So Lucy has recently picked up this habit of playing with her own feathers. She doesn't pluck (I made sure of this by watching her), but since she's in the middle of her molt, she waits for the feather to fall out, and then she starts to chew on it. I have no idea why she does this. She has toys in her cage, and I've seen her play with them every once in a while.

I've also noticed that she only ever does it with her own feathers. Dudley started molting not too long before her, and I've showed her some of his feathers. She has no interest in them. We also have some wall decorations that have eagle feathers (some native american things my parents had for years), and while she did touch them with her beak out of curiosity, she didn't show that much interest in them, either.

Is this normal, or should I be concerned? I don't want to encourage any kind of feather-destruction. She has a preening toy already. Should I get her another one?

Seems normal to me. You can make her a preening you by getting molted tail feathers and tying them up by the ends. It will create a fanned shape. The birds love them.

Wow that's a good idea...

That IS a good idea. I'll have to try that. I've seen feathers in preening toys before. I think she'd like it.

Of course, Lucy's so easily entertained by everything. The world is her toy.

I'm glad you guys like that idea. My cockatiels loved that toy a lot. I'm waiting for my sun conjure to molt so I can make one for him as well.

So far, it's mainly down feathers and semiplume feathers coming out of her right now, though I did see a wing feather on the floor the other day. It was a covert feather though, rather than a flight feather. There's also the extra small face feathers that I'd sometimes find when I have her out with me. A tiny orange or yellow feather, that if she caught me holding, she'd chew on it as well.

Kind of excited now, because that should probably mean that flight feathers are coming out soon. Looking forward to her flight feathers growing out this time. I'd like to keep her flighted.

Not sure how Lucy would react to her contour feathers yet, let alone her molted tail feathers.

She also has the habit of trying to catch any powder downs that float near her, after preening and fluffing up. the world is her toy.

Both of my tiels like to hold molted flight feathers in the mouth and twirl them. It doesn't matter whose feathers it is. I've never seen them play with smaller feathers. But, on the other hand, my tiels don't seem to molt much, except for flight feathers.

I've heard that the quills have a nutritious "marrow" in them that birds like to eat.

Im not sure i understand do u have a photo?