my 16 wk old quaker has gotten some new pin feathers or whatever those are called coming in on the back of her neck and head. i thought it was something matted but when she let me look and pick i noticed it was the feathers with the white casings on them. she let me pick off 2 but wouldn't let me touch her head. i wondered why she was snippy at petting time lately. but its not alot maybe 10-15 here/there. is this normal? i thought it as only during a molt?

Your baby quaker is starting her first molt which occurs generally around the 4-5 month old age.. ours started his first molt around that time is is still going.. about 51/2 months now.. just a steady supply of pin feathers...

you'll being to notice feathers around the cage that she will molt out of.. new feathers will be replaced and she will need a new wing clipping once her primaries have grown back in if she was clipped... this first molt generally last the longest and is the most heavy because she is getting her adult feathers in..

Hope that helps to answer your concerns.. im sure others will be along shortly as well

Don't pull the feather with the casing, just pinch the casing so that it crumbles. that's the new feather forming inside there and sometimes if they aren't fully grown in they can be very tender. I preen my guys and use it as a great time for snuggles and bonding. They can't reach the tops of their heads or the backs of their necks so we need to do it for them. Just be gentle.

Oh OK i just didn't think they molted this young. thought it was like 1yr or something. i didn't pull the case just sort of fell apart as i touched it to see what it was. just hope i can help her when it comes to her head and i don't get bit! ha, ha!

Clyde won't let me mess with his pin featers hardly at all, but he must practice yoga, because he's the most flexible bird I ever saw. He can reach the whole top of his head with his foot to scratch, so I guess he wants to do it himself. I help if he'll let me. If she flinches or squawks when you touch them, they're probably tender. I think that's why Clyde won't let me do much to his. He will let me just stroke his head gently. Maybe you could try that?