Pictures Feather Plucker

[Carl’s Mommy]

Carl has plucked his feathers for 10 of his 21 years of life. He’s practically naked now and it’s so sad. It started when his daddy took a new job working extremely long hours and two hours of added driving time on top. Then he split up with his girlfriend at the time, which made things worse. Carl was not getting enough attention.

I have been with Carl’s daddy for about four years, and Carl has bonded with me so well. He is so much happier now and since I work from home, we are together most of the day. I thought he’d stop plucking after a while, but he hasn’t. Any suggestions?

He has been tested and does not have any diseases.

 

[Really Rebe]

I have a female Eclectus who started plucking her feathers when she was 4. She is now almost 20. I tried everything my vet suggested as well as all kinds of things my friends advised. Nothing worked and she was looking a lot like Carl...one day I was in the dollar store and I saw a bright red rope dog toy. It immediately registered with me that if I was a parrot that would be fun to pluck. Long story short, she loved it. She tears a big one up in about 2 months which I replace. I introduced it slowly as a game. Then I put it in the corner of her playpen on the top of her cage. Now when one gets shredded I replace it with a new one. She may have been plucking as part of a nesting instinct and reaching puberty so this may not work with your male...but I really do not know why she started and she has been fully feathered now for years...but if there is no big rope to shred the feathers start to go. Just thought I would share what worked for us in hopes Carl might like it too

 

[Fuzzy]

This is the best article I have read about Feather Destructive Behaviour. It is by Pamela Clark:

Feather Destructive Behavior – World Parrot Trust WP

There has to be a multi-faceted approach to it. How's his diet? Has he got enought to keep him occupied during the day? When does he pluck? During the day or night? Is it worse at certain times of the year? Does he get attention for plucking? His beak looks a little long in that first pic... does it grow rapidly?... which might be an indication of liver disease.

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

I have a female Eclectus who started plucking her feathers when she was 4. She is now almost 20. I tried everything my vet suggested as well as all kinds of things my friends advised. Nothing worked and she was looking a lot like Carl...one day I was in the dollar store and I saw a bright red rope dog toy. It immediately registered with me that if I was a parrot that would be fun to pluck. Long story short, she loved it. She tears a big one up in about 2 months which I replace. I introduced it slowly as a game. Then I put it in the corner of her playpen on the top of her cage. Now when one gets shredded I replace it with a new one. She may have been plucking as part of a nesting instinct and reaching puberty so this may not work with your male...but I really do not know why she started and she has been fully feathered now for years...but if there is no big rope to shred the feathers start to go. Just thought I would share what worked for us in hopes Carl might like it too

Just be careful she’s not swallowing the rope fibres.

Carl has plucked his feathers for 10 of his 21 years of life. He’s practically naked now and it’s so sad. It started when his daddy took a new job working extremely long hours and two hours of added driving time on top. Then he split up with his girlfriend at the time, which made things worse. Carl was not getting enough attention.

I have been with Carl’s daddy for about four years, and Carl has bonded with me so well. He is so much happier now and since I work from home, we are together most of the day. I thought he’d stop plucking after a while, but he hasn’t. Any suggestions?

He has been tested and does not have any diseases.

It’s possible the feather follicles are damaged and no new feathers can grow in them.

@EkkieLu

 

[Monaco]

Wait, two new ekkie folks in one day? Welcome! You will find so much in this forum.

 

[Rain Bow]

Just be careful she’s not swallowing the rope fibres.


It’s possible the feather follicles are damaged and no new feathers can grow in them.

@EkkieLu

Ty for the rope warning! You beat me too it!!!

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It could also be a food allergy, I believe.

I can't remember all of them but peanuts, soy, wheat & corn I think are the most common.

@Mizzely had made turkey feather preeners for someone. I don't know if she carries them regularly in her shop but I believe her shop is open for a few more weeks, till her long vacation. If it's a boredom thing, that's causing the issue they may help.

