My budgie preens neck a lot after bath. Is it normal for new feathers?

The other bird could indeed be preening her excessively. It is possible she could be starting a milt also. Monitor her for feather loss in other areas. Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet to diagnose and treat any medical causes. If medical causes are ruled out, you will need to address behavioral causes such as stress or boredom. If the behavior persists and you confirm the other bird as the culprit, you may need to separate them temporarily. Don't worry, they can be caged next to one another. Feathers will grow back wrapped in a sheath. These are called pinfeathers. The sheath will be removed by preening and the feather will unfurl. You can bathe or mist them once or twice a week with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage.

You can mist him with warm water to encourage preening. This will promote healthy plunage. If he continues to itch, it may due to mites or infection. These would require an exam with your veterinarian for confirmation. Mites can be treated with an over the counter spray. Read labels v\carefully to confirm the chosen product can be used on birds. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, perches and toys. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Change the cage paper daily. If an infection (bacterial or fungal) is diagnosed, your vet can prescribe the appropriate medication.

Bathe or mist him with warm water. This will encourage preening and promotes healthy skin and plumage. This could be normal color variation or evidence of some past stress or poor nutrition when the feathers were growing in.

Monitor him for excessive preening or feather picking. If you see either. Have him examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. In the meantime, clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Bathe or mist him with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage. Feed a balanced diet including a commercial pelleted diet, fortified seed mix and fresh fruits, greens and vegetables. You can also feed cooked rice, beans and plain pastas in small amounts.

Since you do not have much history about Chichi it is hard to say whether this feather loss is a problem or not. If she is in fact molting, the feathers should start to regrow (within a month) and the bird should then look normal. If Chichi is not active, refusing to eat, seems itchy, or is continuing to lose feathers, there may be an underlying issue going on. With any new pet I recommend taking them in to your vet to establish a relationship with the vet and to have a health examination performed. If there is anything abnormal your vet will be able to diagnosis it. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It could be that the feathers just got bent as they were growing in, however if you are noticing other changes, or are concerned about Coqui's overall health, it is always best to schedule a veterinary exam. They can perform routine bloodwork to check for any nutritional issues and illnesses such as PBFB if you are concerned, or even check for more common problems such as parasites or skin infections, and at least give you some peace of mind regarding it. If he checks out healthy, it could just be a prolonged molt or result of simply being him. Continuing to provide a balanced diet (it seems like you already are), providing plenty of enriching toys to prevent boredom plucking.

Thanks for reaching out about your budgies. Psittacines are meticulous groomers, constantly ruffling feathers. So this could be a normal behavior. But feather mights are not uncommon. If scratching to the extent of bleeding, a veterinary visit is recommended. Continue to offer bathing. Good luck.