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Feather Lumps in Pet Birds
by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com
Copyright © 2004
A feather lump -
sometimes called a 'feather cyst' - on a bird is the equivalent of an ingrown
hair on a human. Feather lumps are relatively much larger in size, of course,
since feathers are larger than hairs, and our birds are so tiny in comparison
to us.
To date, there has been
very little scientific research on the cause of feather lumps. Studies to
conclusively prove one cause or another have not been done in numbers great
enough to produce proper statistical evidence and until they are, widely
varying opinions, many contradictory, help only to confuse the newcomer.
Some theories insist
that an improper (or incomplete) diet is the biggest source of this problem,
while other theories state emphatically that the tendency a bird shows to
develop feather lumps is genetically inherited.
Over the years my
experience has indicated to me that while there may be a genetically inherited
tendency towards developing feather lumps, the overall diet of the bird in
question does seem to be connected to the results seen.
I myself have owned
birds which in other hands, annually developed feather lumps during their
moult. But while these birds were under my care, I had no such problem with
them.
In particular, a diet
including larger amounts of incomplete proteins and rich foods seems to cause
feather lumps to happen a little more easily in birds susceptible to them. I
should mention here that tradition recommends that birds who develop lumps
should not used for breeding, as sooner or later their offspring will usually
show the same tendency to develop these lumps.
The fact is, though,
that this problem tends to show up much more frequently in inbred or line bred
show stock, rather than just indiscriminately. This in turn has caused a great
many people to believe that this problem arises from breeding for softer,
broader feathers.
Such feathers will help
to give a bird that 'chubby' look that is considered so desirable in Glosters,
Norwhich, and Borders, which are the breeds most often seen with feather
lumps. Yet the breed with the softest, broadest feathers of all - the Mosaic,
or Dimorphic Canary - is rarely seen with feather lumps. They do occur in this
breed, but far less frequently than would be expected if soft feathering alone
was the cause of the development of feather lumps.
Feather lumps can be
quite painful for the bird, depending on their placement. If they are situated
where they can cause pressure on a nerve or an internal organ, they can cause
long-term damage, and occasionally can even kill a bird!
Feather structure is
high in silicon, and growing in feathers properly demands a diet with 17 - 20%
or so complete proteins while a bird is moulting. There's several different
methods used to achieve this in a bird's diet, with varying results.
My best success has
been achieved from mix-and-matching vegetable proteins to comprise complete
proteins when eaten together. Almost all vegetable proteins are incomplete in
and of themselves, but can be combined with complementary veggie proteins to
make a complete protein in combination. (Corn and beans is a classic example.)
Quite a lot of research
went into designing my homemade nestling food and soak seed mix, so as to
allow the ingredients to work together to digest as a complete protein. It's
always worked well for me! (see the article at
http://petcaretips.net/bird-seed-soaking.html )
Many people prefer to
use animal proteins, which are more often complete in and of themselves, and
that's why so many bird food recipes are high in egg. But when working with
animal proteins, you need to be wary of the high fatty content that is also
often present.
The nice thing about
animal proteins is that they are already complete. One school of thought
theorizes that animal proteins are harder to digest, though, and that combined
veggie proteins are more effective, as well as being healthier because of the
lower fat content.
As far as developing or
not developing feather lumps goes, the kind and quantity of greens fed also
seems to be a factor, although there is very little truly conclusive evidence
for this; but it has been my observation that people who feed more of the
'softer' greens (romaine or leaf lettuces, celery leaves, etc...) don't seem
to get the good feather results that always seems to accompany the abundant
use of kale, collards, savoy cabbages, gai lan, and other such cabbage-family
plants.
Perhaps this is because
these plants have thicker cell walls, and are higher in silicon? I don't know
for sure - but I do know my experience has been that it does seem to make a
big difference. I once had several birds who had several lumps each given to
me for free - I took them because the previous owner was going to 'throw them
out the window'... (yeesh!!)
After 6 months or so
with me, they looked like different birds. Their feathers were smooth and,
shiny, and every bird was completely lump-free! I never saw another lump on
any one of them, and some lived with me for several years.
European breeders, who
have the advantage of statistical numbers, suggest that the following amino
acids especially, contribute to a successful, lump-free moult; methionine,
lysine, threonine, and tryptophan. (These are all seperate elements of a
complete protein, found in varying amounts in varying foods)
They also suggest that
lecithin (an unsaturated fatty acid) also aids in allowing feather growth to
occur smoothly. Adequate B vitamins, mineral content (especially zinc), Folic
acid and Biotin have also been cited as essential elements required for a
trouble-free moult. Methionine and Lysine especially are thought to be
particularly important at preventing the occurrence of feather lumps.
In conclusion, it must
be noted that there is much yet to be learned about the cause and prevention
of the phenomenon of feather lumps in our birds - but in the meantime, this
information has proven to be very useful to a large number of bird owners. It
is my hope that these thoughts will prove as useful to you as they have to
myself and so many other bird owners, with the wish that none of us may ever
again see a feather lump in our birds!
by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com
Copyright © 2004
Reprinted with Permission
