Hello,

I'm sorry to hear your bird is having a problem. There are a number of possible causes for this. It's possible that this is a severe sudden molt caused by some type of stress in your bird's life. That can happen. However, when a bird loses so many feathers at once, there may be something serious going on. The best thing to do in this situation is to start with an exam by an avian vet. Here's a site where you can read more about how a normal molt proceeds:

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww20e.htm

It's also possible your bird has pulled her own feathers out. I'm going to give you information on feather-plucking just in case that turns out to be the problem. There can be many causes. Sometimes it's a health problem, so again, the best thing to do is have an avian vet examine your bird. Parasites, skin infections, and even liver disease can lead to plucking. Don't use over-the-counter remedies from the pet store. Most are ineffective and some are downright dangerous. In addition, if you treat for the wrong thing (mites, for example, when there's a skin infection), it can make the situation worse. The hanging things for pests are actually toxic to birds (and to you). Here is a site that will help you find a vet near you:

http://www.avianweb.com/recommendedvets.htm

Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances are the most common cause of both feather loss and plucking. A good pelleted diet should be the base of the diet, with healthy fresh foods and only a few seeds added. Some healthy foods include fruits, certain vegetables, cooked whole grain pasta and brown rice, and cooked dried beans. There's lots of information on good nutrition on the following site:

www.4Animalcare.org/birds

Also, be sure to provide cuttlebone and mineral block.

If you use fluorescent lighting, consider replacing it with full-spectrum. Fluorescent lights can flicker, which birds can see even though we can't. It can be stressful enough to them that they'll begin plucking themselves or go into an abnormal molt. Not getting enough sleep can also lead to the problem. A bird needs at least 12 hours of sleep. If your bird is kept in a room where the lights are on and activity continues at night, you may want to consider moving her to a room where it's quiet and you can cover the cage so she can get adequate sleep. If he's already getting 12 hours of sleep, try 14.

So, the first thing you need to do is set up a vet appointment, including blood work, to determine if there is a physical condition that caused this. If not, watch to see if she's plucking, and if she is, take steps to deal with it. If there's nothing physical and he's not plucking, then you're probably dealing with a stress induced hard molt. In that case, all you can do is keep her environment calm and wait for the feathers to grow back.

If you have more questions about this, just let me know by clicking on REPLY. I hope this will turn out to be a only a minor problem.


Anna

(The above answer is intended for informational purposes only. If your pet is ill, you should consult a veterinarian. If you find my answer helpful, please click on the green ACCEPT button. Thank you.)