FINCHforum

I purchased a pair of unrelated canaries at a local pet store in NJ back in the beginning of April. I didn't notice it at first, but the female was missing feathers around her neck. Obviously she wasn't plucking herself because she can't reach those feathers, so I called up the pet store to ask why she was missing feathers. I was told that her cage mates probably picked on her. I know it happens, so I accepted it and moved on. There was no way of returning her, I had already traveled back to my own state.

It's now May and none of the feathers on her neck have even started to grow back. It's entirely naked. She's been a relatively healthy girl, eating her greens and flitting around the giant flight cage I have her in. She hasn't been housed with anyone else, so I know no one is plucking her. My question is: how long does it typically take for feathers like these to grow back?

Could mites be an option? If so- what medication is best (I'd prefer something that treats a broader field of parasites that I could give to all my birds)? There are so many out there that I just get confused.

Here are some photos. Sorry about the bad lighting.

Not a canary by any means but generally speaking adult birds will not grow in "unessential" feathers until a molt. Meaning if it isn't important for flying, like primary or secondary flight feathers or tail feathers, she probably won't regain them until her molt.

That being said if she was severely plucked the follicles may have been damaged and she may never re-grow them at all. I have a lovely Chestnut Society male that is bald on his neck and chest and has been ever since I got him. I've never noticed the hen he's with over preening him, so that's a possibility, but it's been nearly a year and he's never regrown any of the feathers.

I also had a male Owl that looked a lot like your hen, and his mate did over preen him constantly. (She's also really bad about doing this to her chicks.) I separated them and because he's molting the feathers are coming back in. But I've seen cases where over preening for an extended period can produce a bird that remains bald for the same reasons I mentioned above due to damage to the follicles.

What a lovely canary and yes....definitely a canary. Being that she is new, I would treat her with Scatt for mites just as a precaution. When she goes through the moult hopefully the feathers will regrow. If not, I would not worry about it, she is really quite lovely.....congratulations.

Oh, ok, thanks for the advice. I've seen birds grow flight feathers very quickly so I was concerned why she wasn't growing her feathers.

Another question: Which parasite medication is safer? I've read that Scatt is stronger and may effect their breeding cycle. With Scatt, I'm mostly worried about asphyxiation from too many dead mites. With S76, I've read that proper treatment isn't guaranteed since it's placed in their water. Is S76 a softer treatment with less of a chance of asphyxiation, or would Scatt be the way to go?

I agree with Colt & Mexicancanary. I have had a couple birds like this & the feathers came back in during their molt.
Congratulations on a sweet canary.
Mary

My post should have said "not a canary expert by any means..." my bad. She's definitely a canary. That's what happens when you get interrupted at work in the middle of a post...

Also unless the bird has Air Sac Mites she wouldn't asphyxiate on anything. I believe they recommended a mite treatment for feather mites to ensure that isn't a problem. I've used S76 in the past and liked it because it is much easier to treat 200+ birds through their water versus catching them all by hand to apply the Scatt. That being said I would use Scatt if my flock was smaller.

Another option to try might be A.I.L. (Avian Insect Liquidator).
It is a water-based spray that is strong enough to kill off any mites/lice if she has them, but won't harm her if she doesn't.

One of my Spice finches seems to be in the same boat as your canary. He eats well, is active, etc. but is balding in a ring pattern around his neck. When he stretches his neck out he looks like a cute scruffy little alien
He does not seem bothered by it - he doesn't scratch excessively and is not picked or overly groomed by his cage mates who all have very good plummage. His condition has not gotten any better or worse during the four months I've had him, even after I used AIL on him. I'm hoping it will regrow when he has his moult, but if not that's ok because he seems happy and healthy in every other way.

Feed your Canaries dried KELP (seaweed meal) in a softfood mix & you will find the baldness will disappear in the next molt.

Molting season has just begun in and around the United states. A hard molt starts around summer time and lasts for up to a month. Just stick to a healthy nutritional diet. You can tell when the molt is in progress because you will see feathers at the bottom of the cage and around the floor of the cage. Feather will usually grow back in within a few weeks time.

If the canary us a juvenile then I would say they will come back in immidiatly. But after a canary has went through a hard molt only the essential feathers needed to fly will grow back in if plucked. Just be patient. If she is eating normal and bathing then you should have no worries ahead of you.

To answer your question about Scatt vs. S76, I personally much prefer Scatt. I feel that because it is applied directly to the skin, the bird is getting the dose it needs, whereas when any medication is placed in the water, you really have no way of knowing if they took in enough for a proper dose. When I purchase birds, each one is treated with Scatt when they are placed in the quarantine cage. However, when treating an entire bird room or aviary, S76 is certainly far easier than catching each individual bird.