All budgies owners want their bird to be in tip-top shape at all times and look good too, so, if you notice that your bird is starting to look scruffy you’d be right to be worried
This article is a look into why your budgie’s feathers look scruffy
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Why do my budgie’s feathers look scruffy?
The appearance of your bird’s feathers can tell you a lot about the bird’s health, if your bird starts to look bad then this likely means that there is something going on with your bird.
Here are the possible reasons why your budgie’s feathers may start to look a little scruffy:
Molting:
All birds will molt and they will molt several times in their life, once or twice a year. While this is normal and natural it doesn’t always look so great, they will look scruffy.
The feathers of molting budgies will start to look scruffy, this is because the feathers have been on the bird’s body for a while and have experienced a lot of wear and tear.
Molting birds will also have a change in behavior, they will be quiet, less active, and may stop laying eggs. This is because molting can be quite uncomfortable for the bird.
What to do:
This is normal and natural so you don’t really have to do anything or worry about your molting bird, but, you can make this process easier for the bird by making the molting process more comfortable.
You can do this by putting your bird in a humid environment or misting the bird to relieve any irritation on its skin. Giving your bird a nutrient-rich feed will also help the new feathers grow in well.
You should also avoid handling the bird at this time as the bird already feels very uncomfortable because of the molting.
Vitamin deficiency:
A vitamin deficiency can also cause your bird to start to develop scruffy-looking feathers.
A number of vitamins are needed by your bird to maintain good overall health and vitamin D is especially important.
If your bird isn’t getting enough vitamin D then its feathers may start to look dull, ruffled, discolored tattered, and overall very scruffy
What to do:
Giving your bird a well-balanced diet is always recommended. This means giving your bird the pellets it needs as well as giving your bird a mineral block as a supplement.
The bird will eat only what it needs and should start its recovery once it starts this new diet.
Feather destructive behavior (FDB):
This is a condition that causes your birds to damage their own feathers. It is quite common and quite frustrating for bird owners.
FDB can cause your bird to pick out its own feathers, snip at pieces of its feathers, chew away at its own feathers and shred the barbules off of the feather’s central shaft.
All of this can make your budgie’s feathers start to look scruffy.
This condition can be caused by a number of things including a traumatic event that causes stress and anxiety to your bird, incorrect diet and nutrition, chronically high levels of reproductive hormones, the ingestion of foreign substances, a lack of rest, a lack of exercise and not enough fresh air, sunshine or opportunities to bathe.
What to do:
You’d need to figure out why your bird is damaging its feathers and treat the problem. Thankfully these issues can easily be resolved and your bird can go back to normal once the underlying issue is corrected.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Parrot Feathers Turning White?, Sun Conure Feathers Turning White, Why Does My Parrot Look Scruffy?, Brown Spot On Cockatiel Beak, Brown Spot On Parakeets Beak