feathers eaten?

[cricketer]

hi all,

wandering if any of you can help,birds in the breeding loft are showing eaten feathers,actually eaten ie:up the side of the quill,straight lines across the feathers round the tail feathers.

anybody help wih diagnosis and cure.

thanks

[Guest]

Straight line across the feather is probably a fret mark, the bird has suffered a shock to the system, which has checked the feather growth [has stopped growing for a day or two].

 

Straight lines up and down the feather are more  likely to be insect damage. Check out :

 

http://www.pigeonbasics.com/forum/blah/m-1163345779/s-18/#num18

[THE FIFER]

if its along the quill it looks like mite, give them a spray with garlic water,  

[Guest]

I would check the loft for moths too,they are a big headache for show fanciers as they eat feathers.

[THE FIFER]

yes moths are bad, i spraymy loft with household fly spray now and then it clears a lot,sprsy it in all the gaps etc, when birds are out.

[cricketer]

thanks for the tips everybody,will try a couple of the things

[little sam]

M8 ITS MOTHS MY SECUTERY WONDERD WENT IN AND FOUNG MOTHS AT NITE   HAVE A LOOK AT THE LATE HOURS WITH A TORCH  

[Clarkey1990]

I would check the loft for moths too,they are a big headache for show fanciers as they eat feathers.

 

 

You said it

 

[Guest]

I'd picked up somewhere that moths don't eat clothes or feathers, they lay eggs and its the hatched larvae [caterpillar] that do the damage. Can't see a bird not eating a grub.  

 

Seems the female when eggy is reluctant to fly and just scuttles / runs about.

 

http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/pests/pests.htm