Primer is chewing his feathers. Advice please!!

[smiler]

Any advice would be appreciated.

Primer began chewing his feathers today. His right chest feathers and some wing feathers are gone now. He has left the down. He's chewing, and not plucking.

For about a month now he has been going through a molt. His first molt. My gut feeling and heart are telling me that he is just fed up with those pin feathers bothering the heck out of him for so long now. I've been wetting him at least once a day in the shower, and twice a day (morning and afternoon) here lately because of the mass amounts of quills coming through his skin.

For those of you who do not already know the specs on Primer....
He's a CAG
1 year old now
Food: main pellet- Roudybush, with a little Zupreem natural and Zupreem fruit mixed in. A variety of fruits, vegetables, pastas, beans, different birdy breads. No peanuts... only rarely for a treat, but not since he's been molting.
Plenty of toys that get rotated on a regular basis.
He is out of his cage for a minimum of 4 hours a day.

About 3 weeks ago we brought home a baby cockatiel. He has been in a separate room though... and Primers routine hasen't been changed really.

He did most of his chewing today when we went out to dinner this evening. I think he just snapped because we weren't here, and his new pin feathers were just driving him crazy. I'm debating moving his cage into the family room where his tree stand is now... and moving his tree stand over. I think he's getting upset when he's moved into his cage (he also gets put in his cage when my daughter takes her afternoon nap, Primer usually takes a nap too) which is in the living room, and is more away from all the action. Should I avoid moving his cage? I think that he might be happier in the family room at all times... but I also don't want to upset him with a cage move either. **sigh**

I do have a 2 year old daughter and a 4 year old son, but they do not antaganize Primer, or bother him, pet him, touch his cage. They are only allowed to hand him a Nutriberry every now and then. Primer loves them, and sqweels and chimes in with my children.
My gut is telling me his feathers are just itching him like crazy and after a month... or more... of molting, he's just snapped. Tomorrow I'm going to get some aloe vera juice and a spray bottle and see if the juice/water mixture will help ease his itchyness. Has anyone used that Molt Ease stuff, or anything like it with the shark oil stuff?

I have also noticed that in the past month his play with his toys in his cage has diminished to almost not playing at all. Now on his tree stand he plays with whatever toys I interchange. This is why I'm debating moving his cage where his tree stand is, because he is seemingly more comfortable there than in his cage.

After thinking a bit too... his cage is currently not far from a big window. There's lace curtains in front of it... but perhaps it's bothering him, keeping him from playing with his toys in his cage?

My heart is aching for my baby! I'm trying not to draw attention to it, or let him sense my feelings, but I'm so worried! Please, any advice would be appreciated.

Thank-you all for any advice. I know that I don't post much, and I'm sorry for that, but it's truely nice to know that I have people to turn to when I'm in need of advice in regards to Primer.

[Monica]

Have you entertained the thought about going to a vet? There could be some imbalances within his body that may require a vet check to determine what is wrong.

You may want to move his cage to an area where he has 1-2 walls surrounding his cage... if he seems more comfortable in another room, move his cage in there and see how he does. If not very well, move him back.

Have you thought about reducing the amount of pellets (50% or less... maybe even 25%... if he's not eating that much to begin with, is it possible to feed him pellets every few days?) and feeding fresh sprouts and more fresh foods?

Do you have red palm oil??? African greys require more calcium and do benefit from vitamin A enriched diets. You may want to try feeding more calcium foods (including broccoli/spinach lightly steamed), vitamin A foods (such as carrots and sweet potatos), and even trying out some RPO if you don't have some already.

[smiler]

Monica,

Thank-you for such a quick answer! :-)

Just yet, I'm not entertaining the idea of a vet, simply because I fear that it might stress him out and make the problem worse. Especially since he's molting. But if it continues I will take him.

He does eat more of his pellets then his fresh foods. I have tried sprouts on him for several months, but he does not like them. I will attempt to cut back his pellets in exchange for more fresh, because he does favor his pellets.

No, I do not have red palm oil. I've seen it in the bird magazines (Dr. Foster's, etc.). Do most health food stores carry this? I'll have to call our local health store to find out.... Would this help to moisten his skin to help the quills come through easier if it is added to his diet? Right now Primer's neck looks like that guy Pinhead from that horror movie. His new feathers just look so painful coming through his skin.

I have given him flax seed oil a couple of times a week with his B,G, & P mix.

