Plucking Issue Resolved?

[Sunny&Mars]

It is too early for me to be sure, but I have seen improvement in my lovebird Sunny these past two weeks. We went away for a couple of days and had someone watch him. This is about the third person to watch him when we have been away (usually only two days) and every time we come back he looks better.

This time as soon as my son picked him up he started petting him and the father of the girl who looked after him said that we shouldn't be petting him like that, he should only be pet on the head. To be honest I was a bigger culprit of this, so now we just pet his head. Where we were petting him before was like we were trying to mate with him....in hindsight I should have known that.

So far all of you with Feather Pickers out there, this may be the reason.....again it has only been two weeks, but this is the best he has been for a year. I really hope I am not jinxing it by posting, but if it is, hopefully I can help even one of you because no one ever suggested this may be the reason.

In addition to this I cut out the amount of food I give him daily and I have cut down on the amount of seed I put in his mix. He is pooping and I weighed him the other day, so he is getting enough. He is now looking healthier and a brighter yellow. Not sure if it is the molt that is making him look brighter or a combination of less picking, eating better and the molt.

I've attached a picture of him from March 13th and one from him today, March 30th.

 

[Sylvester]

Oh my goodness, that is a huge improvement.

 

[Sunny&Mars]

Oh my goodness, that is a huge improvement.

I didn't realize until I looked at the picture. I love how it looks like he is smiling in both pictures though! LOL

 

[Meg&Pip]

I was a huge culprit of this as well and i said the exact same thing just about, "i really should have known that in hindsight not to pet her all over." I have noticed too when we go out of town and have a bird sitter, she seems to be pretty good as far as no plucking! Sometimes i sorta wonder if it isn't a bad idea to have a bird sitter for a day or so when mine has a really bad hormonal episode. I am really glad you wrote this a pointed the improvement out!!

For anyone else out there: Has anyone else noticed improvements on hormonal plucking after a bird sitter comes over?

**Thanks again for posting this!!**

 

[Zara]

Hey @Sunny&Mars , How is Sunnys plucking? Have his feathers grown back?

 

[Sunny&Mars]

They have in the chest, the neck still looks like he may be plucking or maybe they are just slow growing back? It is hard to tell....I see feathers in his cage, but don't know if that is normal feather loss....When I give him head rubs feathers come off his head, so it could be one or the other. I'm keeping an eye to make sure there is no damage, as the past two Mays he had issues.

He is definitely looking better though and he must be eating the pellets. There are less seeds in his mix so I'm assuming he is... the past couple of times I weighed him he has gained a gram!

 

[Sunny&Mars]

I was a huge culprit of this as well and i said the exact same thing just about, "i really should have known that in hindsight not to pet her all over." I have noticed too when we go out of town and have a bird sitter, she seems to be pretty good as far as no plucking! Sometimes i sorta wonder if it isn't a bad idea to have a bird sitter for a day or so when mine has a really bad hormonal episode. I am really glad you wrote this a pointed the improvement out!!

For anyone else out there: Has anyone else noticed improvements on hormonal plucking after a bird sitter comes over?

**Thanks again for posting this!!**

You are welcome and I know!!!!! In all the research I have done on why he plucks there has never been any mention of this. Back in January I was off for about a month because of minor surgery. I thought "Sunny will be much better when I get back to work because I will be spending so much time with him!" I did and as I watched TV I was petting him like Dr. Evil pet his cat! I ended up making things worse!

He is trying to hump our heads now.... I am trying my best to distract him and have offered him a stuffy.... however he is afraid of it and flies away when I do.... I'll have to try and get my daughter to donate another one.

 

[JLcribber]

Glad to hear he's doing better.

This time as soon as my son picked him up he started petting him and the father of the girl who looked after him said that we shouldn't be petting him like that, he should only be pet on the head. To be honest I was a bigger culprit of this, so now we just pet his head. Where we were petting him before was like we were trying to mate with him....in hindsight I should have known that.

If you have not read this, you should. If you have read it you should read it again and absorb. Lots of helpful insight.

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