# 3rd molt of the year?



## CharlieBirb (Dec 31, 2015)

As i mentioned in my last post (http://talkbudgies.com/your-budgies-health/364905-charlie-bird-sick.html) my baby bird Charlie has been under the weather, but has shown fairly significant improvement over the past few days. He finished his last molt about a month ago, which was a long one, about 4 weeks! his baby molt occurred a month or two after i got him, so the one that ended before was his second for the year. Last night when putting him to bed last night I noticed that he had quite a few downy feathers and a few bigger ones on the bottom of his cage. So far he has not lost any flight or tail feathers, but it defiantly looks like he has begun a third molt. Is this normal? I believe he is about 8 months old, but do not know for sure. Also, how old will he be when his cere fully changes? It has a little, but has kind of stopped at a purple color. he just started his bratty teen stage a couple weeks ago. Thank you all in advance! :budge:


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm glad he's continuing to feel better! Budgies moult many times per year with varying degrees of feather loss. The big moult he just went through is probably the biggest one for the next few months, and in between he'll shed a few feathers here and there periodically, in "mini moults". This is perfectly normal 

Also, his cere may not fully change for another month or more, it depends. Although usually it is more blue by now, budgie ceres change at different rates. If his cere never changes and stays purple, however, it is also normal and nothing to worry about--he probably has some pied genes that are causing it to retain somewhat of an immature colouring :thumbsup:


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## CharlieBirb (Dec 31, 2015)

I have wondered about him possibly having some pied in him. They grey on his back is partly blue. His eyes have changed quite a bit already though.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

That diffusion into the head feathers of the blue can be caused by a hidden opaline gene, actually, since males can be split :thumbsup: 

Interestingly, budgies can't be split for dominant pied, only recessive, so if he showed any signs of being split for recessive, it would be very subtle. Often, its either the eyes or the cere colour that are affected by a hidden recessive pied gene, not both. Either way, he's a beautiful boy


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