Birds going through a molting season may look ragged and have what appear to be bald spots, but if you see little pin feathers coming in and not being plucked out, chances are you’re not dealing with a self-mutilation behavior, which is really, really good!
I don't believe a well cared for, young bird like this has a thyroid problem, but if you suspect a delayed molt – you need to have your companion checked for hypothyroidism, one very common cause behind this. Other symptoms you might notice is overall ragged looking feathers or ‘bald spots’ of feather loss. You might also see lumps and bumps (which would be fatty deposits) on the legs (what would be the upper thigh area) and lower part of the chest, near the vent area and sometimes under the wings.
You vet will find some anemia upon blood chem., hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, mild leukocytosis, etc..
This can be treated, so don’t worry, but yes, do get to that vet before it gets too serious. The typical Rx is L-thyroxine (.2 mcg/kg 1 q 12 hrs). Results are usually seen within a few days.
Further causes of delayed molt would be nesting. Here is a very interesting ‘note from the field’ of observers of macaws in the wild:
http://www.macawlanding.org/field.html
Aggression at this time of season is not untypical, mostly because it can be very uncomfortable for them to be touched as these pinfeathers emerge. Like a child who is teething, until that tooth is broken all the way through, it can be miserable for them. So until these pin feathers are broken out of their sheaths, your companion may be cranky.
Sometimes a molt will put them off their food for a while and slight weight loss might be noted. I get weights on all of the rescues and in-house residents once a week. Same time, same day. You’ll need a gram scale to weigh a bird. Though they might register in ounces, by the time you see an ounce lost – it’s more than 28 grams!
A weight loss of 5% warrants a vet visit within a day or two. Weight loss of 10% is an emergency vet visit as supportive care may be necessary.
So much information is flooding the net these days about what to feed a companion bird, whether a budgie/parakeet, cockatiel or marvelous macaw, it’s sometimes difficult to wade through the junk science, old wives tales, well meaning owner advice or just plain dangerous suggestions.
It’s generally recommended that most of today’s companion birds have a predominantly pelleted diet. Pellets have been continually updated since being introduced to the market years ago and today’s formulas are better than ever.
Supplementing this diet with fresh foods every day is ideal and many owners find they can re-introduce seeds - in limited amounts (perhaps once or twice a week) without the bird refusing the pellets overall.
http://www.cockatiels.org/articles/nutrition/diet.html
cites feeding both seed and pellets, but only after weaning the bird from a mostly seed diet.
http://www.letstalkbirds.com/cockatiels.htm
Here is more on ideal nutritional needs:
The American Cockatiel Society (even though it mentioned ‘tiels, it’s for all parrots)
http://www.acstiels.com/Articles/BasicCare/cockatie.htm
The Bird Care Library at Harmony Animal Hospital
http://www.petvets.com/petcare/birds.html#nutrition
Once a full blood panel, crop and vent swab/cultures are done on top of a good physical exam and illness is ruled out, approaching it as a behavior issue is your next move.
Let me know how this goes ok? I believe she's going to be with you another 60 or so years. Hopefully you'll be hanging around that long too!
Certified Avian Specialist
Cert. Avian Specialist; Int. Assoc.Animal Behavior Consult; Pet Ind. Joint Advisory Council; author