[Monica]

It's hard to say if health food stores would have it or not... normally it's a special order type of item, but it wouldn't hurt to ask! The RPO does indeed help improve feather and skin condition... people who report using RPO with their greys (and other birds) said they noticed shinier, healthier, even brighter colored feathers!

In the least, here's some info and links to where one could buy RPO off the internet...
Virgin Palm Oil - Tropical Traditions
CERTIFIED ORGANIC RED PALM OIL --- PURCHASE NOW

http://www.trustedpartner.com/docs/l...ultsAugust.pdf

Red Palm Oil - BirdBoard.Com
Red Palm Oil (thread one)
Red Palm Oil (thread two)

If you do a search here on the forum for "RPO" or "Red Palm Oil", you'll get even more results!

[kensbuns]

CAG's are known pluckers. My Cleo is a plucker and goes to all down alot. She will grow them back and then pluck again. Chewing, plucking is pretty much all the same. You need to vet first and then just live with it. Sorry that is what I have found works best with Cleo. She just likes to prow around in her undergarments

[rc766]

His diet sounds pretty great - made me hungry for breakfast myself! I would second all of Monica's suggestions, especially the red palm oil and the calcium. Harrison's Bird Foods makes 'Power Treats' that have the red palm oil in them, and my bird LOVES them. I think they keep her just a little extra shiny looking..... And, she'll do any trick or say any word for one of them (doesn't realize they are good for her). I only need to watch to not give her too many of them coz she'd eat the whole bag if I let her. My zon FREAKED out upon her first molt - she hated how the pin feathers felt and I ended up taking her to a vet, who put her under anesthesia to see if there was some wing problem because she was so upset. Flicking her wings, crying and whining - in her instance there wasn't a problem - each molt thereafter was easier until now she doesn't give it a second thought. The first one was awful. But it sure made me feel better just getting her officially checked out.

[smiler]

I just thought I would update you for the morning. When I wet Primer in the shower this morning, the areas where he's chewed are clearly where a new feather is coming in.

My poor, poor guy. I can live with him walking around in his down, but I don't want him to suffer any more during this molt!! I just want to put a big band-aid on him and kiss it away!

He is now on his tree stand and talking away happily. He doesn't touch his feathers when he's on his tree stand. As soon as my hubby wakes I believe we will be moving his cage.

[Monica]

Keep us updated! I hope you can figure out how to make him stop!

[smiler]

I ordered the RPO, moved his cage yesterday, have been spraying the aloe vera/water solution on his feathers when he starts to really bother his feathers, and have been using the Molt Ease once a day.

The cage move was a definate +. He is moving around and playing more than he has in weeks in his cage. The only time he is really in his cage is when we have to go somewhere, or when my daughter is napping (Primer usually takes a nap too at this time). Our family spend most of the time in the family room/kitchen area when we're here (which is most of the time since I'm a stay at home mom), but I didn't think that having his cage in an off room would bother him while we were gone... but, he's playing so much more now that we moved his cage to the family room, so obviously my assumptions were wrong about having his cage in an off room while we were gone somewhere.

I believe that he is eating too many pellets in his diet. If I had to guess the percentage, it would be that he's actually eating 80% pellets and 20% fresh and birdy breads. I'm thinking that when I'm offering his fresh foods I will pull his pellets for a while, because if he has the option, he usually prefers his pellets. Perhaps we'll see if he'll take his fresh foods more seriously if his pellets aren't there for a little bit while his fresh is out.

When I've noticed him messing with his feathers a lot I've been spraying him down with his aloe/water mixture. I spray him with love, not as a punishment... I talk to him while I do it. But, after he gets sprayed, it's like he shrugs his shoulders and says, ok momma, and goes to play with a toy. I haven't been spraying him towards the evening time though... I don't want him going night-night wet.

I still have noticed some feathers being chewed, but it's been about 5 today vs. a pile.

I hope that the RPO will help us out too. That was some good posts that you refered me to Monica. Thank-you!

That's the update for today.

[Monica]

Sounds like things are going better! Keep up with the spraying, and as for foods... well try feeding fresh foods first thing in the morning for about 2 hours. Take out and add in pellets. If you can, do the same around lunch and dinner.

BTW, here's a great site on the nutritional information on various foods!
NutritionData.com NutritionData's Nutrition Facts Calorie Counter

And you may also be interested in this book!
Amazon.com: The Healthy Bird Cookbook: A Lifesaving Nutritional Guide and Recipe Collection: Books: Robin Deutsch