My green cheek conure has a wonky tail feather. What should I do?

The rest of the shaft should be removed to allow a new feather to grow in. Removal will also prevent bleeding if it gets knocked again. Have your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet remove it if you have no experience doing this. Any ointment you apply will likely be removed, and possibly ingested, by Madeline during preening so this is not recommended. A balanced diet and regular bathing or misting with warm water will promote healthy skin and plumage. An exam with your veterinarian to diagnose any infection would be recommended.

Thanks for reaching out about Rio. Not sure what you mean by "plugged tail feathers". Are these fractured feathers at the base, or obstructed feather follicles call feather cysts. Feather cysts need to be seen by a veterinarian. Broken feathers should be left alone, and most of the times, the bird will work them out, as long as they are not bleeding. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Chipper and including photos. You should monitor the growth of the next feather from that follicle. If it grows in rotated, there is a chance this might be a persistent problem. Then a veterinary visit is recommended to diagnose the condition, which might include blood work, a nutrition discussion and possible follicle biopsy. Often times it is a one time problem, where the feather was tweaked in the follicle and grew in abnormal. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Billy and including photos. Viral diseases, nutritional deficiencies or metabolic disorders are all possible. Stress can cause feather destructive behavior. Some external parasites are only on the animal during the evening hours therefore are difficult to identify during the day. A veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Hi there, I'm Dr G and I see a lot of birds. Your conure, even though he is not pulling feathers out is still having some "feather picking" or at the least over grooming. This can have so many reasons! So many! Often at this time of year, it relates to seasonal sexual behavior. It can also be a skin infection, stress of some sort, loneliness, and more. I would recommend an exam by a vet to rule out medical problems before starting to work on behavioral reasons. Increased bathing/misting encourages normal grooming behavior. Making sure your bird is on a low seed/high pellet diet and the pellet is free of colors and dyes. (Just make changes slowly). Make sure you are not encouraging sexual or mating behaviors in your bird by not kissing them, not snuggling them too much and not petting along the lower back or abdomen area.

As far as I can see from the photo, the feathers look normal and healthy. Some color change and darkening of feathers is normal, and the feathers may continue to change somewhat until Pa Pa reaches maturity. Molts can also change feather color some as old feathers fall out and new ones come in. If he is otherwise healthy, normal, and active, I wouldn't be worried. If the feathers change rapidly, fall out, seem bothersome, or you notice any signs of illness in addition to the changes, scheduling a checkup with your local vet to rule out any health issues is always the best course of action.

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.