Help, beautiful Bindi began plucking feathers 5 days ago!

[mollymarie]

Our beautiful Bindi began plucking her feathers last Wed night.

The avian vet has dismissed any known problems with her diet, home, love and activities. Her age is unknown but estimated at 4 years. But it may not be a "her." He is also doing a sex test, asap.

With mites and all ruled out, it may be that I have loved her too much, too closely (albeit it mostly through the bars of the cage) and let her regurgitate and play with my fingers. I stopped this when I learned what it actually was and the danger of not being able to later satisfy her sexual needs.

She is now plucking her feathers and I feel terrible about it. We are trying to keep her distracted, switching toys at times, taking her from one of her cages to the other, putting her on standing perches, playing with her, and yet she is still plucking. The blood work has not been completed.

Can you advise me on this?

Also I read from someone on this forum that a bird "requires" outside lighting, outside. When I tried putting her outside in a cage earlier, she began shaking. She was a lost bird once - we are the 3rd owners, and I am afraid she is fearful of being outside unless held on a stick by me.

Also, she is not as yet a hands on bird. We have had her 7 1/2 months. She is dearly loved. Thanks for any help! Mollymarie

[Oscars Mom]

Bird stores sell full spectrum lite bulbs that can go in any lamp. Mist ing or bathing might helptoo. It helps the skin and uses energy.If the bird will kiss and regurgitate food to you Id start working with it everydayto get it out of the cageand relieve boredom!

[CBT]

Those full spectrum bulbs are great, I always hated the tubes. Have you tried an Aloe Spray? It will help soothe the area and in some cases helps with the plucking. How did the blood work tun out?

[DynamitePsycho]

If Bindi is a girl, she might be plucking to prepare for nesting. My parent's TAG does that all the time. I don't think I've seen her with a full chest of feathers, and we've had her for 21 years. Granted, I think part of it is now habit for her (and possibly boredom at times). Definitely make sure you interact with her via playing or bathing, etc. so you can avoid the boredom plucking. Good luck! :o)

[birdlady49]

She might be plucking because she's bored. She might be plucking because you pay more attention to her when she's plucking.

African Greys need to be constantly entertained. At a class I attended at the Gabriel Foundation today, they emphasized foraging toys. Even something as simple as wrapping her favorite nut in paper and letting her find it might help her think of things other than plucking.

They've developed some wonderful foraging toys that make a bird WORK for its food, much as they would in the wild. I'm going to be taking my own advice for Mickey, a CAG who has plucked on and off for his entire life (but he only returned to my life earlier this year after 10 years.....)

You can buy full-spectrum tube lighting at Walmart too. But you'd need one of those ugly shop lights.

Why is your vet sexing your bird ASAP? I don't understand the ASAP part...... If she's only four, she's a little too young to be thinking of breeding.

[huntress]

No she is not! She can begin breeding behavior now. Her age is in fact unknown. You do not have to have an UGLY fixture for the wal mart full spec bulbs. I have them in 18 inch size in 18 inch small kitchen fixtures over my cages and they look great. You cannot have them in reach of a beak so it take some creative hanging to keep them out of reach. I have made brackets to hold them on cages out of reach and I just lift them off when I allow the birds to climb on the cage. Aloe Juice is good and inexpensive at the Pharmacy - if they dont have it on the shelf the Pharmacist can order it for you. You never mentioned weather you had allergy testing done. Corn can be a problem. I have a rescue that was afraid of outside and afraid of toys. I just kept the toys there and kept putting him outside. He doesnt shake anymore outside and he is now all over his toys and although he still doesnt come out of his cage much he seems a much happier bird.
Other things that can stress greys out is cage location. They like to be a part of the flock but not in an area of high traffic and they do better against a wall rather than out in the middle. The wall provides some security. I used to not cover my birds but since I moved them in front of the window I must close the blinds and cover them at night or they get real nervous about "whats out there". A cat in the house can also stress them to pluck even if it pays them no mind. Its a natural predator and they know it. DNA testing is great but both males and females pluck so it wont help you much. Hope some of this helps.

[teresas]

Wow, this is exactly what my girl, Elmo CAG has started doing (I think). We just went a very frustrating breeding period with her. She actually laid one egg. She had done that once before several years ago. I had her in my office and she was so annoying that for a while I moved her. I knew better, but I did it anyway. She started going in the corner of her cage, getting up under her wing, plucking out feathers (I think) and she just SCREECHES something terrible when she does it like she is hurting herself. I have checked her over many times. There is nothing wrong with her wing. At first I didn't think she was plucking. She is 16 years old and has never done this before. I moved her back to the office. Put her totally next to me, not matter what I do she won't stop now. I don't know what to do. I have to do something for both our sanity! I would love any and all suggestions. I will get the full spectrum light and the aloe vera today if that will help. Please feel free to email me or anything if you can help. Thanks so much. Desperately, Teresa and Elmo