Anti-plucking collars!

[Greycloud]

How long has Dexter been wearing his? I fear Arwyn will need hers for a very long time. How often do you take it off of him?

Dexter has been wearing a collar for about 3 years now. I take it off twice a week and he gets a good bath and preens and dries then it is back on. I have to supervise him when it is off or he immediately starts to mutilate under his wings again.

 

[samccormack]

OMG I need one of these for Topper! Where can I get one?

 

[Greycloud]

You can email Patti Lemaire at parrotretweet@q.com She will need to know the species of parrot and where the plucking or mutilating is occurring. Tell her Judy sent you.

 

[sonja]

Thanks, Everyone! Do your birds actually chew on the collars? Or do the collars simply act as a roadblock for chewing on themselves?
Do they take them off themselves?

 

[arwyn031313]

Dexter has been wearing a collar for about 3 years now. I take it off twice a week and he gets a good bath and preens and dries then it is back on. I have to supervise him when it is off or he immediately starts to mutilate under his wings again.

I think thats how Arwyn will be with her leg. i just feel so bad that she can't eat with her feet or climb her cage like a normal bird. Does he seem happy? Arwyn seems to be happy,she talks and moves all over the place I just feel bad for her.

 

[arwyn031313]

Thanks, Everyone! Do your birds actually chew on the collars? Or do the collars simply act as a roadblock for chewing on themselves?
Do they take them off themselves?

Arwyn chew's on the little tags that Patty puts on it but thats's it. she tries to get it off but can't. Patty uses super strong velcro.

 

[Cara]

We have yet to keep one on our M2. I bought one of these - they recommended Jumbo but it's too large. Even when we made adjustments to make it fit, he was able to get to it and would have had it in a million pieces if we hadn't rescued it. He didn't mind it that much - thought it was just one more toy to shred.

 

[Greycloud]

Dexter chews on the ruffles but leaves the rest of the collar alone. Actually, the collar does not bother him at all. I would call it preening of the ruffles on the collar.

 

[alcmene]

I don't have any experience with collars, but i have seen pictures of some awesome ones that @Jenphilly has posted. I know they have an cockatoo that's an extreme mutilator. She can probably advise you.

 

[Jenphilly]

sorry, have not been on the forum much lately, my apologies for my way late reply. We have a volunteer at the shelter who makes the collars for the shelter, she does have a business selling them. Let me try to find her contact info for you and I'll post it!!

Again, I am so so sorry for being so late!

 

[czechrite]

Hello Everyone!

My wife and I are thinking about sewing up something like this for our little white "Ghostie bird" (a white Parrotlet).
He's a CHEWER...keeps chewing on them feathers of his.

What about introducing them to the collars? Do you just let them see you make it, play with it, have it around, then put it on them for 15 minutes a few times a day until you can do it more often?
My Ghostie is quite the mutilator. When I got him he was very very distressed from a bad pet-store situation. After much calm and quiet he grew back most of his feathers but he's never been the same.
So, obviously I don't want to stress him or make things worse...but I've seen these things help lots of parrots.


When I got him he was like a pathetic cockroach...running from the light...from everything...falling all the time.
In a constant state of terror, stress, and fear...it was horrible!




Three months later...a more calm bird free of distress.
But his wings are still his favorite chew toy and he is much more vulnerable than my other parrotlet. We also have to protect him just from her playing with him! Much frustration...



Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Poopah, Ghostie, Natasha, and Christian

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Hello Everyone!

My wife and I are thinking about sewing up something like this for our little white "Ghostie bird" (a white Parrotlet).
He's a CHEWER...keeps chewing on them feathers of his.

What about introducing them to the collars? Do you just let them see you make it, play with it, have it around, then put it on them for 15 minutes a few times a day until you can do it more often?
My Ghostie is quite the mutilator. When I got him he was very very distressed from a bad pet-store situation. After much calm and quiet he grew back most of his feathers but he's never been the same.
So, obviously I don't want to stress him or make things worse...but I've seen these things help lots of parrots.


When I got him he was like a pathetic cockroach...running from the light...from everything...falling all the time.
In a constant state of terror, stress, and fear...it was horrible!

View attachment 272141


Three months later...a more calm bird free of distress.
But his wings are still his favorite chew toy and he is much more vulnerable than my other parrotlet. We also have to protect him just from her playing with him! Much frustration...

