Feather plucking

[mont]

Hello,

Can anyone, please, help me fiding the best way to end the feather plucking problem?

Let me explain.
I just bought a magic, funny, beautiful Amazon Oratrix oratrix. I called "him" Johnny. He is 8 months old, was born in Holland at an aviary.
But Johnny, came with no feathers at the back and front from neck to legs.

I don't really know what kind of treatment Johnny received from previous owner (3 or 4 months owner..) but he talks a lot and he is a happy bird.
Now he owns a big cage with toys to play with, a good and healthy food and a shower every two days (50/50 aloe vera and water)... I think Johnny is a bit happier now and as time goes by he seems better and better...

But He still goes for the feathers... tiny and small fathers at the front... Seems to me that he does it because it is an habit, now...

Should I give him time... or should I take some drastic measures like a collar or body clothing/jacket??

I started to give him a good vitamin suplement, once a week...

Did anyone of you faced the same problem with the loved bird...

Any help will be very good...

Mont

[T.W.]

I have a CAG that plucks and a cheryyhead that plucks and a plucked quaker, they all came like this to me. The cherryhead now has half a chest of feathers and like 1/4 on the other side. The one quaker, doesn't look like she will ever grow feathers back, she must have been doing it a long time. My CAG only recently started to stop picking and has more feathers than he ever did, even tail feathers, I posted what I have been doing for him in the African Grey section, under mY CAG growing in tail feathers.
As long as a vet clears him of any medical reasons for the plucking, you can start with a good diet, fun destructable toys, aloe sprays.
But you have to be prepared that he may always do this and love him regardless. I don't think I would ever consider putting a collar on any of mine, I think that would be an added stress, unless he were truly barbering himself and bleeding and had open sores or something.
Mine may be starting to feather up, but tomorrow they could be bald again, and I have to deal with that, it doesn't bother them a bit!!!!
There are quite a few pluckers on here, so I'm sure another will be along very soon with some more great ideas and remedies, Good LUck with your Fid, and love him no matter what he looks like, that's the way they love us!!
And I am in no way suggesting that you do not love him, it's just some people only want a pretty bird, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!

[mont]

Hi,

Yes I'll love him no matter what... I bought him like he is so I think he deserves the best. But I'm sure that I can make Johnny's feathers grow again.

The collar is a drastic thing, I know, and I'm not thinking of using it but the sweat/jacket seems a good thing...

A loved bird is a loved bird...

It just doesn't seems to me that Johnny is a stressed parrot... Anyway the sanitary bulletin says he is okay...

Let's wait and see...

Mont

[T.W.]

They can pluck for so many reasons. And one remedy may work for one and not another. I wonder if a jacket or sweater might not make it difficult for him to regulate his body temp. I think the plucking stresses us more than them for sure. I think the aloe is a good start, spraying him with it, and add some aloe juice to his regular water also. And a good varied diet. Lots of fun toys. Give him some time to adjust to his new home also.
He is very lucky to have you, and it is wonderful you bought him even though he was plucked. I am constantly trying to find ideas for my pluckers, I came up with Barney's concoction by putting together a bunch of different ideas from other peoples posts, all of my birds eat the same as him, except for the chicken bones, and they don't get red palm oil every day. even my little parrotlets eat the same. Though my YNA Elvis does get a peanut here and there!!

[mont]

Hello,

Today I ordered Nekton-Bio and Nekton-S, I read that the Nekton-Bio can develop some fantastic results...
It's been 5 days that Johnny is at his new home...and I think he loves it!! He is starting to say some Portuguese words like "olá" (Hello) and my wifes name, Maria, also something like his name - Yohnnyyyy!!

Once some guests arrive he does everything to catch the attention from them.
He is a funny Bird...

I didn't mention yet but I've also a magnificent Blue and gold Macaw - Tico. He is almost 11 years now and I have him since he was 7 months old. He was born in Florida!!
I love him, he is a great buddy and loves me no matter what. He stays alone during the working days just from the begining and he never, ever, pluck one feather!! His feathers are wonderful in colour and shape.
I give him a healthy food and lots of showers... and his cage came as a kit to be built inside home. It is huge!!
So, indeed, the plucking thing can be everything but regarding the stress idea I think that it matters less than we think.
Tico has everything to be a stressed bird. Always looking at the same window playing with the same toys... but he isn't, why? Because he knows from juvenile that in the morning and when we arrive, early night, we give him attention and care. Even if it is 10 minutes!!
Do you think it can be a good thing to mix Johnny and Tico? Not at the same cage, of course...

