Molting?

[Rosee]

I don't know if my B&G is molting or not. I have only had him about 2 months. He is losing some of his small blue feathers and some of his small under feathers as I call then they are the with and gray feahters. He is 3 1/2 years old. I was hoping he would go threw a good moulting so he would lose some of the feathers that he had shreaded before we got him. So I could see if the change of enviroment helped him. He isn't shreading the feathers now and hasn't shreaded them since we got him. So I asked my Avian Vet about his shreaded feathers and he said that there could be many reasons why he shreaded them. One of the thing could be that he was board in his last home or there was mold or something present in his last home. To watch him after he moulted the feathers off to see if he would starts shreading them again. Has anyone else here had this problem? How do I know if he is really moulting I am not seeing very many of his blue or gold feathers laying around but I can see spots where some are missing or maybe just moved around to show the under feathers. Also he has some feathers on his neck and head that had quile looking things over them, he will not let me mess with them what do I do?

[mmr]

The "Grey" feathers are his down feathers. Was he just a shredder of feather or also a plucker? My macaw hs been going through a molt for about 2 months now. Just keep an eye on him. When the full moulting starts you will know it because there will be TON'S of feather's on the bottom of his cage, along with (if you are able to hold him yet) many many pin feathers comming in.

Make sure he gets good showers and spray bottle mistings daily as the pin feathers are really itchy for them!

[Rosee]

In the bottom of his cage is lots of down feathers and one small blue feather from his wing. No he isn't a plucker he was just a shreader but hasn't been shreading since we got him. I haven't been able to get him into the shower he asts like he hates it but I can use a spray bottle and mist him so I use that and just saturate him until you can see his skin under neat.He is mooding I can hold him at times and other times he doen't want to step up or be handled at all he will nip sometime gently but then other bite hard but never brake skin. You never know when he will bite or nip he doesnt growl or raise his feathers he just grabs you. I have never been able to cuddle with him. But I really want to. He is a good bird I am sure it is just because of something from his last home.At times he will be in his cage or on his perch and just start Screamming really loud sometimes I can make out part of what he is screamming others I can't understand a thing. Just that he seams upset he will raise his feathers and scream he screams shut up , come back here now, stop doing that, so I think it is things that his former owner would yell at her kids. And maybe the yelling that was done would upset him. But then we have times that I can srach his head and he will make all kinds of soft sounds and is so gental. He is making progress. In the bottom of his cage is lots of down feathers and one small blue feather from his wing.

[mmr]

Okay, first off Macaws are GREAT and Excellent BLUFFERS!!!! They know they are big, they know their beaks are intimidating to us and they are pushy! When you say he bites, etc, sounds liek to me hes is bluffing, and trying to intimidate you!!!! Don't back down just cause he is being a bully (and macaws are very good at that).

As far as screaming, it could be many things. He could just be happy and wanting to scream, he could be mad, or just wanting to "macaw" talk, or hungry, etc. My macaw does the same thing out of the blue. Usually he is just being a macaw. If it gets too much I walk up to his cage close looking at him and I start to whisper. They are nosey and curious by nature, so for them to hear what you are saying they have to be quiet. It works every time with my macaw! Teal (my macaw) will also when screaming tell himself or us or other fids to shut up, quit it, bad, stop it, stow it. That is just what they learned growing up with the "screaming action". So they associate screaming and then the wordrs...make sense?

So from what you are saying you have a perfectly normal macaw and the bluff biting, screaming, etc is what we all other macaw owners deal with every day!

Welcome to the macaw roller coaster!!!!!