Hey guys I'm just wondering if what Gracie is going through is normal or not. The past week she has gotten pin feathers all over her. More so around her head and neck area. On the very top of her head there is a spot the size of a dime where the feathers have fallen out and there are just pin feathers. She seems a little kranky lately. But still very loud and active. I know it's "spring time". Do parrots, greys, go through a huge molt during the spring? This is my first spring time with my little girl so I really don't know what to expect.

So can anyone tell me if this is normal or not.

Well it sure sounds typical and very normal of a molt to me. All my fids get verrrry pissy.I don't blame them.

Kris, how old is Gracie? Is this her first molt?

A lot of birds have been experiencing spring molts, including mine. Technically, from what I've read Spring is not the season for molting. Spring is the season for hormones and breeding, late summer is the season for molting. Whether this also affects the youngsters cycles who aren't dealing with hormones, I don't know.

This is very normal behavior during a molt. It takes a lot out of them. Give her frequent showers and if she'll let you, you can help remove the keratin sheaths in the areas she can't reach. That will help with her discomfort.

Gracie just turned a year last Feburary. She's never had this many pins before. I'm really not sure that I know that actual deffinition of "molting".

Sounds normal to us! Ruby has new pins on top of her head too and this time it almost looks a little bald in one small spot. She doesn't want those messed with yet.

We go through a molt a few times a year down here. Boca just finished and Libby just started. Boca still has quite a few pin feathers. He is also cranky and will take my finger into his mouth but not bite down. (I know he wants to though) Just make sure he gets plenty of showers and spritzes.

There are molts and then there are molts. A molt should never have a 'porcupine' look where all you see is pin feathers all over or have 'holes'. Normal molts for psittacines are not total and all at once (some species of birds do molt this way, usually migratory ones) but gradual and easier so, if your bird is having an extreme molt, the most likely culprit is a diet too high in protein.

The molting process is normal and can take awhile so be patient. Basically she is getting rid of her old feathers and replacing with new ones. Parrots usually molt only a few feathers at a time so that their ability to fly is not affected. You may need to assist with preening Gracie, although she can do most of her own, but she might need help around the hard to reach areas like her head and neck. As others have mentioned, spraying her with warm water daily will provide extra moisture to keep the feather sheaths from drying out and becoming hard which keeps new feathers from growing in their place. Also when they are dry, they itch and irritate which will likely cause an overly anxious attitude. I don’t recommend cutting back on protein during molting, however, since feathers are mostly made up of protein and adding protein before and during the molt can help her grow new feathers.

Here is an article on how to assist preening Gracie .

How to Preen Your Bird - wikiHow

Thank you everyone!

No, no, no, never warm water! You always and without exception only use cold water for birds. As a very exceptional concession and only during winter, you can make it room temperature. Warm water strips the natural oils of their feathers and ends up drying their skin. Cold water with a good splash of organic aloe vera juice (not the pulp, it's too sticky) is best. If you have birds that bathe by themselves, you would see that they always choose the coldest water. They like it.

And, JR, there isn't a single companion bird that is not getting too much protein in its diet. None, not even mine. Reducing it will not harm the process of feather making, there is obviously too much of it going on if the bird is molting badly and off-season and that is an indication of a future liver problem. What the bird needs is a bit of methionine and beta carotene, instead.