Molting in parrots is a natural regeneration process. It allows the bird to periodically change the old feather cover for a new one. If the change in plumage does not affect the health of your pet, then the “receding hairline” on its body should not bother you by itself. When you notice clear signs of illness in a parrot, you should seek the advice of an experienced veterinarian. He will explain to you the reasons for molting and assess the condition of the bird.
Young parrots, about 2-3 months old (this age can vary depending on the breed and the characteristics of the bird keeping), are experiencing their first molt. Biologists call it juvenile. If the grown chick began to molt, this indicates the onset of puberty. Usually, juvenile molt ends in a couple of months. The parrot renews its feathery outfit and can be considered sexually mature.
About twice a year, adult birds (for example, budgerigars) may have so-called periodic molts. Plumage regeneration usually occurs after the breeding (nesting) period. Some parrot breeds renew their vestments continuously, they do not have a certain molting period.
While the bird completely or partially changes its feathers, veterinarians prescribe a balanced diet (greens, animal proteins, sprouted cereals, vegetables) and multivitamins. In a molting bird, all metabolic processes are enhanced, so it can be a little sluggish, passive. After the change of plumage, he will be full of strength again.
The molting process in parrots proceeds in a certain order. All this time the birds can fly. The flight and steering feathers are replaced with new ones in pairs on both sides, which allows normal balancing. However, among the parrots there are also so-called "runners" chicks. Before flying out of the nest, these poor fellows lose the most important feathers necessary for normal flight.
This is no longer a natural change of plumage, but a real disease. For the first time veterinarians discovered it in France among domestic budgerigars, so it got the name "French molt". Why is it happening? According to research by scientists, there is less protein in the tissues of sick chicks than in the tissues of their healthy counterparts (even from the same brood). One of the causes of painful shedding is presumably a lack of protein and other nutrients in the early days of a runner's life.
Why else do parrots shed? It turns out that these impressionable birds are able to shed their coverts and tail (and sometimes even primary) feathers from shock. For example, if you roughly grab your pet while sleeping or scare during treatment. This phenomenon is called "shock molting" and is considered a protective reaction of the body. Biologists compare it to dropping a lizard's tail during a life-threatening event.
According to veterinarians, with the natural process of changing plumage, the body temperature of parrots slightly rises. If molting is caused by pathological processes and reactions of the body, the body of the bird loses its natural thermal insulation. The parrot begins to freeze, its body temperature drops. Your pet needs good food and warmth. For whatever reason the bird changes its plumage, during this period it needs especially careful care.
