Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:20 am Post subject: New to Kakarikis - looking for advice
I'm new to owning birds as I've just been given 2 yellow kakarikis for a present and they both appear to be losing feathers at the back of their heads, other than this problem they appear to be quite healthy and bright. What could be causing this problem? I've also been giving them parrot and cockatiel food along with apples - what other things do they like to eat?
Diet:
http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-12.html
Other than Kakariki that have been 'rescued' from appaling conditions, Baldness has never been a problem with our birds and other breeders we know
So I disagree with Peter that it is common in Kakariki...I would consider Kakariki to be one of the least suseptable prone to baldness. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I would just say that the best idea is to get them looked at by a vet. It's hard to say what it could be without actually seeing them especially if it could possibly be a few things. Its always a good idea to get them health checked anyway when you get new birds just for peace of mind if not anything else.
Birds generally don't lose their feathers for no reason, whether its common in particular types or not and from all I have read it can be anything from stress to mites, bad hygiene and a few things in between.
Hope they are ok : )and _________________
So I disagree with Peter that it is common in Kakariki...I would consider Kakariki to be one of the least suseptable prone to baldness.
Maybe baldness is a big word but the mites that cause it is on top of the list of possible disorders in Europe.
I go weekly to a birdfair. It is striking when you see a bald bird, it is 9 times to 10 a Kakariki. It is a common appearing problem in Fora in Germany, the Netherlands and France. So,I am not suprized to hear it also from the English.
In fact there is an erroneous believe amongst breeders that baldness is a part of their moulting proces.
In fact there is an erroneous believe amongst breeders that baldness is a part of their moulting proces.
Yep
Bird fairs/ shows...we dont take our birds to these, so cross infection is not an issue....thinking about it, those breeders that do have problems, do frequent shows/fairs....and its their smaller birds that show the problem most
Any birds that we get are dosed/wormed and isolated as a matter of routine for several weeks.
the rescued birds we get 9 times out of 10 have mites etc.
I think , Peter, u may very well have a piont...Thinking about it...mites multiply at a given rate, on a larger bird a small infection is not as noticable, but to put that same infection on a small bird, it would be far more dramatic....just a therory? _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Sounds like a reasonable theory to me Steps...whenever you get gatherings of animals on a regular basis there is always going to be cross infection!
Like when your child starts going to nursery and comes home with a cold every other week!!
_________________
The bald areas that appear on the head area of Kakariki can be due to several things. The most common cause is mite infestation. Mites will usually seek out dark crevices to hide during the day and attack mainly at night. You will normally find the mites have taken up residence inside the ears of infected birds. The first area of feathers to be damaged is therefore around the head area.
Kakariki also suffer "baldness" if going through a heavt moult. This is more appparent in mutations than normal birds. Our birds often look bald around the head and crown until the moult is completely finished. The same also happens in some Australian parrots such as Neophemas. You will often notice white feather shafts sticking out around the top of the head until the moult is completed.
The third reason Kakariki can sometimes appear bald is during the breeding cycle. This is more common in hens. We have several cock birds that actually grip the back of the females head whilst mating. This often leads to a bald patch on the back of the head. As the hen spends a considerable amount of time in the box afterwards it can take quite a while for the damaged feathers to be replaced.
The last explanation probably applies more in Europe and England. Feather conditioning is reliant on sunlight. The more sunlight the feathers get the stronger they will be. If birds are housed in aviaries with full roof shelters they are being deprived of vital sunlight which also enhances the colours of the feather. I suspect the reason Steptoe hasnt seen the problem in his birds is due to the fact his birds get adequate sunlight. The climate in Australia and New Zealand allows the birds to recieve the correct amount of sunlight virtually all year round. This is not practical in the European winters due to the harshness of their climate.
Feather conditioning is reliant on sunlight. The more sunlight the feathers get the stronger they will be......I suspect the reason Steptoe hasnt seen the problem in his birds is due to the fact his birds get adequate sunlight.
Yep, at any stage from 1st light to last, All year round there is direct sunlight in some part of every avairy and flight.
People do comment on how well our birds look, almost floesenent. I had never put this down to sunlight or considered it before. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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to this forum. Baldness seems to be a common problem with kakariki. Please look at this. 
