Monday, May 24, 2010

Cockatiels: If parents pluck their babies feathers, when will they grow back?

They were 16 days old when I pulled them out for handfeeding. They grew at a very very fast rate, faster than normal. They already had all their quills and feathers started coming out from the quills. The parents plucked the babies out. When will those feathers grow back?
They plucked the feathers of their back.
Answers:
Oh brother, with these answers i wonder if anyone knows what they are doing, LOL. In about two weeks you should start seeing the new feather shealths coming out.
The babies were plucked due to several reasons. Not enough bedding in the box, or not enough room in the box for all the babies, or not enough room in the cage for all of them to fledge, an inexperienced parent, etc...
Either way, you are now hand feeding the babies and the feathers will grow back in about two weeks. There shouldn't be any damage to the feather folicle if you leave them alone. Once they start coming in, don't touch the feather shealths. Once the shealths dry up and fall off, they will blend in with the others and they will look good as new.
Good Luck!
Time will answer this, most times the plucked feathers do return, however if there was damage to the feather follicle then they will never return.
They should grow back over time. But if the feather hole (follicle) is damaged, then it won't grow back in that follicle. MY bird plucks her feathers all the time but stops and within a few weeks, the feathers start to come back
Most birdy parents will pluck their babies if they feel they are too crowded in the cage. It's their way of saying "Get Out !" The parents want to nest again and w/ juvenile birdies in the way they can't. The feathers will grow back, although if repeatedly plucked some pin feathers may not come back in. Give mama and daddy bird their own space and remove the babies when they are eating on their own (mom and dad not feeding anymore).

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