Moulting question & beak question

[kinetic]

Several weeks ago I thought Horace might be moulting but only a small scattering of feathers appeared and I thought it might be because it was her first moult, but in the last week the feather loss (big and little) has increased. She is eating and flying and I'm not concerned for health reasons but she has gotten VERY nasty !!!! Is this usual ? She seeks me out in the house but when I approach her she doesn't want held and when I put her in her cage at night she is really biting hard !! ALSO should her upper beak protrude over the lower one slightly ? Its SHARP Thanks for any help--Jennifer

[Trees Gray]

Hi Jennifer,
Moulting puts quite a strain on their bodies, and I guess it stresses them out. My pet Skye who is moulting along with the rest of my birds lost his voice, which has come back, but he pecked so hard on my husbands' hand that he was bleeding. He has been acting nasty. Just be patient and this moult season will end. If your'e not doing so already: give Horace extra vitamins, flax seed, and a little snack of peanuts. Do you think he might be overtired? In nature, as in our coop, our birds go to sleep at sundown. Does Horace get to stay up past bedtime? Maybe he's not getting his beauty sleep. Treesa

[rollerboi]

every time they moult they change. it may not look good but after it will look better.ther body changes and they grow older.

[kinetic]

Thank you for the advice, She gets vitamins in her water every day, there is flax seed which I add to her feed along with safflower and black oil sunflower seeds. I have not been able to find raw peanuts yet but am still looking. She usually naps on one of her favorite perches from about 7 pm or so and then is put in her cage when I go to bed about 9:30/10 pm. She does not go to her cage on her own very often but it is a dog crate on the floor. I am in the process of getting a parrot cage for her thinking she might be happier up higher. What about her beak ????

[Trees Gray]

Hi Jennifer,
Regarding the beak: I looked at my birds yesterday, and their upper beak does protrude slightly over the other.
Yes, your bird definitely should be up higher. They feel more secure.
I know a man who has pigeons 30 years. He is 7 feet tall, when he goes in one of his coops the birds get restless and fly around, he told me about this fact. His wife has no problem going in to clean the coop, she is real short! Treesa

[kinetic]

Thanks again, the cage has been ordered, it has a stand and the top of the cage is 62" high, the top opens up into a play area and carl suggested I get a protruding perch that sticks out of the top also, I guess like a "T" perch. So I will look for one of those also. Should Horace have a cuttle bone in her cage ? or toys, or a mirror ??--Jen

[maryco]

Hello,

Cuttle bone is good, I cut it up into little pieces with a knife (make sure to remove the hard shell at the back)

I mix it with the grit and my pet Pearl gobbles large pieces up afew days before she lays her egg.

Mary

[Trees Gray]

You should try the mirror, I put it in my coop..in their dining room, and some of them were admiring themselves, and other stated cooing, it was very enjoyable...

I would buy one toy and see how he likes it. If he responds to it you can always buy more.
We are planing to put a swing in our aviary for the young birds. This will be interesting....... Treesa

[Birdmom4ever]

One doesn't normally think of toys and mirrors for pigeons, but why not? I felt sorry for my little fantail, who lives indoors and gets bored during the day when I'm busy with other things. I got him a bird toy and a mirror. I don't know if he plays with the toy--I haven't actually seen him do it. I have noticed he pecks at bright colors and objects with different textures when he's out of his cage. He likes to explore my hair and clothing and the clutter on the coffee table.

He really seems to like the mirror. He coos at it and challenges the "other" bird. It gives him something to do, and I think that's a good thing. Just like our cockatiel. Both are happier birds since they've had mirrors.

Just make sure toys are safe and the pigeon can't get caught in them in any way. I've seen some ring-type toys that were choking hazards.