rough looking feathers

[Bird_brained]

So my sassy little Kiwi is a year old now. She has molted her tail feathers, but nothing else yet. He feathers look ratty! She's not plucking, nothing like that, but she looks like a little green warrior. Like someone went in and just beat her feathers up. She does play rough, jumping and swinging from toy to toy, and she loves to try and eat my lap top keys!

How often are they supposed to molt.I thought it was twice a year. any tips?
Charity and kiwi

[imported_David]

Sometimes it's once a year, sometimes twice depending upon the weather, where the bird is positioned, how dry it is in a house, how close it is to a sunny window, the general humid conditions of the present feathers, how supple the skin is.
As long as the molt eventually starts, there's nothing to worry about. All bird's feathers look ratty during molting. It would be a good idea to start misting every day. It's good for the skin.
You talk about only the tail feathers being gone. Better keep an eye out for that cause tail feathers don't all molt out at the same time. There are 2 areas that molt all year long. The feathers don't fall out in any set time order. They come out one at a time all year long. Those areas are the flight feathers and the tail feathers---Dave

[Bird_brained]

Oh her tail feathers have already come back in. They've molted and returned. ;)
I take her into the shower with me as well, she likes to hear her self singing. She has been bathing more.

:)

Charity

thanks for the info!