My cockatiel has rough skin. Should I trim her nails? Is she male?

Thanks for reaching out about Keke. Rough skin on the body can be due to poor grooming habits, dietary deficiencies, infections or just plain molting. Do you offer Keke an opportunity to bath (i.e. shower, mist, etc)? A seed diet is deficient in vitamin A which can lead to some dermal problems. Trim the nails as needed, but this is probably not the primary problem. If the problem persists, a veterinary visit might be needed. Good luck.

The grey covering is a sheath that is on new or developing feathers. His skin looks irritated which may be due to parasites or infection. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, perches and toys. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Transition him to s commercial pelleted diet such as Harrison's, Lafeber, Exxact or Pretty Bird. You can supplement with a small amount of a fortified seed mix as well as with fresh vegetables and fruits.

Thanks for reaching out about Keke and including a photo. No all birds nails need to be trimmed, depends on if they move around a lot to wear them down. By the pictures, the nails appear a little long. It the base of the toe is on a flat surface and the nail is long enough to raise the toe or rotate to the side, it should be trimmed. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Oscar and including photos. Did you have wings trimmed recently? This appears to be a contusion on the tissue close to the vent (but not) that happens when cockatiels jump/fall, wings are over trimmed and they hit the ground hard. The tail becomes hyper-extended dorsally, ripping the skin. The wound needs to be cleaned, and systemic antibiotics can assist with infection prevention. A veterinary visit is recommended. Lower perches to 3-6 inches above the bottom of the cage, place a soft towel to lighten falling. Good luck.

Hi, Chicko may be a male, but since he’s so young, his light orange cheek teaches may need time to brighten as he reached sexual maturity. However, the solid vs batted tail feathers you refer to is also an accurate way to tell the difference. However, I would need to see the underside of the tail feathers (not the top). If the the underside is speckled or barred, then Chicko would be female, if feathers are solid then should be male. The cheek patches should brighten in time with maturity. I hope this helps!

Hello. It appears your question got cut off so please consider reposting it. I will say though, based on what you wrote, that Snow White may certainly be sick. If there was no veterinary exam, fecal, or blood work done beforehand, then there’s no guarantee that the birds you acquired weren’t harboring some disease that may only show itself in times of stress (like entering a new aviary, reproduction, etc). Since you already have many birds, their health is potentially at risk and I would recommend having a veterinarian evaluate the new birds. At minimum a physical exam and fecal should be done, but consider Chlamydia screening, blood work, fecal gram stain. Other infectious disease tests can be done but your vet can recommend what they feel is indicated. Good luck!

Some scaling is natural, however making sure Pixel is on a balanced diet and doesn't have parasites are two things you can do. Malnutrition can sometimes cause problems with the feet, such as with low vitamin levels. Some parasites such as mites can also cause scaling of the feet, so if you suspect this may be the case (IE he's itching a lot, you see flecks of stuff, etc), a mite spray can be used to treat it. If he doesn't like baths, you might see if he enjoys being misted with a warm water bottle set to mist as this may be less scary than a bath and still encourage him to preen and stay clean. If the scaling worsens or you see any visible wounds or injuries on the feet, having a vet take a look to rule out any more serious issues is best.