Jewel is going through a molt - little pin feathers, feathers dropping out ... seems normal. I just wanted to see if there is anything I can do to make it a little easier on her - she is a bit more nippy than usual (for obvious reasons!).

Poor Jewel! If she'll let you... you can preen her head since that's one area she can't really reach by herself. Just gentley rub the white pins so that the sheath flakes off. Stay away from the ones that are dark as they still have blood in them... but Jewel will probably let you know if you get too close! Casey loves a good preening in the evening.

Baths/showers also help as they loosen the pins and help with the itchiness. Good luck!

ALL of my birds are going through it right now. Bindi won't let me touch her neck right now but I took her up to the shower, pulled the neck hairs up a little and showered her there. It seemed to go over well because she didn't bite me.

Yup, what Casey's Mom said!

Clyde's doing it, too, and I discovered tonight that what he really wants is for me to use my fingernail to just lightly stroke the back of his head and neck. I was trying to stroke his head and occasionally rubbing his feathers backwards very, very gently and he didn't like it much and I didn't know what to do for him, though he keeps rubbing his head against my hand and insisting I do SOMETHING. I saw him scratching his own head as far as he could reach and tried the fingernail and he just sat there looking so contented and fluffy that I decided that's what he wanted all along. Nary a squawk or a complaint did he give.

Little Kiwi, going through a normal moult, loves to have me pull the waxy stuff off of the new feathers around his neck and head. He lets me know in no uncertain terms, if I touch the wrong feather. Mostly he just loves it, and is very greatful for the help. He forced a moult this year, and rendered himself naked as a jay bird. One thing I didn't know before this, is that the feathers come in in perfectly straight rows. I have also learned that he LOVES baby food applesauce and peaches. YUMMY he says!

We are going through Tucker's first molt and I was sad that he wasn't enjoying my attempts at preening. Now I know better! I was jumping the gun and tonight, after a warm bath, he LOVED, LOVED, LOVED my preening. He was all over it -- eyes closed and head rolled back. The feathers just weren't ready on my earlier tries.

Jen

With my sweet, sweet, GCC, I make my hand into a claw and just put it down around her level. She rubs against my nails on her own, where and how she wants, and it seems to work perfectly.