I have two cockatiels: Punky and Spike. Both are fed the same diet: seed and fresh fruits when they'll eat them. However, whereas Spike is healthy, Punky is extremely thin and has scraggly plumage. Thinking that Spike was bullying her and keeping her from the food bowl, I got her a separate cage. It's six month's later and the problem persists. What is causing this? What can I do?

Kimberly

Kimberly,

Part of the problem could be the diet. Seeds and fresh fruits do not make a balanced diet and fresh greens and yellow vegetables should be introduced with a good source of protein such as hard boiled eggs. We do caution you not to leave these foods out for more than 2 to 4 hours as they can spoil quickly.

The diet may not be the cause, however, it appears as though it needs to be enriched. It's possible the thinness and poor feather condition is from less than ideal breeding or there may be a deficiency or illness that needs attention by an avian vet.