Does a Bird’s Molt Affect It’s Flight?

Last Updated on October 8, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Hi Mitch,

You were kind enough to answer a question I had ages ago, so I hope you will again.

I have a 6 yr old double yellow Amazon. I got him when he was four months old. I have never clipped his wings and he is used to flying all over my house, shadowing me everywhere. This year he is molting but he is losing feathers strangely.
He has feathers from his tail and wings that stick out and eventually fall out, however, he is unable to fly more than a couple of feet. This has never happened. He has a voracious appetite as he always did, so no behavior has changed besides flight. Will this resolve itself at some point? Taking him to his vet at the moment is a hardship as I currently am dealing with health issues.

I hope you can help!

Mary

Hi Mary

A bird’s ability to fly or loss thereof can be an indication of illness and we talk about that here

It’s hard to say without an Avian Vet looking at the bird. Remember that during a molt, energy-producing calories are redirected from the immune system to aid in the production of feathers.

Have you checked to see how many flight feathers he’s dropped? Loss of 2 flight feathers on each can have a further negative impact on flight.

I would probably discourage flight right now (give him shoulder rides around the house) to conserve energy during this molt and make sure if he’s not on a pelleted diet that he has access to a good all-round vitamin-like AviVera

mitchr

I really need to put down some new flooring but am having a problem finding any without some kind of chemicals in the flooring that off-gas or are just not good for birds. I would really like to put down laminate flooring but it appears it has some chemicals also. I would appreciate any info you could give me on this matter. I am sure I am not the only person that has ever needed to put new flooring down that has birds. I also don’t have any place to take them for the couple of weeks that some sites suggest. Thanks in advance for any info.

Kim

Hi Kim,

Everything in your home has chemicals in it from the drywall to the kitchen counters. By the time flooring has made it into your home it has already outgassed. The issue will be the adhesives you use to anchor the flooring and the bird should be out of the home for 2 – 3 days after the installation.

Hello!

First I must say how much I love doing business with your company and how much I appreciate your informative articles. I recently purchased the 25 Lb bag of Higgins Safflower Gold. Previously, whenever I bought a large bag, I divided it up in Ziplock gallon bags and stored it in the freezer. After reading your article on bulk feed, I’m now wondering whether it would be better to keep the food in the original Higgins bag (which has a ziplock top) instead of freezing, in order to reduce the risk of vitamin degradation and seed dehydration. When I reseal a bag, no matter the size, I always press the air out first…not sure if that helps preserve freshness or not.

I have two African Grey parrots and, if memory serves me, the 25lb bag lasts approximately 4-5 months and the expiration date on this bag is 6/16, so I know I’ll use it well within the date. I value your opinion and look forward to heeding whatever advice you provide.

Best regards,
Sandy Donnelly

Dear Sandy

For every action, there is a reaction.

Yes, buying a large bag of bird food is cheaper than smaller bags, but if you don’t use it up before the quality deteriorates it is no bargain.

You can help keep it fresher and in the best shape in the freezer in s double wrap. Say a zip lock bag sealed, air sucked out (straw works well) then put in another zip lock or a plastic sealed container. You can leave it in the big bag and deep freeze it, but if you have to open it up and dip into it often, you will suffer freezer burn and moisture getting in.

Yes, the Vitamin E is affected by freezing, but you can always add some Nekton E

Best of luck

Catherine