I just got Kiwi about 2 week or so ago and she was all fine but the past week she has been a grump. The only thing I changed about her diet was that I started giving her vitamins along with her food wheat germ oil. The lady I got her from gave her wheat germ oil to try to get her feathers back and she said so far so good. Any way recently she has been real grumpy. She will sit on her perch and talk with me but I can't get my fingers near her for her to step up. She has been trying to bite alot. I think she may be molting or growing feathers but why the mood change. She has been getting new feathers on her shoulders. Is it me? I was the only one she was comming to but now....Will this end soon? I dont know what to do. I want to comfort her but how with out pushing her. Should I just let her alone with trying to touch her till she is ready to come back around? Please give me some advise.

Hi hi
How old is kiwi? You mention about her feathers what condition was she in when you got her? Bald patches or? Has she been seen by an avian vet yet? What type of food are you feeding her? (the reason I ask this is if you are feeding her pellets she doesnt need a vitamin supplement and it might cause more harm than good to add vitamins to a pellet diet). When you say new feathers are you refering to pin feathers that have opened or?

What I can say right now is kiwi is going thru an adjustment period. 2 weeks generally isnt enough time. The only way I can explain it is that she has been brought to a new place and she is afraid and feels safest in her cage. Trust needs to be earned and you are doing good by talking to her etc. One suggestion I always like to tell people with new birds is that you talk to them or read a book etc so that they get used to you. Start opening the cage and be patient because she might not come out on her own at first but eventually she will. I should also add wings being clipped at this time will make this much easier. Once she comes out praise her and keep talking to her. Eventually you will be able to work with step ups with her. Expect a few bites along the way but never show you are afraid. When she does step up take her out of sight of her cage to another place to handle her. The reason I say that is because usually birds who see their cage want to go back at first. Let her experience how much fun it is to be with you and out of the cage paying close attention to when they have had enough and bring her back to the cage at that time so that she doesnt think of outside cage time as being not so fun afterall. Be patient most of all and you will have a great companion bird.

I can answer the rest of your questions after I get more detail.

Just hang in there and everything will be just fine.

Kiwi is 4 years old. Yes she has been to the vet right before I got her. She has plucked her self when she was only about 1 1/2 years old. She has extensive folical damage and the vet said she may never get her feathers back. She is on Kay Tee small parrot food. The lady who had her before me resuced her. At the time of the rescue she was eating cockatiel food because she was in a cage with one. She tried alot of different foods but this is the one she seems to like the best. Kiwi never gave the lady before me a problem with biteing. And she was very lovey with me when she got here. Steped up and everything. I dont know what to do. I am going to buy her molting spray bath stuff because Christina (the lady before me) said that because she is growing feathers in that it could be painful. Any suggestion? Christina said to maybe stop the vitamins. I only did them to maybe try to get her feathers back but if it could be the cause of the grumpyness I'd rather have a bald bird.

Yeah, get her off the vitamin additives. I'm not sure about the food you are using. Is it a pelleted diet? If so, then if should have all the vitamins you need. If it is seed based then start looking for a pelleted food Kiwi will eat. You can supplement her diet with lots of fresh fruit, veggies and items like rice and pasta.

Personally I wouldn't use a molting spray. Just plain water should be fine. You can either try and get Kiwi to bathe in a dish, in the sink, or using a fine mist sprayer, whatever works best for her. Bathing will help with the molt.

It could also just be hormones. There have been too many members to count with behavior problems this year, more than usual actually, all due to spring mating hormones. So a little patience and she might be back to her normal self in a couple of weeks. You'll get a better feel after you've had her for a few years as to the spring hormone reponse she has. They all seem a little different. Some scream, some get grumpy, and some do the happy with a favorite toy.

No vitamins, and no molting spray is my opinion. Just give Kiwi time, don't rush her/him...It sounds like at 4 yrs old and her being a rescue, that she must have some trust issues and you are just going to have to be patient with her. 2 weeks is just not time enough for her to adjust. You may be pushing her too much. Just open the cage door and let her come out when she/he wants to come out. Sit by the cage and talk or read softly to her, tell her how beautiful she is and how much you love her, no matter what..Show her unconditional love...When Kiwi gets used too the new home and KNOWS this is a forever loving home, then I think she will calm down...BUT hormones are high right now too...Give her time and love her at a distance..you may want to use a towel over your hand to get her to step up, or use a perch to get her to step up.
Hope these things help,
Rebecca

Jess,
Congratulations on your new baby Kiwi. Also it's so nice you're trying to help her get those feathers back. I would probably talk to a vet first before using anything on her body. I know it's tempting, but some of that stuff can cause further picking problems as it gets the feathers all messy.
Also maybe ask about those vitamins too as that might have something to do with her "new" attitude. Could just be the new pin feathers growing in too.
Best of luck and hoping she regrows all her feathers. Even some would be wonderful. We're rooting for ya both
tikileahsmom