FINCHforum

_{(Not sure if this should be in Hookbills or Health, seeing as this is a bourke and not a finch)}

So when I first got Graffy about a year and a half ago the only wing feathers he had were his coverts. There were no primaries and no secondaries on either wing. The four primaries you see in the pic grew in within the last two months or so, and they're the only ones that have grown in so far. Both of his wings look like this. He has maybe ten primaries total and still no secondaries. _{(He only recently learned how to fly. He's not very good at it yet).}

Is this a genetic mutation/defect or is it possible the breeder plucked out all his flight feathers prior to selling him to the pet shop? (I know the pet shop didn't do this because the guys in charge of the birds there don't clip the wings unless the person buying a bird requests it).



Any thoughts?

JustAlex09

From the picture, it looks like some of the feathers have definitely been cut.

Not sure why it's taking him so long to molt and grow in new feathers though. What's his diet like?

If I were you, I would get my hands on some Feather Fast, I have personally found that it does wonders for birdies who have feather issues.