# Missing Neck Feathers



## STICKMAN (Jul 20, 2010)

I have a cock-bird that has lost some feathering around his neck in the front and sides right below his beak. He has been like this for 4 to 5 weeks with no new feather growth at all. I am familiar with moulting and this does not seem to be it. The skin looks healthy. Any ideas?


----------



## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

STICKMAN said:


> I have a cock-bird that has lost some feathering around his neck in the front and sides right below his beak. He has been like this for 4 to 5 weeks with no new feather growth at all. I am familiar with moulting and this does not seem to be it. The skin looks healthy. Any ideas?


What's your setup? If there are other cocks in the same area maybe he's being bullied? That's kind of like how my dove Edmund looked when I first got him because he started and lost a lot of fights in his previous home. He was bald on top of his head, in patches around his neck, and on random parts of his wing coverlets.


----------



## maniac (Sep 27, 2009)

I have 2 cock birds that seem to have the same thing, a loss of feathers from the neck area in an almost straight line from under the beak to the breast. Both are on their 2nd clutches if that's a clue.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a picture of the bird?


----------



## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

If the feathers are broken at the skin it is probably mechanical caused damage by a feeder or grit bowl or even youngsters feeding . If so nothing to worry about and it will grow back during moult.
Kurps


----------



## maniac (Sep 27, 2009)

M Kurps said:


> If the feathers are broken at the skin it is probably mechanical caused damage by a feeder or grit bowl or even youngsters feeding . If so nothing to worry about and it will grow back during moult.
> Kurps



That was my feeling, that the cock bird in the latter stages of weaning the squabs was having its neck feathers broken or pulled off by the squabs demanding to be fed.

Yes Jay3 I will try to get a pic. I don't know if I will be successful but I will give it a try tomorrow


----------



## maniac (Sep 27, 2009)

Not the best of pics but it does show some feather loss in the neck area. It seems less pronounced now than a week or two ago when I could observe a straight line of missing feathers from the beak to the breast.


----------



## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

I think it is the feeder or waterer your using doing that, but thats my opinion and sometimes its not even worth 2 cents.


----------



## STICKMAN (Jul 20, 2010)

LIBIS-
He is housed with another cock-bird in a 6x4x4 coop. They never act aggressive toward each other and have been housed together for over a year. I have not changed their feed or water bowls since day one and this has not been a problem before. Thanks for all the replies.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That picture looks like they were rubbed against something. Could be the babies after him.
I had a cock do that to his feathers to a lesser degree when he flew up to his nest box, and just at that instant another bird flew by. He got blocked and fell to the floor, but on the way down, he hit the side of a wooden ramp, and pulled out a little patch of feathers. If they're coming back in, then he must be fine.


----------



## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

STICKMAN said:


> LIBIS-
> He is housed with another cock-bird in a 6x4x4 coop. They never act aggressive toward each other and have been housed together for over a year. I have not changed their feed or water bowls since day one and this has not been a problem before. Thanks for all the replies.


Are there babies? We saw pics of another person's similar problem--does your bird's issue look similar? Can we see some pics of your bird?


----------



## bigislerollers (Jan 20, 2008)

What kind of grit container do you have and is it kept full? The reason I ask is because I had the same thing happen to my birds. The breeders, when they have young, eat a lot of grit. If you don't keep it full, they will agressively try to get at what is left in the container and that is what caused my problem. Easy fix is to make sure the grit container is always full.


----------

