to expose the bald spot. When he's up and about, the bald spot is somehow covered.)

2. Another male, just finished his second clutch (father of the year I tell you , but he's scratching himself all over very often (like a dog with fleas, claws scratching the head and all over). He's also developing some 'ticks' like shaking his head a little.

I took a picture of his wings and the feathers seem a little tattered and torn compared to the wings of the molting male.

Otherwise he's eating/drinking like normal and seems like a happy guy.

Any ideas? Is it something, and if so, could it be some sort of feather mite..? (the hen and babies don't seem to be scratching)

I'm moving them all to a much larger cage, and once that's done, it'll be harder for me to catch them and treat if need be.

Thanks in advance!

Pictures attached our of order: the middle 2 pics are of the male with the feathers I'm wondering about.

The bald patch on the belly are typical of both males and females - it's their "brood patch". It is the part of the body they put against the eggs and chicks to keep them warm (without feathers getting in the way of the warmth). There's nothing like warm skin against warm skin to keep each other warm. No problem there at all and they (males and females) often preen this part of their bellies.

As for the wing - I wouldn't worry about it too much either - probably getting a bit mooshed up in the nest or perching against the side of the cage wall.

I have never seen any of my gouldians with a bald belly. They do have a brooding area but it is covered by feathers...unless they seperate them or you are seperating them while holding the bird. Is this bald spot noticable while they are naturally sitting on the perch?
That one little feather does look a bit strange... like a dwarf feather.
Vitamin A will help with good feather formation. (lack of can cause brittle feathers that break easily) A product like feather fast from Morning Bird or Feather up from Bird Care Company would help.

L in Ontario wrote:The bald patch on the belly are typical of both males and females - it's their "brood patch".

Thanks Liz! THAT I did not know! I assumed it was molt related.
I'll keep an eye on the other guy too...I don't like interfering with their space or handling them, so I don't get much close contact with their feathers and bodies unless it's a must - BUT when I do, I always notice something different!

CandoAviary wrote:Is this bald spot noticable while they are naturally sitting on the perch?

Candace, it's not noticeable at all when he's perching. I noticed it only when I blew air on his belly and the feathers separated. Otherwise that patch is covered up by the surrounding feathers.

Oops...I missed the part where you stated you were blowing on the belly. The bare skin should not show when bird is on the perch. Baths will help relieve the itching from molting quills and dry skin.

CandoAviary wrote:Oops...I missed the part where you stated you were blowing on the belly. The bare skin should not show when bird is on the perch.

Jasmin said the brood patch doesn't show at all when the bird is perching.

Jasmin wrote:Candace, it's not noticeable at all when he's perching. I noticed it only when I blew air on his belly and the feathers separated. Otherwise that patch is covered up by the surrounding feathers.

100% normal - guaranteed.

The belly area is perfectly normal and the other pics look kike normal wear and tear. Doesnt seem to be any issues there.

Thanks a bunch!
I feel fortunate to be able to ask for second opinions on this forum!