Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!intercon!ooblick
From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Help - budgie can't fly
Keywords: WARNING - indoor birds :-)
Message-ID: <1560@intercon.com>
Date: 20 Nov 89 02:17:38 GMT
References: <200@cvbnet.Prime.COM>
Reply-To: ooblick@intercon.UUCP (Mikki Barry)
Distribution: usa
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation
Lines: 26

In article <200@cvbnet.Prime.COM> dmusican@acadia.prime.com (Diane S. Musicant) writes:

>About a week ago, I noticed that one of them had lost so many, that
>she cannot fly. The right wing is noticeably shorter than the left
>(it looks as if it has been clipped) and what used to be a 2-3 inch 
>tail is now a 1 inch stub. I cannot imagine that this is a normal 

You're right!  This is NOT normal.  Your budgie may be experiencing
what is called "french molt".  It's caused by an infection.  It's nothing
you might have "done".  Or, the other bird may be chewing.  Are they
of opposite sexes?  If so, the dominant bird may be exibiting breeding
behavior which sometimes includes plucking the mate.  They sometimes
even do this when both birds are of the same sex. A third possibility
is that the bird is chewing or plucking its own feathers.  This can be
purely psychological, a parasite, or nutritional.

The only way to really be sure is to take both birds to an avian
vet for a trichrome fecal analysis and a culture and sensitivity test.
Be prepared for an expense of $50-$100 depending on the vet.  If you
don't want to spend this much, try separating the birds for awhile and
adding petamine or vionate to the food and nekton vitamins to the water.
While the bird's feathers are trying to grow back in, you'll have to be
sure to keep the temperature warm enough without drafts because the bird
won't be able to regulate its temperature properly without enough feathers.

Mikki Barry