My budgie is molting in winter. What's the best care and diet plan?

Molting is a normal behavior where birds lose their old feathers and grow in new ones. Making sure Chicky is on a balanced diet for her species is a great way to ensure she has the right nutrition to regrow her feathers. Adding in a few extra fresh fruits and veggies, or even some egg food can also give a little extra protein and nutrients to help. Most birds will finish molting and have new feathers in after about a month.

Thanks for your question about Coco, and thanks for the photos - they are very helpful. You are correct that it could be taking him a long time to molt, however he may also be preening excessively and removing his feathers. In one of the photos he looks to have acreddebed area of skin - this is not typical of regular molting. If you are seeing feathers continuously at the bottom of the cage, this would also be suggestive of overpreening. I would recommend ensuring that his cage is very clean, that he is provided with multiple toys (which you will have to introduce slowly as budgies are often very nervous about new items), a mirror if he doesn’t have any company, and proper nutrition. These would all help with a molting issue, and may also help a bit if he is overpreening himself. If you are able to take him to a veterinarian, they would also be able to assist with this problem. They could look at the skin and feathers to ensure that there isn’t a medical reason for his condition. I hope that helps, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If he is not picking out his feathers, he is likely molting: Molt is a very strenuous time for a bird as almost all its energy is used to making new feathers. It takes seven to ten days for a feather to begin to emerge after one was shed and then this new feather takes up to 8 weeks to fully develop. During molting your bird will be cranky, nap more often and it is especially necessary at this time to feed them a very healthy diet and keep a close eye on them as they will be using lots of their nutrients to grow and replace the feathers. Feed lots of greens such as kale (extra calcium) and you can feed mashed up hard-boiled egg and also offer some boiled chicken. Both of these are high sources of protein for making new feathers.

Molting can last 6-12 weeks. Some canaries will complete a molt outside this time frame though. Increase proteins and fats to aid feather regrowth. Flax, niger and hemp seeds can be offered. Protein can be in the form of scrambled eggs or small crickets and mealworms. Bathe or mist with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage. Providing full spectrum lighting, avoiding stress, limiting daylight to 8-10 hours and keeping room temperature between 68 F and 70 F will aid in molting.

Hello. Molting is a complex physiological process influenced by nutrition, hours of daylight, reproductive hormones, etc. therefore it’s not recommended to try to manipulate molting except under the guidance of your veterinarian, if indicated. Here is a hormone injection that is known to stimulate molting, but to prevent it is likely much harder or impossible. As for keeping a budgie in a cage for its lifetime, this is unethical in my opinion. Birds are meant to fly, exercise, explore, forage and be social. A life on a cage is not a fair life for a bird. If an owner is unable to provide proper socialization, exercise, nutrition, etc to a bird then they should not be keeping birds as pets. Please watch Parrot Confidential (documentary online) for a very honest look at life in captivity for parrots.

Thanks for reaching out about Alexx. If being feed a proper nutrition, then no vitamins are needed. A diet should consist of a wide variety of vegetables, a plant-based protein source (legumes, beans), a commercially available avian pellets and some seed. Poor molting can often be associated with malnutrition, low protein, calcium or other nutrients. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Bog and including photos. French molt should still be considered and tested, hopefully negative. Intestinal malabsorption diseases and poor protein can lead to weak feathers and loss. Provide heat support. Good luck.