Now, they just listen to each other. Johnny talks a lot more... and I think Tico feels something different at home!!

Finally, the most confused pet is "Lilly" the Norwegian forest cat, Johnny just started to call her name.... Funny, funny bird!!


Ciao!

Miguel

[janejacinto]

Have you taken to the vet and had tests run?
Jane

[mont]

Originally Posted by janejacinto

Have you taken to the vet and had tests run?
Jane

Hello Jane,

Yes.
Everything is fine regardig Johnnys health. Let's see how things go with the Nekton-bio...

Regards,

Miguel

[janejacinto]

Some reasons a bird could be plucking:

Boredom in the very intelligent parrots.

Insecurity, Stress, or Nervousness (can be caused by a change in daily routine, a new environment, remodeling, other pets, or a new owner).

To small a cage.

Sexual frustration in a mature bird.

Inadequate bathing facilities and low humidity,

Provide plenty of toys, some of which can be destroyed, since birds find great satisfaction in tearing things up. Try cotton rope, natural whiskbrooms, newspaper torn into strips and hung in the cage, and soft woods that can be chewed into pieces. Rotate toys every couple of weeks. If your bird is afraid of new toys, lay them on a nearby surface for a couple of days, then hang them on the outside of the cage away from food and water dishes.

Occupy your bird's time by making it work to find food inside of a specially designed "treat hiding toy", or put food inside a box that your bird has to chew thru, foraging is great for any bird.

Leave on a television or radio for the bird to listen to. Many owners say that their birds enjoy programs geared toward small children.

Make sure your bird is caged where it can be involved in the household rather than shut away in a back room. However, avoid placing a nervous bird where there may be unexpected things happening in every direction. Many birds feel more secure in a corner where they can't be approached from all sides. Some birds enjoy looking out a window, while others may be scared of something outside.

The bird should be getting 10 to 12 hours of quiet sleep each night. You may have to move the cage into a nighttime room to ensure this if people are up late watching TV. The bird should also get plenty of exercise every day outside of the cage. Try teaching it tricks like riding a remote controlled car or playing fetch.

Allow your bird to bathe as often as possible in a dish or in the shower with you. If he or she won't take a bath, use a spray bottle with plain water every day. If you are using water bottle, also have a bowl of water.

Ignore the feather plucking behavior. Birds are much like children and will sometimes prefer negative attention to no attention at all. Your attempts to distract your pet bird from feather picking may actually become entertaining to the bird. Your first responsibility, therefore, is NOT to draw attention to the picking in front of your bird.

Deluted chamomile tea sometimes helps to calm, the flowers are feed also.

Eliminated hemp from any seed mix, brings on the homones.

Low self-esteem because is not flighted, they say to stop clipping wings on a plucking bird.

Soy and corn along with hemp makes birds horney sometimes. They also say it can cause itchy.

Give a good diet with plenty of fresh food. Do not give warm food, make sure it is cool, again having to do with homones.

FS lighting, glass takes out the UVA and UVB rays.

Some believe changing routine, don't do the same thing everyday, mix it up. Others will say routine is the way to go.

Let's face it, what works for one may not work for another, if there was on thing fix, we would not see plucked birds. Even if you fix what started the plucking, it could have become a habit, habits are really hard to stop, like nail chewing, over eating, smoking. Get it to stop and something can start it right up again.

Wish you the best of luck. Know it is not an easy thing to deal with. Molly, Goffin's cockatoo, was/is a plucker, keeps me on my toes all the time.
Jane

[mont]

Hi Jane,

Many thanks.

I agree with everything you wrote.

I'm trying to do all that... I can tell you that Johnny is getting happier and happier every day.
I know that it will be a tough job but I think I can have some success. At least I'm trying so is Johnny.

Kiss

Miguel

P.S. "Jacinto" is a Portuguese name...

[janejacinto]

Yes, I have heard that Jacinto is a Portuguese name, Mexican also.
Jane