Hi All! I haven't been on in awhile - but Chewy seems to be having some feather issues! When I bought him (as a baby from a breeder) he was clipped so short he couldn't even flutter, he would just drop straight to the ground in a heap. He seems to be able to flutter a little bit now, but can't fly at all. About a month ago I noticed on one of his wings there was a long feather sticking out (it was still attached), so I just assumed that one had grown really quickly for some reason and cut it off. Now on that same wing he has that same feather super long again, and another one as well - and this morning when I moved him to his day cage it appeared he had been chewing on the longest one. On the other wing the clipped feathers are still as short as they were.

Pie (who is about a month older) hasn't had any feathers come out like Chewy has - but she has started flying short distances, and both wings are even.

Any ideas on what this is or why it is happening? Do I just keep clipping that one feather?

Thanks!
Britt

Chances are when the wings were trimmed originally the feathers were still in the "blood feather stage" meaning there was still a blood supply to the feather and that allows them to continue to grow. Eventually, when the bird is 4 to 5 months old he will have his first molt where they change from their juvenile feathers to their adult plummage. Wing and tail feathers will be dropped and new ones will grow in. At that point you can decide how many feathers to keep clipped so that he can learn to glide rather than fall like a rock. Then twice a year after that the bird will again molt, exchanging worn out feathers for new ones as well as shedding the more insulating downy feathers in the spring and again in the fall.

Now depending on what stage of growth the primary flight feathers are in will determing whether you'll need to trim them again in between molts. Some birds can fly quite well with one or two primary flights others won't be able to, it just depends on the individual bird and its body weight and bone structure.

Do you know if the birds were allowed to learn to fly before they were trimmed as they fledged and were weaned? If they weren't that could explain why one flutters to the floor and the other falls like a rock. If you can keep your house safe, you can always let the birds learn to fly and then once they've figured out how to safely land etc you can once again trim wings if you so desire. I suggest starting off with the outer 5 first primaries take up to the tips of the primary coverts. And then if they're still able to gain altitude take one or two more off each side equally but take no more than 10 total on each side. Otherwise you're out of the primary flights and into the secondary.

As far as him chewing on just the one feather that is grown out...it could be that its bothering him in such a way that its rubbing up against his body and irritating him, so its OK to keep those trimmed.