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Plucking concerns

lunasalix

Walking the driveway
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In April, I rescued a sweet, 3-year-old male lovebird, Papaya. He had a severe URI, bald neck, and barbered wing. The vet prescribed antibiotics for the URI, and was unconcerned about the plucking because she felt that it was a reaction to molting and a vitamin A deficiency.

The URI has cleared up and he has been converted to Harrison's pellets, supplemented with omega-balanced bird bread and red palm oil. He is offered fresh vegetables, but has yet to take interest. He plucks pinfeathers from his neck when they grow to about half length. The vet still believes he'll stop once the vitamin deficiency is cleared up. The barbering of his left wing has been restricted to the upper wing coverts and is not severe.

I got Papaya as a companion for my other lovie, Peaches, who lost his best friend in March. Papaya didn't have much experience with birds, so we took it very slow until he got comfortable with Peaches. They still aren't bonded, but they get along enough to share toys and bathe together, so I moved Papaya into the bird room 5 days ago. They are uncaged during the day and get along, even though Papaya still prefers human company.

Here's the issue: yesterday, I noticed 2 large left wing coverts on the floor of Papaya's cage. Today, I found 3 more left wing coverts and 2 left primary flight feathers. No blood. Is this normal molting or plucking? Should he go back to the vet? Move him back to a separate room? 20200725_164344.jpg
 

Leih

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Hi there! My birds are all molting right now, but my lovebird is through with molting her flights. But, that could be related to where we live and our climate etc.
I have been dealing with my conure chewing his feathers, it's been going on since February. I've been taking him outside for some sunshine at least 4x a week and I do see an improvement. I'm certainly no expert and I'm sure our veterans will be by soon, but I just wanted to share what seems to be helping us right now.
Have you observed a regular molt prior to these feathers?
 

lunasalix

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Hi there! My birds are all molting right now, but my lovebird is through with molting her flights. But, that could be related to where we live and our climate etc.
I have been dealing with my conure chewing his feathers, it's been going on since February. I've been taking him outside for some sunshine at least 4x a week and I do see an improvement. I'm certainly no expert and I'm sure our veterans will be by soon, but I just wanted to share what seems to be helping us right now.
Have you observed a regular molt prior to these feathers?
Papaya was in molt when I brought him home in April. He molted his head, tail, and some wing feathers already without any issues. I've kept lovebirds for 5 years and never saw them molt so many feathers on one wing at once before, which is what makes me think he could be plucking.

My fear is that he plucks his wings to the point of being unable to fly, which would take away his ability to be out in the bird room unsupervised. His wings were badly clipped when I first got him, and I learned that his previous owner never let them grow out. It took us months to get him confident enough to fly across a room. I'd hate for him to lose that freedom.

He does get UV. I have a Reptisun 10.0 bulb on a timer for 2 hours of UV every day. Maybe natural sunlight would be better, though. I've never tried taking his cage outside, so I'll have to see how he does with it. He's a nervous little guy, and I don't want to scare him.
 

Ripshod

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What's his diet like? If he's eating pellets and/or a fortified seed mix then likely he's getting enough D3 without the light. If you must use a UV lamp please don't use that one, it's for reptiles and can burn him (a possible cause of plucking/feather loss).
 

lunasalix

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He's on Harrison's right now. The light was a vet recommendation and is 2ft from his cage (he can't get any closer to it, but he can move further away). He had actually stopped plucking as much before I moved him into the bird room, and I had anticipated a temporary increase around his neck because of the stress of moving, just not that he would start taking out his wing feathers. Is there a different light you would recommend?
 

Leih

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I have the ZooMed Avian Sun.

It does seem strange that he would pluck wing feathers, I don't think I've ever heard of that since it would impair his mobility.

@Zara
 

expressmailtome

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Are there roots on the bottom of any of the coverts or primaries? Some birds every so often have very extensive molts. It is not every time that that bird molts, but it does happen.
 

lunasalix

Walking the driveway
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Are there roots on the bottom of any of the coverts or primaries? Some birds every so often have very extensive molts. It is not every time that that bird molts, but it does happen.
Based on the linked thread I just found and compared with this picture, I think that I see roots? Maybe it is just a very extensive molt since his diet has been improved so drastically? His feathers were extremely dull and battered when I got him and he already looks tons better in the areas that have molted.
20200726_174537.jpg
 
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