Feather Pluckers

[DJHartmann]

I've noticed many people on our forum have birds who are pluckers. Are these mainly birds that you have rescued and came plucked or has the plucking started while in your care? It really worries me to see birds in that condition, so I try my best to give the best diet and most suitable entertainment for my birds. Can people shed some light on this situation? Are there preventative measures that can be taken to stop your birds ever getting to that state? Once plucking starts is it a sign that your not a good parront? Thank you.

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

my were plucked when I got them but it does not mean you are a bad parront birds are complex it has taken ten years to figure how and why Percy was doing all that plucking he has food allergies and abandonment issues mostly resolved there is just too much we do not know about birds plucking to consider anyone a bad parront for it

 

[JLcribber]

It can happen to anyone at anytime no matter how well or how bad we look after them. "Captivity" and having to live in a cage is the deep rooted cause (aside from medical issues of course).

http://forums.avianavenue.com/pluckers-parlor/15756-feather-abuse-parrots-causes-approaches-resolution.html

http://forums.avianavenue.com/pluckers-parlor/13414-plucking-stress.html?highlight=stress

 

[SallyQZ]

I've had my CAG since he was a pin-feathered chick. He started plucking at 10 yrs of age. We ruled out medical reasons first, then started wondering what might have triggered it. At first I thought it was because we brought home the cockatoos, but then I realized that it was more due to the fact that we bought him a new cage.

The cockatoos had been part of our home for almost 6 mos before he started plucking. I moved Tonka from his old white 32 x 24 cage into a huge dark grey corner cage. He HATED it, but I figured that eventually he'd get used to it. He started looking a bit ragged, then it became obvious he was plucking. Blood tests were fine, nothing had changed in his diet/attention/family life except the cage. I hoped he'd get used to the cage and left him in it because his old cage was rusting (we had moved it outside for an outdoor cage once we got the new cage).

One day I had the old cage inside the house (swapping around perches, etc) and Tonka flew over to it and refused to leave it. Bit me when I tried to remove him from it. That's when I realized that he STILL wasn't happy with the new cage, although it had been at least a year. So I bought a new white 40 x 30 cage, put him in it, and he reduced his plucking by a noticeable amount. Now I think it's a mix of habit and uncomfortable feeling of the feathers growing in.

While in the old cage, he was on Avicalm which helped a bit at first then he regressed. Now he's off of the Avicalm and has good weeks where feathers start growing back, and bad weeks where he'll pull them again. He usually only pulls 3 or 4 feathers at a time now (I find them on the wall and floor of his cage) so I'm still hopeful that, over the long run, we'll fix this.

 

[Birdiemarie]

I adopted Ruby and she came fully feathered. About three years later she became an habitual plucker due to a food sensitivity.

 

[love4birds]

I got Leyla when she was three months old and she started plucking when she was about a year old. It is due to a medical reason (polyfolliculitis) that she will most likely have forever.

Chewy came home about three years ago and she was a feather chewer already due to a couple bad homes prior. We have made a lot of progress and now she has all her feathers in, though she overpreens her chest feathers a little bit yet. I've learned how to avoid situations that make her chew, so I am very optimistic about her feathers.

 

[jasminlana]

I got Zoey when she was 11 months. She is not a plucker but she shreds her feathers a bit, especially flight feathers and her tail feather. It comes in, stays for awhile but she eventually shreds it. She has never flown and now 4. Even when her feathers are in I've never seen her fly.

And I just rescued Ella from a bad situation and she was already fully plucked. So trying to rehab her and get her interested in shredding balsa wood and shreddable toys and foraging to diver the behaviour.

 

[Monica]

I've never had to deal with pluckers or feather destroyers... however, I have been given two that mutilated.

The first, Noel, a cherry headed conure, had been attacked by a ferret, taken to a vet, passed through a few hands, then was in a home for 5 years before coming to me. I had Noel from December 22nd of 2001 to February 10th, of 2010. As the years went on, Noel did get better about not mutilating himself, and it was a pretty good year if he did so no more than 1-2, maybe 3 times max. He was estimated to be 17-19 years old when he passed away, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was older.

My second is Kiwi, a cockatiel. I've had her (and her mate - rehomed their two kids who also came with them) since November 30th, 2005. She's mutilated the tip of her left wing so badly that she can no longer fly. This also makes it worse for her tail feathers that get a good beating! I can't tell for sure if she mutilates her tail as well, or if she damages it and hurts it, then she just becomes a bloody mess.

She does not have Giardia, and I have not tried putting her on any meds or supplements, although I have been thinking about Avicalm and Featherific for her.

 

[pdbird]

I would like to see the number of hours that most plucker birds spend in cages,away from there parront

 

[allison]

My parrotlet Harper started plucking in my care. She was very loved, she had a great diet, and was free range in a 9x9' bird room with lots of toys and play areas. None of this kept her from plucking. I was told it was probably hormonal, but it started after I got my other parrotlet Maddie so I think that was a factor (they hated each other).

