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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:	Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:	INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:	VIDEO::PULSIFER

Created:	Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:	Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	942
Total number of notes:	6016

672.0. "Tailless teil!!!" by GERBIL::MAGEE () Sun Mar 15 1992 15:54

    
    
        I have a young teil who is arround 18 weeks old. She (Rosey) 
    
     acts great and looks great with the exception of her tail! Her 
    
     once beautiful tail is now down to two long feathers! She is in 
    
     a large cage with three keets who do not abuse her. Is this the
    
     result of her first molt (moult?) ?  She doesn't seem to be 
    
     losing any feathers else where on her body. Any ideas???
    
     Chet

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
672.1	TAILS	ABACUS::BOURGAULT		`Mon Mar 16 1992 13:23`	14
	Chet, I find that young tiel's tail feathers come out rather easily, probably because they are the first feathers. Just the wear and tear on the cage bars can loosen them up. Another reason is if the cage is a bit small for her and she is cramped for space. Thus she will climb the sides of the cage and will get the tail feathers bent and caught on the bars. Are your bars horizontal or vertical. Horizontal bars can do a number on their tails. But don't worry, they should grow back nicely when she molts. Regards, Denise
672.2	A REPLY FROM ME OF ALL PEOPLE!	CIVIC::MCETTRICK		`Mon Mar 16 1992 16:20`	9
	Chet, I just came back from "Family Pet" in my search of info, etc. on bird-owning, and the woman in there (a wealth of information!) said they loose their tail feathers at around 6 months as part of their first molt. She also said that the new ones come in with more intense color. Maybe Rosey is a little early... Wendy
672.3	-<thanks>Thanks	HAMSTR::MAGEE		`Mon Mar 16 1992 23:04`	10
	Thanks for the replies! The cage Rosey is in is a large parrot cage but it does have horizontal bars. I am very much looking foreward to new tail feathers no matter how brilliant the color! Chet p.s. Wendy isn't it great how quickly your knowledge increases. Hope all is going well with your research! :)
672.4	Maggie Lost Her Tail Once Too!	JVAX::SIPILA	Can I go home now?	`Tue Mar 17 1992 08:11`	24
	Funny you should mention that! When my little, bossy hen Zebra Finch had her first molt, she lost her tail feathers too! She looked so cute with no tail! One day we came home from work and all her tail feathers were on the bottom of the cage! The male didn't loose his tail feathers on his first molt. In fact he molts less than she does. A feather at a time, so it is not noticeable. She molts in patches - usually right down the middle of her back! Poor baby! When I first saw this I was terribly upset, but within a couple of days (after I discovered it) I could see the soft downy little feathers beginning to grow back. Some day I hope to get a larger bird. Either a Nanday Conure or a Cockateil. Something that can be held and played with. My Zebra's do not like to be handled unless they are sick or hurt - then its only to the hospital cage! ---- -- --- -------- ---- Regards, Susan Motherbird to Max and Maggie
672.5	mine too!	DELNI::MCPARTLAN	the beauty just keeps shaking me	`Tue Mar 24 1992 15:34`	8
	My puppy got a hold of one of my tiels a couple weekends ago and stood on the tail feathers. When Garkon tried to lift off the ground, the tail feathers came out! I freaked! I have since been assured that the tail feathers should be back in a few months. There's already 2 growing in! They look so WEIRD! Donna