Feather Plucking

[Jon Boy]

Hi I have an aviary with 4 Bourkes Parakeets 2 hen Rosa ,1 cock normal ,1 cock Rubino or yellow .
The normal crack bird is a year old and the yellow / Rubino is approx 6 months old .The normal cock bird has started to pluck feathers out of the Rubino but not the two Rosa just wondered if any one had any ideas as to why and a solution or has any one had similar problems,

 

[Shezbug]

Have you moved the plucked bird or the plucker?
It sounds like they may need to be separated.

 

[Jon Boy]

Hi thanks for reply ,no I haven’t separated them as yet ,having been watching in them quite a lot it seems as though it’s not a constant aggressive attack just an occasional pecking and wondered if it was just a domination thing as he is the older male .

 

[Mizzely]

There are many reasons birds pluck each other... Hormones are usually involved. Since the older one is plucking the younger one, I would guess he wants to show him his place before he comes of age and tries to steal his mate. This behavior can result in permanent follicle damage, and can escalate to much more violent episodes. I would personally separate them.

 

[The_Mayor]

There are many reasons birds pluck each other... Hormones are usually involved. Since the older one is plucking the younger one, I would guess he wants to show him his place before he comes of age and tries to steal his mate. This behavior can result in permanent follicle damage, and can escalate to much more violent episodes. I would personally separate them.

I agree. There's no value in letting one get beat up on by the other.

Also, not to be shallow (I'm totally shallow), but the Rubinos are such beautiful birds it would be sad if his feathers were damaged and he ended up looking mangy instead of the handsome fellow I'm sure he is now.

That said, I also know that sometimes setting up another space is easier said than done. If you really can't separate them, can you set up your aviary so they don't have to be together? Have food/water/desirable perches at both ends of the aviary so the younger bird doesn't have to be in close proximity to the older bird? Also, if you have nest boxes, consider whether the older bird is defending one (or both if he's greedy) of the boxes.

But, really, I'd try to separate them at least for now while you figure out what's going on.

P.S. I have Bourkes too (the OG coloring) but only a pair so I don't have these problems, although sometimes Esmerelda does give Mustrum mean looks.

 

[Jon Boy]

Thank you both for your reply and advice ,I am struggling a bit for room in the aviary and think I will monitor the situation carefully and if they don’t resolve or the situation gets worse I will remove my Rubino and bring him in doors as you say they are such colourful little things and very active .I spend hours listening and watching them .I won’t let it get so bad he looses his good looks

 

[Jon Boy]

Latest up date on my feather plucker ,removed my plucked rubino / yellow Bourke and put him a small cage in the house .The very next day my male normal Bourke started his favourite bad habit by starting to pluck one of my Rosa females .So now the rubino / yellow is back in the aviary with his friends and the culprit is caged for now .So lesson learnt it wasn’t the colour issue or older male dominance but seems he just has a very bad habit why I don’t know ?

 

[Mizzely]

I know with some birds the males will pluck the females if they want to mate but they aren't receptive