I receive questions about the molt and the molting process nearly every day. The molt is a natural process of feather replacement meant to replenish the feathers and as a signal of over all good health. I'm going to use this small article to answer the most commonly asked questions as they relate to the molting process.

What is the molt?
The molt is the process in which old or damaged feathers fall out and are replaced with new feathers. When a finch begins the molt you'll probably notice a few fallen feathers here and there, and the finch may be sleeping more than usual. Over the next few days and weeks the feather loss will become much more obvious and the finch will take on a very scruffy look.

Many fear their finch is getting sick when they first witness the molt, but you shouldn't worry unless you notice major changes in your finch's eating and sleeping behaviors. Molting is a very stressful time for all birds and their behavior will change a little. However your finch should never stop eating or spend more than 50% of the day sleeping.

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As the molt progresses and if all is going well you will notice small pinfeathers throughout the birds body. The majority of the pinfeathers will be seen on the head, as the feather layers are naturally thinner in the head. These pinfeathers look somewhat like porcupine quills and are in actually the new feathers coming through the skin. The new feathers emerge with a hard and brittle sheath on them. After the feathers develop the finches will preen the sheaths off. These broken sheaths then becomes the bird dander which you may notices as a thin layer of dust on everything in and around your aviary.

Continual preening is normal during the molt. It may look as though your finches are itching, which may lead you to believe they have feather mites. Please do not treat for feather mites unless you are fairly sure they actually have mites and aren't simply molting.

Why & when do finches molt?
Pet finches molt just about any of the year. They molt when necessary. The need to molt when many of their feathers become damaged, plucked, or dull in appearance. A worn-out feather will appear rough and will not hold its streamlined shape. It's not uncommon for finches to pluck a few of their own feathers if the feathers are badly damaged.

If your pet finches were in the wild they would molt just before and then after their natural breeding seasons. It's not uncommon for a wild or pet finch to molt several times a year. The breeding season will vary depending on species but for most it coincides with the rainy or spring seasons.

Aside from replacing damaged feathers the molt is also a show of health and strength. The new feathers should appear bright and vibrant in color. The healthier the finch the better condition the new feathers will be and the quicker the feathers will grow. This sign of health is very important for finches as they select a mate. A healthy mate will produce strong young and will be able to care for the young.

What is the Juvenile Molt?
This is the first real molt a young finch (juvenile) will go through. It's often the most dramatic molt in the finch's life. All of the juvenile feathering and baby fluff will be replaced with adult plumage.

How long does the molt last?
This isn't an easy question to answer. Some species molt slower than others and if a finch isn't healthy the molt may be incomplete. An incomplete molt is called "Stuck in the Molt", which will be explained later in this article.

In general the molt will take about a month from start to finish. Please note that any time a feather needs to be replaced it will be. Feather replacement is a continual process, the "molt" is when a great quantity of feathers are dropped and replaced.

What does "stuck in the molt" mean?
If your finch is molting but after weeks isn't looking any better, it may be stuck in the molt. This is a fairly common problem with many species of finch. It's often caused by diet and light deficiencies. These deficiencies can be correctly easily but you must continually work to keep your finches from becoming stuck in the molt again.

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If the molt goes on for to long without the necessary feather growth the finch may also find it difficult to maintain its body temperature. If many of the wing feathers molt out and aren't replaced right away your finch may also have a difficult time flying. Add all of that together over a prolonged time frame and you have a very stressed finch that will be very susceptible to illness and harassment by cage mates.

Is there anything I can do to help my finches through the molt?
You bet'cha. Use Feather Fast in conjunction with Calcium Plus to correct the “stuck in the molt” condition and to prevent it in the future. In fact simply keeping your finches where they have some direct sunlight each day will help the molting process. Sunlight reacts with the skin to produce vitamins and stimulate hormones, which promote healthy feather growth and over all body health. However please do not put your finches in the nearest window and think they will be just fine. Direct sunlight warms the area very quickly and if they don't have a shaded area to retreat to they can over-heat and die very quickly.

Can my finches breed while molting?
Yes they can, but no they shouldn't. Both molting and breeding are stressful events in the finch's life. Many can't handle both activities at the same time. If your finches do breed during the molt they may not be able to care for their chicks properly.

Article © Myra Markley 2004

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