Baloo has been over-preening as long as anybody can remember. When I first saw her at the beginning of a warm period in January, she was a bundle of down with about half of her tail feathers, many with obvious damage. Baloo got a good start growing feathers during that short January thaw. She molted just a little and she started to grow a few new feathers. Photos beginning February 6, show new down almost everywhere as well as a few new contours on the breast and back.

Because of her age, 14 months, and history, more than one home. Baloo is at risk for a life of difficult behavioral issues including progressive feather damaging. Our hope is that this year, during the molting season, she can generate enough new feathers and learn enough new behaviors to replace her unsuccessful feather care habits.

We’ve seen some progress here, but we’ve also seen some regression. Later in February, the weather had turned cold again and Baloo’s molt slowed. When her primary caregiver was injured in an in-home accident, Baloo’s exercise program and spray baths were dramatically scaled back. She has not yet learned sufficient new behaviors to replace the feather damaging behaviors, and she has clipped off most of her new breast and back contours.

Baloo has two beautiful new tail feathers opening up, and she has new white contour feathers growing down her neck. She is retaining a good down coat, and feather shredding is not being observed at this time.  She's damaging her back contours, but amazingly, has not clipped off that broken feather on the right wing back.  We are hoping for dramatically warmer weather to stimulate molting in hopes that feather growth will again outpace feather damage, and she will have a chance to learn appropriate preening.

We are looking for ways to create new behaviors to replace her feather damaging behaviors.  Baloo needs at least two active/interactive exercise periods daily, a daily shower bath, and at least half a dozen new paper fans to shred each day. She needs at least ten hours of uninterrupted covered sleep each night. I have moved her cage into a room where the forced air heat source is cut off.  We’re hoping, praying, looking forward to warm weather soon

click here for updates as Baloo overcomes feather snapping 
and grows new feathers