• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Worried about my birds!

Blueeyes14

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
12/2/19
Messages
3
Hello, I’m new here, so I hope this post is in the right spot! I have two GCC and they’re both now losing feathers. Both of them have about the same amount missing, it looks like their neck and right behind their head on their backs. They’re a bonded pair and live in a macaw cage together, both 3 years old.

I’ve had both of them their entire lives, and I have no idea what’s going on! The closest avian vet to is is a two hour trip one way, so I’m trying to figure out if that’s a necessary trip to make. The only thing that’s different lately is that my husband and I have started a family and we haven’t been able to have them out of the cage as much with a new baby.

Should I be worried about plucking, or something worse? D:
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,966
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
Welcome!

It sounds like your birds could be over preening each other. If they are used to a lot of out of cage time and more if you're attention than they are getting now, then it's very likely they are spending more time preening each other and getting over zealous with it. If letting them out more right now is not an option, then giving them more activities inside needs to be the focus. Foraging in particular is a great distraction!
 

Hawk12237

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
3/5/19
Messages
5,106
Location
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Real Name
Michael
Hello, I’m new here, so I hope this post is in the right spot! I have two GCC and they’re both now losing feathers. Both of them have about the same amount missing, it looks like their neck and right behind their head on their backs. They’re a bonded pair and live in a macaw cage together, both 3 years old.

I’ve had both of them their entire lives, and I have no idea what’s going on! The closest avian vet to is is a two hour trip one way, so I’m trying to figure out if that’s a necessary trip to make. The only thing that’s different lately is that my husband and I have started a family and we haven’t been able to have them out of the cage as much with a new baby.

Should I be worried about plucking, or something worse? D:
I agree with Shawna @Mizzely with giving them more activities. May I ask, if they can't come out at moment due to the circumstances, is it possible ( provided you have, say, an extra room or bedroom) where you could put birds, cage and all in there, where they can come out of the cage and stretch some but still have their own room where they are not a problem to new baby. If not, you need to dedicate time to them a few times a day, to talk, have a cuddle, the flock time I call it.
They sound like they are preening each other a bit more than they should. It's a case of boredom in my opinion, and it's correctable.
 

Blueeyes14

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
12/2/19
Messages
3
Thank you both so much. It’s so hard with a new baby, but I like the idea of giving them foraging and also giving them their own room. Hopefully they’ll improve!
 

Hawk12237

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
3/5/19
Messages
5,106
Location
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Real Name
Michael
Thank you both so much. It’s so hard with a new baby, but I like the idea of giving them foraging and also giving them their own room. Hopefully they’ll improve!
They will and before you know it, they will integrate nicely into your new family. I know it's hard with a baby, I raised 4 around many birds and at first your nervous and uneasy, but trust me it's not as bad as you think.
I had a couple parrots that exhibited motherly instincts around my third child. Would coo, and watch the baby smile and laugh at it. If course always monitored very closely.
 
Top