new baby tiel: is this a problem?

[Amazonwar9]

Hi Guys,

I just got a new baby tiel a few days ago Breeder said she's 3 months old. We have our first vet visit schedualed for Wed. In the meantime, she's quarintined in the back room away from my budgies.

She's a beautiful dark grey with a few yellow and white spots on her body and a yellow striped bottom and tail. Her crest, which still needs just a bit more time to grow longer, is a nice pied gray and yellow combo.

However, since I've gotten her home, her feathers have been starting to look a little disheveled.

This is mainly on the upper part of her chest. At first I was worried she was plucking, but then I looked closer and noticed that she has lots of pin feathers still coming in right there. (plus, when I hold her and she's "preening" my hair, every once in a while she'll actually pluck one or two of my hairs. normal?) I watch her a lot and I never see her do anything of the sort though, luckily. But aside from the pin feathers, she has lots of down feathers that just look downright raggedy in this one spot.

I gave her a really good bath, and the rest of her body looks a lot better, except for her upper chest. Also, she doesn't seem to preen herself as much as other birds. Is this too her age, or maybe a result of the stress of her new home? She looked fine the day I brought her home.

I don't know how else to describe it. These few feathers I don't even think could be zipped back up into shape with her beak. Is this what new feathers look like at first? When should all of her feathers start looking like a well groomed adult?

Thanks,
Shannon and the flock

[AmandaB]

Hi Shannon, don't you just love baby tiels? They're so cute and cuddly!

She probably won't look well groomed until after her first molt. Are you hand feeding her? If the formula is getting on her chest that could be a reason for them looking less than normal. Also with her feathers still coming in she'll look a bit raggedy for a while. As for preening, since it's only been a few days in her new home she just needs time to adjust. She'll do it when she's comfortable.

:icon_smil

[hunprat]

Hi,

If your bird is just 3 months old then it should not be molting yet (Still too young). It is likely that the parent bird has pluck this baby cockatiels before it leave or in order to make it leave the nestbox. Don't worry about it. The bird will just grow back the missing feathers, as you can see with the new pin feather. It is very unlikely that the birds is a feather plucker at this young age.

[Amazonwar9]

thanks for the help guys!

vet says she's in great health, and the feathers are still coming in, so thats why she's shabby. he said she won't molt untill around 6 months.

:)
Shannon and fildren

[singing_wings]

Most baby tiels are fully featherd by the time they are weaned 8 weeks old but perhaps is was the youngest of the bunch. I have attached some baby tiel photos. In the bottom photo they are weaned and 8.5 weeks old in the top photo the oldest is about 4.5 weeks old.