ive tried to introduce her to new foods im waiting for her to settle in ive had her for about three weeks now i wanna say but she was at the vet for 4 days then after that on meds for 5 days and i wanna wait til shes more used to living here before i try to convert her to pellets. what is the best way to change a picky eaters diet though?
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whats your reaction to your bird plucking?
- Thread starter coral
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It's upsetting to me, mostly because I feel like I am not doing a good enough job taking care of my boys. It makes me feel like it's my fault and they are suffering because of something I'm doing (or not doing). I'm not gonna lie, my cockatoos cause me more stress than anything else right now, only because I'm so paranoid about doing well by them. I'm constantly trying to research and find the best ways to take care of them, and sometimes I feel like it's never enough when I see them start to pluck...
My U2 doesn't pluck, but tends to barber his wing and tail feathers. He seems to go into a cycle of doing this, which makes me think...maybe it's hormonal? I'm not sure. But he will barber his feathers and look pretty ratty for a month, maybe two, and then some new ones will start to grow in and he'll leave them be for a few months, and then the cycle starts over, seemingly randomly. The issue with barbering, as far as I can tell, is that since the entire feather isn't removed, a new feather can't come back in since the follicle is still occupied with the damaged feather. So, it seems like it takes forever for them to look 100% again.
My Goffin's, *knocks on wood* seems to be leaving his tail feathers alone (this was a major issue for him for a while), but he has plucked (at least I think he plucked them) all those little tiny feathers from his chest, back and sides. So the down feathers are all he has left. He's even got little patches on top of each of his wings where he is missing those little feathers, so the down feathers are popping up through.
It's frustrating but I just keep trying things that will hopefully take their attention away from their feathers...
My U2 doesn't pluck, but tends to barber his wing and tail feathers. He seems to go into a cycle of doing this, which makes me think...maybe it's hormonal? I'm not sure. But he will barber his feathers and look pretty ratty for a month, maybe two, and then some new ones will start to grow in and he'll leave them be for a few months, and then the cycle starts over, seemingly randomly. The issue with barbering, as far as I can tell, is that since the entire feather isn't removed, a new feather can't come back in since the follicle is still occupied with the damaged feather. So, it seems like it takes forever for them to look 100% again.
My Goffin's, *knocks on wood* seems to be leaving his tail feathers alone (this was a major issue for him for a while), but he has plucked (at least I think he plucked them) all those little tiny feathers from his chest, back and sides. So the down feathers are all he has left. He's even got little patches on top of each of his wings where he is missing those little feathers, so the down feathers are popping up through.
It's frustrating but I just keep trying things that will hopefully take their attention away from their feathers...
waterfaller1
Ripping up the road
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First it was tears.
Then it was totally distraught.
Now it is determination and loving tender care to get her to stop.
Then it was totally distraught.
Now it is determination and loving tender care to get her to stop.
webchirp
Joyriding the Neighborhood
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I am better now that I know exactly what causes it. I think that was the hardest part for me not knowing if it was some secret illness we weren't catching or if it was unhappiness when I try so hard. Although I admit that I try to get my butt downstairs to the birdroom and panic a little if I have to work late knowing that I could come home to a nakie little bird!
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