# miserable molt or plucking?



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

I have a creamino budgie that i first believed was molting as i have found a few long feathers as well as some down shed across the house, however this morning i noticed the whole top of her head is bald. i did not notice this yesterday so i am unsure if it has just happened or not? i would think i would have noticed but i dont see a huge collection of feathers so i dont know when it happened. Is this a plucking issue? if so it would likely be the other budgie housed with her correct? Or is it a miserable molt?


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Separate the two budgies immediately.

Please post a picture of the bird which as been plucked. 

Are you certain the budgie’s feathers were normal yesterday?

Look at the FAQ for how to upload a picture to your post. 
How to upload images to your post. *


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

im sorry i had pictures loaded and just realized they didnt post. i am not positive they were fine yesterday. i did not notice it so i think it maybe just wasnt as bad yesterday. the birds are seperated right now but they have been housed together for months and never had this issue which is one of the reasons i am hesitant to credit it to plucking


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

also they are out of the cage most of the day usually so nimbus (the baldie) has ample opportunity to distance herself from avalanche is she needs to.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You need to keep the budgies separated for now and you should be checking their health and physical condition on a daily basis. 
Are these budgies supervised during out of cage time?

I strongly recommend you have your budgie examined by an Avian Vet to ensure there are no underlying conditions which have caused or contributed to this feather loss. *


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

they are always supervised when out, i have a pretty small house and they stay in the main room where we are mostly, yesterday i was just doing tons of laundry and so didnt really get them down from their perches as much as i usually do and so i didnt notice the top of her head. It is my suspicion though that if i was bald it wasnt to this degree yesterday because i was able to notice the feather difference this morning from a distance


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

i have found several intact feathers like this aound the house for several days now which led me to think she was molting just for reference


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The thing is, if it were a miserable molt, I would expect the head to be much more red than it i.
The feathers would not come out all at once and I would believe you would have noticed the changes occurring long before now.

Take a look at the pictures in the thread linked below. That is one of my budgies going through a truly miserable molt.*
*Miserable Molting*

*Molting FAQs

If the budgie were mine, I'd be taking it in for a well-birdie check up with a qualified Avian Vet.

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory*


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

one more image i was able to get a close up and are these potentially new feathers coming in? i am calling my vet also


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*YES! Those are pin feathers!! Hooray!!
Thank you for posting that picture.

Now I'm much more inclined to agree that is a miserable molt.

Make sure you are providing adequate protein to help the feather growth. 💜💜

P.S. Does your budgie frequently sit with its head hanging like in the first pictures?*


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

yes like that or leaning forward, she thinks shes a vulture lol


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*She’s an English Budgie, correct?
Her head is too heavy for her body.

This happens when breeders breed trying to get ever larger budgies. 
Just like with purebred dogs, when they go for “type” or looks over health and temperament, it affects the genetics of future offspring. 

How old is she? 
What is her name?
Please ensure you never allow her to breed.

Is your other budgie male or female?*


----------



## Vhenry113 (Dec 3, 2021)

she isnt english she just sits like that she always has my other one doesnt i dont know why she does lol 
we believe she is about 6-7 months old and her name is nimbus 
i only have 2 and they are both female so no babies here


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Thanks for the additional information !
I'm glad to hear that you have two of the same gender and that Nimbus simply enjoys sitting that way. 💜💜 *


----------

