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Old 02-05-2007, 07:29 PM   #1
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Default Breaking Tail Feathers

Prinny has been breaking tail feathers lately. She gets spooked easily and will fly and land pretty rough on the floor, she like bounces off her tail. She now has lost about half of her tail feathers. Is this something I should be concerned about? Is there anyway I can help her smooth out her landings?
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Old 02-05-2007, 07:32 PM   #2
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Are they blood feathers? If so, it could be something to worry about.
Most birds will break a feather now and then. Sounds like she needs to practice her landings.
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Old 02-05-2007, 07:33 PM   #3
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They are not blood feathers. It looks like the feathers are breaking in half, not actually all of the feather coming out. Her tail looks all ragged.
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Old 02-05-2007, 11:22 PM   #4
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Tiels are prone to night frights. Is there anything in the room that can be spooking her like shadows, geckos, other pets, even moths?
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Old 02-06-2007, 03:55 AM   #5
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Are you trimming any of the flight feathers?
Some folks trim the flights so to allow some flight but also to limit the flight to protect there bird from injury, this is why I ask.
Most birds while landing on a flat surface, such as the floor, will damage the tail feathers, table tops are another example.
Birds fan out there tail feathers and drop there tails to slow there decent before landing, from tree branch to tree branch this is fine, but while landing onto the ground to forage tail feather damage will occur, even in the wild.
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Old 02-06-2007, 05:26 AM   #6
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Her flight feathers had been trimmed when I got her and she hasn't gone through a molt yet. I am going to try and clear out around her cage and make sure nothing scares her. The only thing I can think of are shadows, so maybe I shoud move her cage.
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Old 02-06-2007, 05:39 AM   #7
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Lulu still spooks somewhat easily, but now that she's flighted she can control her landings - I think spooking easily is a tiel thing, she'll even spook if a phone rings on the television sometimes.

Lulu used to have night frights and she now feels more secure being mostly covered at night. And make sure Princess's cage is up against at least one wall.

But Jerry used to do the exact same thing to his tail feathers, he would try to fly and then crash (when he was clipped) and land on his butt and break his tail feathers. There was nothing we could do until his flights grew in, which then ended the crashing. The bent tail feathers were never blood feathers and they didn't seem to bother him at all so we didn't do anything about them - he just had a messed up looking butt His tail feathers still fan out too much from his crashes, but it's just a matter of him molting those out.
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Old 02-06-2007, 01:30 PM   #8
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Don't worry about it too much. Buster came to us with no tail feathers at all. They will grow back. Cockatiels are real daredevils when it comes to the stopping. Buster will fly full speed ahead then drop like a rock to the ground when she is ready to land. It can be really heart-stopping sometimes! Sometimes she misses the mark a bit. We have to really hold back to keep from laughing. Don't want to bruise her ego, don'cha know!
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Old 02-06-2007, 01:32 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bustersbuddy View Post
Don't worry about it too much. Buster came to us with no tail feathers at all. They will grow back. Cockatiels are real daredevils when it comes to the stopping. Buster will fly full speed ahead then drop like a rock to the ground when she is ready to land. It can be really heart-stopping sometimes! Sometimes she misses the mark a bit. We have to really hold back to keep from laughing. Don't want to bruise her ego, don'cha know!
I hear ya there! Jerry's flights and landings are so much more, um....graceful...than Lulu's Her flying skills have immensely improved, but she's quite sporadic at times
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Old 02-06-2007, 05:40 PM   #10
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Oh Buster's got all the skillz alright, she just likes to cut things really close and pays the price sometime! LOL!
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