Feather Loss

[cockatiel]

We have an aviary with 9 cockatiels in it. Three of them have lost the feathers on the back of their necks,but are otherwise healthy. One of the three is quite elderly, the other two are younger siblings,one of which has always had a bald neck, and the other one has only just begun to lose feathers. I am not sure why this happens and if there is a cure for it

[wildwood]

The bald ones don't happen to be white, do they? It is a fault that shows up quite often.

There is always the obvious mites. Also, they also may be at the bottom of the pecking order, the ones in breeding condition are pumping with hormones and can be quite bossy.

[cockatiel]

Thanks for your reply Wildwood.
One is lutino,one is lutino pied and one is normal grey . I think the pied and the grey share a lutino parent and are younger ones. The pied one always did look a bit scruffy.A pity as it would have been a pretty bird.
If you reply to this,you may not get a response from me for a few days as I'm going on holiday.

[cockatiel]

Sorry,I meant lutino pearl,not pied!

[tamborine]

Males jump on females & grab the necks to mate. The male usually has yellow flight feathers.

[wildwood]

So it could quite possibly be the lutino (albino) malfunction. Grey cocks can be split for lutino. Even grey hens when can not carry the lutino chromosome because they carry the Y sex chromosome, can get that baldy spot if there is lutino in their heritage.