Budgie molting, lost flight feathers

[leftie]

Lily looks like she is starting to molt for the first time. However, between last night and this morning, her flight feathers in her right wing were some of the ones to fall out. As a result, she can't fly anymore. I did some internet searches and finding anything about birds molting flight feathers is difficult. As a result, I have no idea whether this is typical behavior or if it's something I need to be concerned about.

[Hezz]

It shouldn't be an issue, but just watch and make sure she doesn't get herself into places she can't get out of. This does occasionally happen - one of my hens has just gone through the same thing, after a bit of surgery. Has Lily been stressed in any way? I am gathering she is still quite young? Usually a few lost flight feathers aren't an issue, but maybe she can't keep herself up in the air because she is still developing the muscles to do so ........ (just guessing here).

One of the things I had to watch with Smudge was the stairwell. Usually it was not a problem, but with her lost feathers she ran out of puff just about over the stairwell, so had to make sure she didn't flutter down there and not be able to get back up. Or Lily may end up on the floor where you are not expecting her to be - just be aware of where she is whenever she is out. To help her through the moulting process and feather growing, try giving her either dried eggfood or boil an egg yourself (10 mins minimum) and feed this to her - she needs protein to grow strong replacement feathers. It will take a week or two for the new feathers to come through and you will gradually notice her flight improving.

[leftie]

Thanks for the reply

I assume she is pretty young since I've only had her for a couple of months. I bought her from a pet store here in California because I didn't know enough about birds to look for a breeder. 

I know that it's not muscle development because I let her fly around my house for a couple of hours every day. The layout is really open and my living room, dining room, and kitchen are all essentially one really big room. She has a habit of making a circuit around all three rooms several times after being let out of the cage. Today, she can flap her wings well enough to keep from getting injured if she fell from somewhere but she cannot fly.

When I look at her wings, the right one is missing flight feathers and there were a dozen full feathers in the bottom of her cage. There is no blood or indication that they were pulled prematurely and she has been losing the down feathers for a week or so now. I knew she was starting the molt but having not seen it, I've no idea what to expect.

I assume the feathers will eventually grow back, my concern lies in the length of time it takes to regain her ability to fly and whether she will have to be trained to fly again since now all she can do is hop around.

[Hezz]

She will be fine. You certainly won't have to teach her to fly again. It is an instinctual thing and the problem is usually keeping them from getting into situations they can't get out of. Usually the budgies don't lose enough flight feathers to not be able to fly. That's why I asked about stress. Think about it ...... if everytime they moulted they couldn't fly properly they wouldn't make it to their first birthday.

The only thing you can do is give her a good diet, extra protein, and watch she doesn't get into trouble. Start to worry only if the flight feathers haven't grown back after a couple of weeks.