Harper is plucking!

[allison]

This was two days ago. I noticed a little spot on her chest, thought she might be molting.

This is what I found when I got home from work. Her whole chest is just down.

I'm going to bring her into the vet just in case, but I doubt this is medical related. She has been very depressed since the death of Miracle and I think the other birds shunning her is making it much worse. I really think she needs a buddy. I just hope I make the right choice.
I wish she could tell me how to make her happy.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sure it's hard to deal with seeing her stressed. Get a buddy, maybe that is what she needs.

 

[waterfaller1]

Aww..I am so sorry. I hope you can turn this around for her.

 

[itzmered]

I am so sorry that Harper is not happy.Is there something that you can give her that might remind her of Miracle? Did they have a favorite toy they played with? I thought I remembered you mention something about a hut they slept in together? Just throwing thoughts out there to try to help

 

[allison]

No, they didn't sleep in a hut. They slept in the flight that Maddie has now. I'm almost wondering if she doesn't like the fact that Maddie is in it now (it used to be Miracle's house). I have her sleep house set up with the platform perch and mirror that her and Miracle used to sleep on/by but she never uses it.

 

[Quiverful]

I am so sorry! That doesn't look like a molt..it does look like plucking. Get her lots of some preening and shredding toys. I'm sure it's stress related. HUGS!!!

 

[allison]

Maybe I should get Maddie a different cage and give the black one to Harper, in case that's what is upsetting her. It started shortly after I gave the flight back to Maddie.

 

[atvchick95]

that might work, specially if it seems it may be the cause. and if Harper was really really close with Miracle(and from the pics you've posted i'd say she was) then she's seeing maddie as a "home wrecker" of sorts she's taken over her best friends home and not liking it

Probably wouldn't hurt to spray her with a mix of water and Pure Aloe Vera Juice either, It's great for the feathers Even if they're not pluckers. and it may just help her some.

 

[allison]

What do you think of this for Maddie?
http://forums.avianavenue.com/toys-cages-bypass/3169-corner-aviary.html#post53823

 

[JLcribber]

All good suggestions but please still take her to the vet and be "sure" it's not a medical problem first.

 

[dines]

Hi,
I'm new here, but I know how you feel when you first notice the plucking. I have a half naked CAG - Leo that started plucking in the summer of 08 and at first I thought (hoped) it was a molt, but it wasn’t. But unlike your Harper where you know what cause it, I didn’t have a clue why Leo started plucking. I took him to the vet and he got a clean bill of health. So finding a cure became my no#1 priority. I tried everything that is out there that sounded safe and I never put a collar on him. Right now he is on anti-feather plucking products (3 in total) from All Bird Products. They are very informative & helpful and they claim these 3 products when administered correctly have a 99.99% success rate (consist of calcium, vitamins etc). I need to give the products time to work; but so far Leo has been on them for about 5 weeks and so far he let the feathers in his private area grow back so now he looks like he is wearing a skirt – lol. My hubby claims it’s not a skirt, Leo decided he is no longer African, he is now Scottish and he is wearing a kilt!!! I noticed that after being on these products he is not as nervous as before (these products do not contain any sedative); plus he is more talkative (I could have done without that part).

I have no idea why Leo started plucking but at the beginning I blamed myself and I felt like I let him down. I saw my beautiful boy go from being fully feather to being half naked. I made the mistake of crying in front of him and while holding him and kissing him– which I learn later was the wrong thing to do.

I have learned to accept his nakedness, but I will continue to try to find a cure, so he can have enough feathers to keep warm in the winter months. Plus I hate the way people look at him, they can’t see pass his nakedness and see how beautiful, smart and funny he is. The way I look at is, if he were in the wild he would not pluck, so I owe it to him to find out what is out of balance in his captive life so I can try to fix it and give him the best captive life a CAG can have.

I am not suggesting that your Harper is in which way or form a plucker like my Leo; I just wanted to share my story. I am sure you will be able to turn your Harper stress-plucking around in no time. I truly hope with time Harper will be happy again!!!!

Dines

 

[allison]

I'm so depressed this morning. I woke up hoping that it was a bad dream. Her flight is slowed down now, she used to be such a good flyer. She couldn't even make it up to the net this morning. She flew over to Maddie's house and had to climb up to the top to be able to fly over to the net.
Here are some more pics from this morning.
Again a before pic from about a week ago.

And after (this morning):

All good suggestions but please still take her to the vet and be "sure" it's not a medical problem first.

No worries. I will definitely get her checked thoroughly.

Hi,
Right now he is on anti-feather plucking products (3 in total) from All Bird Products. They are very informative & helpful and they claim these 3 products when administered correctly have a 99.99% success rate (consist of calcium, vitamins etc).

Do you have a link to a website that I could get them from? I definitely want to try all options.

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

did you add a new food to her diet it could be a food allergy as well

 

[allison]

My birds get almost all fresh food and grains. It's been their diet for a very long time so I don't think it's an allergy. The seed mix is the same (Dr. Harvey's). I will see what my vet thinks. I'm just trying to figure out when I can go as I work all week and we aren't allowed to take any time off during November and December because of the holiday season.

 

[Anne & Gang]

yes it is wise to take her to the vet..so sorry this is happening

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

Percy did the same thing over getting swiss chards even though he had a lot a vegies and fruit before this was the first time he had that veggie did you introduce any new grain or veggie in their diete over the last 10 days I know veggies are seasonal so do not know but to happen that fast is theire is something physical wrong

 

[suncoast]

What time do they get up and what time do they go to bed? There was a great post written on the other board that said seasonal light is what sets their hormonal clocks. If they get too much light it's like their in perpetual spring and in constant sexual frustration. They need to be exposed to dawn and dusk and then put to bed as soon as it's dark.

Both birds go to bed around 6:30 and Trinket gets up around 6:15 a.m. and Truely gets up at 7 a.m.

Ginger

 

[birdlover82]

I'm sorry she's not happy. I'm hoping you're able to figure out the problem and she stops.

 

[allison]

I try to have them get around 12 hours of sleep. I work a lot of nights so I usually don't get home until 10:30 at night so they go to bed right away when I get home and usually sleep until 10 so they can get the full sleep. Sometimes I have to work in the morning after working the night before and they have to get up early (at 7:30) and they only get like 9 hours of sleep. Their sleep completely depends on when I have to go to work, and i can't really control that.

 

[allison]

Percy did the same thing over getting swiss chards even though he had a lot a vegies and fruit before this was the first time he had that veggie did you introduce any new grain or veggie in their diete over the last 10 days I know veggies are seasonal so do not know but to happen that fast is theire is something physical wrong

I honestly can't think of anything I haven't given them before. I've been giving them Pomegranates and cranberries for the last few weeks but the plucking just started a few days ago.