Every time I think we've almost finished molting -- and yes, I feel as if I'm doing it too! -- Clyde has another batch of pin feathers and we have to go at it again. I've noticed something while he's doing this that I don't know if it's normal or not, so somebody who's been through this can probably tell me.

He'll be preening and bits of fluff fall off and he shakes and bits of what I call bird dandruff fall all over me, and sometimes he'll lean over and very deliberately place what looks like a black or white or both bit of feather-end (the end you'd use for a quill, not the feathery part) on my arm. He doesn't spit it out, exactly. Sometimes he gives a sort of cough when he does it, sometimes he just leans over and sets it down. Dunno why he always feels compelled to give it to ME. Tonight I swear it looked like a tiny bug. Ick. Afterward, he'll look at me like, "There you go, Mom." Should I thank him?

And ... I find this both funny and endearing ... he drops bits of feather fluff here and there and if it lands on me, he'll push it off with his beak, like, "oops, let me get that for you."

So, is this little bit of feather end or whatever it is, something to worry about? Am I being too much of a helicopter parrot mom?

All of that sounds pretty normal to me. Except maybe what you thought LOOKED like a bug. Bugs arent normal but maybe your eyes were deceiving you. Unless it truely was a bug then all sounds ok. You might mist him or let him take a bath more often if you think he needs it.

It wasn't a bug, just looked like one at first. He has a plastic dish full of water in the bottom of his cage all the time so he can have a bath any time he wants one. I bought a spray bottle for him but I haven't tried misting him yet. I don't think he's going to like it.

Is the "bird dandruff" the pin feather coverings? When I pop Truman's pin feathers on his head and neck, he is always covered with that by the time we're done.

Yep, pretty normal stuff!!! When my birds are molting, I'll help them out by preening the keratin coating off the pin feathers. It really does look like dandruff. My clothes are usually covered in white flakes

I think Meeka and Pippin has little pin feathers all the time!! Sometime heavy and sometimes just a few!

I love your little fids name!

I think the little bits he spits out on my arm are the pin feather coverings. The bird dandruff is this tiny little dusty stuff that just rains off of him after a good thorough preening session, after he fluffs up and shakes himself.

misting him may help with softening the pin feather sheaths to come off quicker then only bathing 1-2 times a week for example.. i try and mist mine in his forever molt daily and then try to get some of the sheaths off for him.. lot easier when those feathers are wet

Sounds completely normal though!

Clyde took a bath yesterday -- first time I've caught him doing that INSIDE the house, usually he waits until we carry his cage outside, so I was wondering what we were going to do this winter -- but he saw me getting the camera out and stopped before he was finished. He'll take a bath outside in front of the neighbors but apparently doesn't want me taking photos of it. So, thinking I was being helpful, I got the spray bottle I bought JUST for him, filled it with lukewarm water, and tried misting him. My, but that was a disaster. I got a severe scolding that went on for several minutes AFTER I stopped. Mind you, I didn't spray him directly. I sprayed the mist into the air above him so it could fall on him. This was not at all popular. Neither is helping him with the sheaths. I am allowed to pet. Occasionally I am even allowed to scratch. On rare occasions, if I have been very, very good, I can even kiss. I am emphatically NOT allowed to mess with feather sheaths. Once they turn white, they're ready to remove, right? But HE will do it, thank you VERY much. I never saw such a flexible critter in my life. He can take his little foot and scratch his entire head himself, and sometimes he'll be doing that and stop, with his foot on top of his head or behind it, and just sit like that, with his eyelids kind of drooping like he's going to take a nap, which is hilarious. I should have named him Yoga. I think I will name the yoga pose he has invented. Upward Scratching Foot Pose ...

i too agree w/everyone 'bout the casings of the feather...ross also does this...and the fluff stuff your talkin bout, is what they consider a downy feather...i was told this is normal and it goes w/their molting...i asked my vet bout the constant pin feathers and he said even when their finished w/their molt, you will almost always find a few here and there, and not to worry. but just like you, i worry 'bout everything as well! thats funny you call it "bird dandruff" hahaha

Everyone has given some good advice so far. All of my birds are molting, too. I think they just know it is summer and need new feathers. The bottom of their cages are all the bits and pieces of dander and tons of feathers.

For every feather that falls out, a new little pin feather will replace it. It starts out a tiny little sharp point, and as it grows, turns into a new feather, encased in a thin sheath of material. This is when they start itching, trying to remove the covering on the feather.

As the feather is growing, it will contain blood. This is a blood feather, and is sensitive to the touch. These are the ones to avoid, the ones that they bite you for touching.

You can help your bird along with lots of spritz showers and scritches on the head. He may need a little help to open those pesky pin feathers growing on top, where he cannot reach with his beak to preen.

If he has a partner, they would be preening each other's head and opening those little pins. So, when you pet his head, try to feel for the quills, and just kind of scratch the surface of it, and it will help to make him feel better.

Clyde's too funny lol.. if it were me i would just be persistant with the spray bottle he's prolly fearful of it just yet.. they are such lil chickens after all.. sounds funny but spritz yourself and make a big fuss out of it lol he'll catch on...

Kiwi does the foot scratch too or rubs his head agains the bars of the cage so we help him with the feahters.. we dont touch any pin feathers until we see a new feather poking through the top of it.. and then its really easy to come off.. if you try to preen before you'll get told about it in no uncertain terms...