View attachment 272138

Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Poopah, Ghostie, Natasha, and Christian

Looks like he's doing quite well now, which awesome. My M2 was a self mutilator. But I don't have any experience with smaller birds who self mutilate. Has Ghostie been to an Avian vet yet? It possible there is an underlining medical issue cause the mutilating. That would be my first step if you haven't gone already.

Stop mutilating is certain spots can very tricky and down right impossible depending on the bird. Unfortunately collars don't tend to work well with stop self mutilating on wings. At least with big birds anyway. It possible it could help but it's really hard to say for sure. But again going a vet would be my starting point.

Thanks for take him is and giving such a better nonstress environment. I wish you all the best with Ghostie. And please keep us updated on how things are going.

 

[czechrite]

Hi Sarah, thanks for the kind words. Yes, Ghostie is doing better and he is SO LOVEABLE. He is a serious minded bird...which just makes him more loveable to me. He is doing "better" in so much as he is no longer terrified every day and after giving him a nice predictable and quiet environment, he quit the MASSIVE PLUCKING he began at the pet store. That was just over a year ago. You see, his total plucking incident supposedly happened overnight when they moved him to the back of the store....but that story seems to change all the time. It was clear to me he wanted solitude (because he was not going back to whomever and wherever he came from) and that every moment being handled and put around strange birds and noise, and people poking and prodding him...was driving him crazy! The owner also just sprayed all kinds of sprays on him all the time....it was heart-rending to watch. We did not expect to get him but I secret saved up the cash and told my wife he was given to me due to his poor condition (if they really cared about birds, that's what they could have done).
He was already improving in just 3 days at my home in a quiet room in a warm cage with lots of cotton t-shirt material to chew on. He just wanted to be alone in the quiet...and it really helped him.

However....after months of improvement, we could see he kept mutilating his wings. At first we thought maybe it was "normal" for him to have an instinct to "trim his wings" as they grew in....it's amazing how much of one's own bulldookey you'll believe when you want to....anyway...yeah..he's a CHEWER. He would have much more independence if he had use of his wings, even in the way a clipped bird would....at least he could balance himself, fall and jump, and if our other parrotlet bothered him or teased him he'd be able to deal with it much better by the time we intercede. Poopah is frustrated we don't let her "play" with Ghostie...she likes to tease or get other birds to chase her. She will often imitate their behavior or try to sit in the same spaces for attention.

All that is ok and normal and fun (as long as everyone behaves and doesn't let an argument become a fight), but Ghostie is just so vulnerable....he can't even move away in most cases if he needs to.
Of course, the birds don't understand that...all they know is we interfere in the fun they want to have.

If Ghost could grow just A BIT MORE FLIGHT AND WING FEATHERS he'd be on an equal footing with Poops and we could also let him use the funner perch areas....but I've seen him fall more than one time and I won't risk it anymore....it's AWFUL to see.
We never know if it causes (or has caused) any hidden problems.

It's amazing what a simple thing it is for birds....to fly or not due to feather mutilation...and emotional condition. The effects are so wide reaching for our little bird family!


Here's our two girly-girls, Poopah and her mama.....!

Poopah loves to play and tease and entice Ghostie to play!
She gets very frustrated and bored when he can't....which is always!

 

[czechrite]

Has Ghostie been to an Avian vet yet?

Oh yeah....we have a great vet for him.

He goes to the Avian and Exotic Pet Clinic here in Mesa AZ along with Poops and sees Dr.M who really baby talks him and gives me the info.
We even got an insurance plan for him with Nationwide. I highly recommend them. It also helps motivate you to go out and SEE the vet and get them familiar with your bird.
He's seen Dr.McLaughlin twice in the last year for check ups.

I just took him there most recently just 2 weeks ago (cause I think Poops is getting bored and depressed) and she showed me some of the "parrot pedals" that some people make for their birds.
That's kind of why I reached out here to see what other experience people with parrotlets had had with these collars. I even saw some videos on youtube of parrotlets who had used collars to help them.

The first time she also recommended trying to teach him some tricks and get his mind occupied on something, but Ghostie doesn't go for the bait like everyone else. He's not interested in "treats" at all. He'll just grumble and look at me like "What do you think you're doing? Do you think I'm an idiot?" or something....I did try a simple game of "find the seed" as you can see below.

Ghostie is NOT that easily amused, though I did get him to try it for a few minutes....as you can see, he was not real enthusiastic....but he did try a bit.