thanks guys, I'm glad its not something unusual I should be worrying about

Hope you don't mind Josh. I wrote on your feather so you could visualize what I'm referring too.

Karen that's awesome you're just too talented. I'm so 90's LOLOLOL

Josh:

Here's a good article...dont know if it's true or not lol

It talks about that same look when the sheath is not desheathed "on time" and it resembles stress bars. That sorta matches what Angie said about babies learning to groom the tail the very last thing.

QUOTE:

When evaluating a baby bird, if stress bars are present on all contours, remiges, retrices and coverts at the same levels on all the feathers, this is an indication that the baby had periods of time when it was unwell, chilled or improperly fed. Sometimes, a feather sheath on a growing feather will remain on a long feather well past when it should have been preened off, and this pinching may result in one feather with a depigmented line across it that might be mistaken for a stress bar. The key to discerning which are stress bars and which are not is determined by how many feathers are affected. A single feather with a line of depigmentation is most likely not a stress bar feather. Finding a baby bird with numerous lines of stress bars present on the feathers doesn't necessarily mean that it is currently sick, but it should alert an owner and avian veterinarian that the bird has had at least one episode of problems, and this bird should receive a thorough work-up to ensure that the problems are all in the past.

[picture not copied check out link below)


Above: Blood feather in a blue and gold macaw. Long wing feather has two bands that could be confused for stress bars, but occurred from the feather sheath being retained, causing a constriction of the feather at that level.

Things You Can Tell from Feathers

Cindy, thank you!! I bet you thats whats happeneing... I looked at her tail feathers again, and there was opne inparticular that still had most of the sheath on it, way past where it shouldve been.... I just barley touched it and it crumbled right off, revealing some comressed feather looking just like the rest...

COOL what a relieve even in the back of your mind. And we will stop silently accusing Papi hahahaha

Innocent till caught at it.

Right


Angie, another question please. And it pertains to Josh too. for next year.

Toby had his 4 month juvie molt last September. Age 3 months +

Should he had had a "big" molt this summer? He didnt.

Some down and some contour but I really dont remember seeing more than about 10 feathers and no flights.

Pipe either for that matter. She's 18 months or so.

I've seen some of those on my guys when they get cranky and won't let me help preen. I'm sure she'll look wonderful once she gets through a molt. Next time around she'll have the preening down pat!

I am not convinced they replace the flights and tails every year. The first year they have 2 small molts, a juvenile molt and the a sort of right season adult time molt, down and contour, probably not even coverts.(I am not saying the bird is adult in age, I am describing a time of year) but probably not flights and only damaged tails that have come out. A conure has 12 tail feathers and they only get the number that have actually fallen out. I know clipped wings can take almost 2 years to grow out the first time because of this, depends on the bird. My breeders don't lose all flights every year either although I have never counted the fallen feathers since they do use it in the nest box and I don't interfere. I may not be finding enough feathers.

Peanut for example hatched very early spring, he was incubated in late winter. His juvenile molt was the same time as the adults autumn molt. This is why he has his colors at a young age. He has a juvenile type molt (spring) and has replaced flights and a tail. I think a hatch season may have something to do with baby molts. Babies hatched last summer and clipped had a juvenile molt late autumn and have not got dressed in colorful plumage or replaced wing and tail yet. I think they have to wait till March (autumn) or so which is our molt season. More observations are needed and maybe I should make a diary.

I am not referring to a change in diet causing pin feathers, as a molt, this is a separate issue.

A diary would be great, I'd love to hear more observations like this.