Bad news...

[Sarahmoluccan]

I'm so sorry to hear Milty is plucking again.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Sorry that Milton is plucking more. Hope the sock will help. Check into Nekton Bio, it can help with feather growth and plucking. It worked well with one of my birds.
Amazon.com : Nekton Labs BNK207035 Bio Feather Grow For Birds 1.23 oz : Pet Health Care Supplies : Pet Supplies

 

[JLcribber]

Could it possibly be Buddy ? the recent addition to the flock sometimes backtracking to get to the root cause, and what has changed significantly in his environment may give you some leads.

That was my thought too. Once the trigger is pulled. It's pulled. There are a great many stresses in a parrots life. It is not always a specific thing that causes the problem but rather an accumulation of all the small stresses in their life. They cope to a point until that one last thing pulls the trigger.

And cockatoos are by far the most psychologically vulnerable species out there.

Come on Milton. Stop abusing yourself. Please.

 

[Dartman]

Thanks John, sometimes people get allergic to something that used to not bother them too. They hit a certain exposure level and they get allergic to whatever it is.
After seeing all the folks here with toos that have issues but they are still basically happy critters it brings home how fragile their psychies can be. Of course all birds can be triggered by something and start freaking out, going kamikaze, or pluck but these guys are just too smart for their own good sometimes and many caretakers have no clue what they've gotten into or how to make them happy and healthy.
If anyone can help Milty I think it's his dad bird and I hope they get things sorted and everybody happy again. Milty and dad we're pulling for you.

 

[camelotshadow]

Maybe the sheaths were pinchy & irritated him so he pulled them out.
They did look like nails sticking out so maybe they hurt?

If you can get him past that irritated stage maybe he'll be OK....

So is this going to be like a long turtle neck? Will it stay over the cheek area?

What about those ski masks with holes for the eyes & mouth???

He could be a bandit Milty....

 

[cassiesdad]

That was my thought too. Once the trigger is pulled. It's pulled. There are a great many stresses in a parrots life. It is not always a specific thing that causes the problem but rather an accumulation of all the small stresses in their life. They cope to a point until that one last thing pulls the trigger.

And cockatoos are by far the most psychologically vulnerable species out there.

Come on Milton. Stop abusing yourself. Please.

I know we discussed this a couple of weeks ago. I've taken special care that Milton and Buddy don't see each other anymore. It requires a lot of pushing Buddy's cage around (thank goodness for wheels)
They obviously know each other is still around (vocalizations), so like you say, the trigger has been pulled. We'll continue with the "avoidance" plan...I don't think it hurts.

You are so very correct about 'toos being psychologically vulnerable. Milton is loved and well taken care of...at least by human standards. Unfortunately, he's a prime example of why Cockatoos shouldn't be considered as "pets".

Maybe the sheaths were pinchy & irritated him so he pulled them out.
They did look like nails sticking out so maybe they hurt?

Actually the sheaths were starting to unfurl on the ends...that's what makes it even more sad...they were almost done growing back.

So is this going to be like a long turtle neck? Will it stay over the cheek area?

Hopefully that's what it will end up like. We can experiment with different types of sock cutting...

 

[Lady Jane]

Hoping the plucking goes no further than it has. Please keep us posted.

 

[Maxsmom]

So sorry to hear this news. I wish you could just ask Milton, why are you plucking your pretty feathers, Milton? And he could respond, Dad I am plucking because.....

 

[ode.to.parrots]

I am so, so sorry to hear that Milton as started plucking again... I would probably look to Avicalm or something like that as the next thing to try...

 

[Wthensler]

Oh boy.....Miss Coco goes days without a collar, and then bingo, she picks herself. There's no rhyme or reason for it, and though she hates the collar, there's no other choice.

Sorry for the situation, and know that Milton will always be loved by us all.

 

[cassiesdad]

I would probably look to Avicalm or something like that as the next thing to try...

I'm ordering it today. Like I said, we're going to attack the problem head on, so to speak....Milty's in a good mood today, and no plucking so far...

 

[rocky'smom]

until the Avicalm gets there, Bob, you can try chamomile flower tea. Giget, (a macaw) one of the fosters at the clinic get 2oz. of chamomile tea with one drop of organic honey in her water dish. she slurps it down and she get plain filtered water the rest of the day

 

[cassiesdad]

until the Avicalm gets there, Bob, you can try chamomile flower tea. Giget, (a macaw) one of the fosters at the clinic get 2oz. of chamomile tea with one drop of organic honey in her water dish. she slurps it down and she get plain filtered water the rest of the day

That's very interesting...

 

[rocky'smom]

I can get the recipe this weekend. I know that they get the tea from Whole foods.

 

[rocky'smom]

Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - Kitchen Physician V - Herbal Remedies For Parrots and Pet Birds

 

[cassiesdad]

I can get the recipe this weekend. I know that they get the tea from Whole foods.

We don't have any Whole Food stores here in Erie. But there's a very nice independent organic food store where I can probably find what I need...

 

[DQTimnehs]

I'm sorry about Milton plucking those new feathers! I hope it doesn't become a habit. Maybe so many coming in at once was just too itchy to handle.

 

[cassiesdad]

I'm sorry about Milton plucking those new feathers! I hope it doesn't become a habit. Maybe so many coming in at once was just too itchy to handle.

You might have something there. He only picked the side that was more "advanced" in the growing back sequence. (the left side) The right side is up to the time where he picked the left side now...so we're watching him VERY closely.
I'm waiting on the AviCalm...and we're going to get some chamomile tea and honey- per @rocky'smom's idea...and try that. I don't want to put the "sock buddy" on him unless those two alternatives fail...or he starts plucking hard again...

 

[sunnysmom]

We don't have any Whole Food stores here in Erie. But there's a very nice independent organic food store where I can probably find what I need...

We might be coming to Erie in the next couple weeks. If you want me to pick something up for you here at Whole Foods, I'd be happy to do so.

 

[rocky'smom]

I know that you can grow chamomile in pots outside, cuz I am doing it right now. I am harvesting just the flowers and drying them slowly in my upper cupboard in my kitchen.