gouldian molting question.

[kheather]

my gouldian pair is molting very heavily, the hen I have noticed the past two days looks miserable. She is sleeping alot and a little puffy. I have a heat light on their cage she doesnt sit under it anymore or less than the other's, she is eating and drinking and appears bright eyed otherwise. She has pin feathers all over and her neck and head is full of them. To me she doesnt look ill I dont think....can they have a fast molt and just look and feel pitiful for a few days? I know the first clutch youngsters went thru a short period during their molt where they looked uncomfortable as well. Is this normal a normal fast molt? She really is dropping alot of feathers at one time it seems. She is on a good diet..abba seed, eggfood w/ shell and feather fast, millet, veggies, herb salad and f-vite. She is also in a large cage with three of her daughter's. I mist them daily and they really seem to enjoy it. The room is plenty warm.

[nixity]

Yes I think molting is just a crummy experience. Imagine all those pins poking all over, and it's probably itchy as the casing over the quill starts to shed.

I think you're doing a good job by providing the excellent diet and the heat if needed. Can you provide a free-choice bath instead of the misting?

The bathing always seems to help the molting process along

[kheather]

Thanks Tiffany, Yes they also have a large shallow h20 dish, and they do use it...I am just trying to help them along....looks like a cage of living cacti!! LOL I am sure it has to feel miserable, for sure with as many pins as they have on their heads, necks and faces! The pastel blue male is now fully molting body and head is all pins, looks like all his bald patches will be filled in!

[dan78]

Kheather moulting is a bad case for most birds and the gouldians just seem to get it worse. What your doing sounds great and yes all gouldians just look worse than they actually are. As for juveniles going through their first moult it is a bad time as some seem to get mega stressed and I have heard if stories of young dying through their first moult, personally I haven't had one yet but it can happen. Due to them going through the moult I would take less time bothering them till they finished and would consider adding egg for this period and the bath like tiffany said is an excellent idea.

[kheather]

Thanks Dan, I do give them fresh eggfood everymorning. I make my own combining commercial eggfood with hardboiled egg and shell...etc. Yes poor little things! well as many pins as they have it shouldnt take long!

[Cath1068]

When my goulds went through their molt back in january they look sooooooo miserable and ill. I felt bad for them but now that its over all seem happy and healthy......