 

[allison]

My parrotlet Harper started plucking in my care. She was very loved, she had a great diet, and was free range in a 9x9' bird room with lots of toys and play areas. None of this kept her from plucking. I was told it was probably hormonal, but it started after I got my other parrotlet Maddie so I think that was a factor.

 

[Onyxena]

My 9 yo f greenwing macaw started picking at around 2-3. i posted much about her situation here under "need suport". I had another macaw at the same time she started this that never picked at all. MaiTai (GW) has received clean test results from different vets. She receives a great diet, is out of her cage most of the day, fully flighted, showeres often, has other macaws here, she is very active, plenty of chewing and shredding materials......She really enjoys all of this, but still she picks!
Just looking at her, she is quite beautifully feathered, but under her wings, on the webs, and inside her legs are picked.
It really can happen to anyone! I knew a lady in NJ whose 10yo hyacinth was picked bare except the flights and tail fethers, and the head. This bird had a wonderful home, lots of attention, out time, socializing, vet care....same thing. Anyone who could solve the picking/plucking issue once and for all would be very very rich!

 

[suncoast]

Well, (knock on wood) I eliminated all corn and peanut products from my Lovies diet and I am seeing an improvement. I can't say for sure if it was a food allergy, but I will keep you all updated if he starts in again.

Ginger

 

[shellbeme]

I got Chico at five months old he started plucking at about three. We did find a medical issue, but again I'm not convinced it was ONLY the medical issue that caused the problem. He's been plucking since then-well I guess some people refer to is as barbering.

As far as I knew I was providing a good diet (harrisons and veggies-though to this day he mostly throws veggies at me), nice cage, plenty of toys and attention-sometimes I think that in the beginning I gave too much attention. (He's not independent at all) I wouldn't doubt that some part of living in captivity, with me, has contributed to his plucking-even though I provide for him to the best of my abilities

As for working, I do work a 40 hour week (I don't understand how anyone who doesn't can afford to keep a parrot but more power to you if you can ) but work is only about 10 minutes from home. He is a single bird. Could that contribute as well? I'm open minded to it, but no more birds for us. Do I think he's unhappy? I don't think so, as far as I can tell he's very happy with his belly full of fluff-but then again I can't read his little complicated mind either!

 

[Skyler]

My female tiel Maxie is a multilater. She was acquired from a chain store and has drug resistant giardia.

 

[yogie+cloie]

My 2 yr old Goffin is plucking, went to her vet today waiting now to hear back on all the blood work and in the mean time going to make a daily report on what each day is like. Sounds like this could be a long road. I want to cry, I want her happy. Cloie's Mom Sharon

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

My tiel Tasha started plucking when her brother insisted on mating with her. She not only plucked, but she mutilated her chest. I of course separated them and she is now just fine. Still plucks and one inch band all the way around her middle, but no more mutilation. She has been tested for everything and no positive results. Luckily she has no urge to breed and never has paired up with a cock, ever. I just love her the way she is.

 

[suncoast]

My 2 yr old Goffin is plucking, went to her vet today waiting now to hear back on all the blood work and in the mean time going to make a daily report on what each day is like. Sounds like this could be a long road. I want to cry, I want her happy. Cloie's Mom Sharon

Sharon,

If nothing comes back from the vet, I strongly suggest you give food elimination a try. If she eat's peanuts start with that, eliminate all food that has peanuts, peanut oil, any kind of peanut product in her food mix, pellet, avicakes, nutriberrys etc. Do this for about 3-4 weeks, if you don't see an improvement, move on to corn products. It's harder with corn because it's in everything, but you can do it. I use Roudybush rice pellet and just mix my own seed mix. (Also any kind of corn husk shredders.) Try that for a month or so, if you don't see any improvement try wheat, oats, etc. It's a slow go, but that is how I found out my little Lovie was allergic to corn. I don't want to jinx it but so far he's reduced the plucking dramatically. He plucked on his little butt and on and under one wing, but he looks much better. I will continue to monitor him. I hope you get some answers from the vet.

Ginger

 

[jmfleish]

Plucking is a very hard thing to deal with. Generally, there are many reasons why a parrot will pluck or feather destruct and that's one of the reasons it's so hard to fix...you can figure out one or two reasons for it but don't hit them all. It's very complex and there are as many reasons for plucking as there are seconds in a day. Just because your parrot plucks absolutely does not mean that you are a bad owner.

I have three pluckers in my flock of six. Reggie D2 started plucking about 4 years ago and I had him tested for everything under the sun. We thought for a while that it was zinc toxicosis but after spending thousands of dollars, came to the conclusion that his zinc levels were just naturally high. It might have started due to a physical issue that he had with his leg but I'll never know for sure. Right now, he is starting to leave his feathers alone and letting them grow in. He's a feather puller...he will only pull new blood feathers out, if I can get him past a certain stage in the feather growth process, he will leave them alone.

My other two are my Ekkies, one of which I've had since he was 15 weeks old and didn't start plucking until about a year ago but he went at it with gusto. I've totally changed his diet and am hoping that this will help and I have seen some changes but he's still shredding new feathers. His younger brother also plucks a bit, but not nearly as badly as he does.