Lovebird feather loss problem - advice?

[Shezbug]

Tops has been available in Australia for a while now but is still not covering all the nutrients our birds need.
Unfortunately my bird didn’t like tops and I can’t say I was big fan of it either so I only used a few trial size bags and never replaced them.
@MagpieDragon also got some to try and I don’t believe her birds were keen on them either.
Most of the avian vets here that I’ve spoken to are more than happy if you can get your bird to accept and eat vetafarm pellets......I’m almost certain I’ve spoken to nearly every AV in Victoria and quite a few over the border in NSW too lol. It was while trying to choose which vet I would use for my bird.
I’m not sure how the vetafarm pellets would rate on the scale with all the brands available where most AA members are but I’ve been told by every AV I have spoken to they are fine and they are generally carried by most pet supply places that carry pellets. All the online parrot stores I use sell them too.
@RobertnMango can I ask what state/area you are in? We may be able to help you find a vet for your bird

 

[LunaLovebird]

Oh I didn't realise they were available here now. I guess it's been a year or two since I last checked.

 

[Shezbug]

Oh I didn't realise they were available here now. I guess it's been a year or two since I last checked.

They smell and taste awful and were probably the only pellets my bird has flat out refused to properly try.

 

[DoubleTake]

They smell and taste awful and were probably the only pellets my bird has flat out refused to properly try.

My conures will eat them but my lovebird just makes soup with it. Didn't notice a smell with them.

 

[MagpieDragon]

Yeah, my birds didn't like them either. I do use vetafarm pellets regularly tho, for all of my birds, and we've never had a problem with it

 

[RobertnMango]

Hi @Shezbug, so sorry I seemed to stop getting notifications via email and I was quite busy with exams at the time. I live in Sydney, NSW, but I've booked an appointment for a vet now in Waterloo called Bird & Exotics Veterinarian.

 

[RobertnMango]

I also bought the vetafarm maintenance pellets, and he eats it, but yeah its going to be a slow process to get him to eat more of the pellets.

 

[Shezbug]

@RobertnMango, I hope your exams went well

How is your bird doing?

 

[RobertnMango]

@Shezbug Thankyou! My bird seems to be doing alright, he has some new feathers growing on his tail, just the little spiky ones right now. Apart from the feather thing though he seems alright. Thanks for asking!!

 

[RobertnMango]

Not sure if anyone is interested, but I took my bird to the vet and they said it was a case of plucking and gave some antibiotics to help reduce some of the the things that were causing plucking. Also, they said that it could be due to the feeling that it is breeding season, and so there are a few things they suggested for us to try out to make it seem like it isn't breeding season - like longer dark hours.

It would be great if you guys have suggestions for how to simulate non-breeding season conditions!

 

[JaclynBin]

When my hen gets a little hormonal I try to make her environment just a little bit less comfortable to try and bring a halt to her internal breeding clock. Like your vet mentioned, longer nights can help simulate the off-season, which is a good start.

Additionally, I make sure to refrigerate all of the foods (pellets/sprouts/veggies) I provide them with and to avoid anything too liquidy/mushy while selecting the vegetables for the week.

I like to rotate cages between my guys so that they never feel too homey or possessive of one particular location. If that is not possible in your case, a really big overhaul of the cage decor and decor placement might help. Ensure that there are no flat areas, cubbies, or general alcoves that might look like a suitable nesting spot. Also, I remove all really easily destroyable materials like paper or seagrass in lieu of extra balsa or thicker cardboard. The harder they have to work to shred things, the harder it would be to build a nest.

Are both of your birds sexed and are they well bonded? My male gets kind of demanding and irritating when he's particularly hormonal whereas I've also experienced issues with my hen plucking during nesting season (though only her chest feathers). Perhaps he's getting frustrated if his pair isn't as amorous as he is?