I hope there's a start to a resolve soon, poor thing!

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

It’s possible the feather follicles are damaged and no new feathers can grow in them.

Yes this is what I was thinking too. Unfortunately if Carl has been plucking for around 10 year I would highly suspect this to be the case sadly

Its really hard to watch our fids do these self destructive behaviors. I use to own a self mutilator so I totally emphasize with you and Carl. It's great he has been to a vet but I was just wondering when was the last time he's been? My personal opinion is fids should have a yearly wellness exam. If you're not doing this already I highly recommend you do.

Sometimes you can try all sorts of different things and nothing really works. Occasionally you will hear of a story of a plucker or a self mutilator being diagnosed with a seemingly random thing and finally getting the treatment they need and it works wonders for that individual bird. These types of stories do give some hope but its also important to know unfortunately there are other cases that seem to have no Rhyme or Reason to them.

Personally I recommend being open to more testing or even retesting when it seems reasonable to do so, just cover all your bases. I'm not saying you have to break the bank, as I know things can get expensive quickly, but pluckers and self mutilators can really benefit having the expertise of a vet. I hope you have a vet you really like and trust, I know that can be a struggle in itself sometimes.

While it is sad when a fid plucks the good news is they can still have a really good quality of life and be very happy birds. So even if you make no progress don't feel guilty about that.

 

[Mizzely]

Ty for the rope warning! You beat me too it!!!

-----

It could also be a food allergy, I believe.

I can't remember all of them but peanuts, soy, wheat & corn I think are the most common.

@Mizzely had made turkey feather preeners for someone. I don't know if she carries them regularly in her shop but I believe her shop is open for a few more weeks, till her long vacation. If it's a boredom thing, that's causing the issue they may help.

I hope there's a start to a resolve soon, poor thing!

They are out of stock right now but I can order more parts if needed!

 

[webchirp]

Also, keep an eye on bloodwork. Likely not an issue but gout can display problems regarding picking. High uric acid levels. Generally, once they've been picking, it becomes a lifelong thing.

 

[EkkieLu]

Just be careful she’s not swallowing the rope fibres.


It’s possible the feather follicles are damaged and no new feathers can grow in them.

@EkkieLu

Sergei was covered in gray fuzz due to improper diet when I adopted him. It's taking years for his colorful plumage to start coming in.
Newts chest and under wings were nearly bald when I rescued him. Areas are starting to grow feathers again very slowly but I still catch him yanking at them once in a while. I doubt his chest will ever totally fill back in though. I have yet to see even the smallest sign of feather growth in that area. The vet explained that root damage is likely the cause.
If anyone asks what's the matter with them, I always reply that they're moulting. We love our babies for who they are not what they look like. I know it's frustrating but just do your best to see that Carl is happy, healthy, and well loved...and turn up the heat a bit in the winter!

 

[Carl’s Mommy]

Thank you for your prompt response. I know he’s not swallowing anything. He pulls and he spits LOL! And I really don’t care what he looks like myself. I don’t love him for his looks like you mentioned yourself. I just want him to be comfortable and warm. It just makes me feel sad for him I know he’s not swallowing anything. He pulls and he spits LOL! And I really don’t care what he looks like myself. I don’t love him for his looks like you mentioned yourself. I just want him to be comfortable and warm. It just makes me feel sad for him

I took him to the vet yesterday and he gave me some things to try. I didn’t realize how important UVA/UVB lighting was for them. Not just for their physical health but for their mental health. Especially for their mental health! So he’s all hooked up with sunlight in the house now. We also changed his diet and added red palm oil to his diet. If none of that works, he goes back to the vet December 2. Fingers crossed that these few changes will make a difference. Oh and we ordered a bird mister. He hates showers so he doesn’t get enough of them, but a steady mist will make him happy. I hope

I hope your boys continue to do better!

 

[Carl’s Mommy]

I don’t know how that first paragraph ended up on here twice?