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I have a cockatiel that is a feather plucker, it's maddening isn't it? First thing I was told was to take him in and get checked for diease, which he didn't have. I found my baby in my front yard just over a year ago and he was naked and I do mean naked, he had pulled out all of his feathers. My vet said that he probably plucks due to behavior as opposed to illness...yeah ok so how do I stop it? I haven't, but he is no where near as bad as he was. Now he just gets under his wings. The rest of them have grown back pretty much, although, I suspect he will never get them all back. But good lord he'll scream and scream it just breaks my heart. I started gving him baths 2 times a week which is torcher because he hates them, but it helps. He concentrates on real preening and not plucking. I have also started sqirting him with a water bottle whenever he starts, this so far is stopping him in his tracks. He stops as soon as he sees the water bottle now. I don't want to have to resort to a cone, I've seen to many accidents, but that might end up being the only way. The one thing I would caution you about and I learned this the hard way, is there is something you can buy at the pet store and I'm sorry but for the life of me I can't remember the name, but it claims to help with feather pluckers by easing irratation and has a bad taste, hense stopping them from doing it, all it did was make it so he didn't feel it as much and the whole area under his wing was real bad. The flavor did not offend him and he plucked more then ever. Good luck
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