naked cockatiel...

[dab_20]

We got a baby cockateil and his father at an auction about 4 months ago. He was and is full size, but he has no feathers or down on his neck and has only down on his head. Shouldn't he have feathers by now??

[crazy_caique]

He only has feathers on this head?!You have had him for 4 months?
Get him to a vet ASAP!

[dab_20]

nope he doesn't have feathers on his head. only this white fur stuff. ill tell my dad. what do you think would be wrong with him?

[crazy_caique]

dab could you please explain it a little better.I am not understanding sorry.

[My Peanuts]

If he had feathers on his head I'd say he was picking at the other feathers. Birds under stress, like from moving, can pick. I've heard of a bald African Grey, but he had feather on his head. They can't pick their own heads.

I would call the vet asap.

[lv4dogs]

I agree with the others, something is most likely seriously wrong. I hope it's something easily treatable.

[dab_20]

Ok I can tell my dad tomorrow. He never had feathers on his head or neck while I've had him. He was a baby when we got him. He has down (or whatever the furry stuff is called) on his head. and his neck is totally bare. otherwise he has feathers everywhere else.

[barncat]

As everyone is saying, check with a vet. It is possible it is agenetic defect...at least years ago I adopted a parakeet that was unsaleable because she had inherited a trait that ment she would never develop adult feathers on two patches of her wings. It caused her no pain and she was a sweet and loving companion to my other 'keet and me. It ment she was never able to fly very well which frustrated the other 'keet, but again, she lived a lomg a happy life with her patches of down.

[.powerful]

I hope it is nothing to serious!

[dab_20]

Thanks everyone, I will update soon...

[crazy_caique]

I agree with barncat.

[lv4dogs]

I just searched some images of 4 month old cockatiels and they all have full beautiful feathers, looks just like the adult plumage.

Even large cockatoos & parrots have a complete full set of feathers covering their entire bodies by 3-4 months of age.

Something is not right with your baby. I hope you can get her to a vet soon. Good luck.

[Giselle]

The first thing that came to mind was either 1) PBFD or 2) another birdie companion had been severely stressed and was plucking the bloody heck out of your baby.

PBFD, or Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, is a virus which kills feather and beak cells and also attacks the immune system, which causes the bird to be vulnerable to bacteria and can be fatal. I only know about this disease because a Too/Macaw breeder of mine tests for PBFD in all her breeding stock. Therefore, I don't know much about this illness, but chances are your bird does NOT have it. If he did have PBFD, it is most likely that he would have lost feathers on all parts of his body, not just his neck.

Here's a link fore info: http://numbat.murdoch.edu.au/caf/pbfd.htm

A more likely conclusion would be that your baby had been severely plucked by another birdie companion due to stress and/or malnutrition. Many auctions are incredibly stressful, neglectful, and quite unsanitary for animals of all kinds. Chances are, your baby was kept in a bin with a whole myriad of other tiel (and possibly non-tiel) companions. It'd be absolutely normal (well, not normal, but expected) for a stressed bird to pluck its playmates, to the point where the hair follicles are permanently damaged and cannot grow back. I hope this is the cause of your bird's featherless-ness because it will not affect her longetivity or quality of life

Also, I just remembered that there is a 'disease' in Budgerigars that affects the growth of feathers in budgie fledglings. It's called French Moult, but I don't know if it affects other species, like Cockatiels.

Here's another link: http://www.birdhealth.com.au/about/r-polyomavirus.html

Good Luck!

[My Peanuts]

Does he live with the father? Parents, especially fathers pick at their babies. They should be separated and see if the feathers grow back. Picking can lead to other more dangerous behavior. The father might kill the baby.

I still say a trip to the vet wouldn't hurt.

[dab_20]

well he did live with his father, but it died.