need help with ideas

[dmdonna196334]

3 months ago we took in a mollucan cockatoo....he is and was a major feather picker ...
we have had him checked out by the vet and he is very healthy..now we are dealing with behavior......
the vets behavior specialist has been working with us on ideas to keep him busy......
we are using soft wood for perchases so he has things to chew..all of his toys are made of soft wood....
he seems to like wood over regular toys......we have everything you can imagine in and on his cage to keep him busy......
now i am running out of ideas, so if anyone has any advice or ideas.
would like to know what others do for there pickers so i can compare to what im doing..
its going to be a long road and he has become my new years resolution to get feathers back on him....
he has done so well since we have had him.....and i know its going to take alot of time which i have.......
all ideas are welcome.............thanks donna

[lcstorc]

IME it is really difficult to get a long term picker to stop picking. Once they get in the habit between habit and the itching of any newly grown feathers the best bet is to distract him as much as you can. Any time you see him start to pluck, try to distract him with something else whether it be a toy or even just your voice. When I talk to my birds they frequently stop whatever they are doing to look at me. Hopefully yours will do the same and therefore stop the picking when you talk to him. Lots of toys and lots of attention are your best bet to stop this behavior.
Just my 2c.
Peace
Lynn

[dmdonna196334]

thanks .i do know is alot of work and i have really enjoyed working with him....i have been learning alot about him and his behavior.and trying different things to see what works........
here is a picture of the progress we have made......
he was worse off then this when we got him.........thanks donna

[imported_David]

I can tell you one thing to do with a bird that has dry skin and is a feather plucker/chewer.
This has helped many people who have these types of birds

The first thing you should do is go to Walmart or any other large pharmacy and purchase an item called 100% ALOE VERA JUICE. It comes in one gallon jugs. The price is approx $8 to $10

Spraying and Misting with this Product

This is a special misting/ spraying method to use when a person has a difficult bird that doesn't take to water. This best applies to parrots that have waterproof feathers such as TOOs and greys
1---take the Aloe juice and fill a mister with it.

2--Squirting from a bottle is usually done when the bird is being bathed and absolutely refuses to open the wings and keeps them tight to the skin. Staying in front of the bird and squirting a jet stream of mixture from the mister in between the front of the wing and body allows the water or juice to get in and wet the area that's not exposed( the actual skin). Just like water,that too should be done close up and gently. Many times, that type of squirting causes the bird to slightly lift the wing from the body which makes life easier for you. Usually, when you're gonna give a bath, the bird isn't in the mood and tightens up the feathers so it's always good to know some little tricks in order to get him as wet as possible. As far as the rest of the body goes, the mixture should be just misted all over the bird (breast--wings, under and over--tail---neck) as you would do with water. The ideal time to do it is when your bird is already wet. It won't burn eyes, can't hurt if ingested and doesn't dry on the skin or feathers. Instead skin and feathers absorb it. The parrot should be left soaked and allowed to preen when it decides to which might even mean a couple of hours later. The juice sinks into the skin, makes it more supple, relives the itching and allows the parrot to give itself a productive preening. If the condition is serious, do it 3x a week. As the problem lessens, lessen the number of times you do it. The juice should be also be used on parrots that don't pluck. it should be used as part of the regular bathing regimen.
There are others here that use the product and swear by it. I've been using it for approx 15 years----Dave
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The item to the left is the juice which is what you should purchase. It must say 100% Pure

[dmdonna196334]

thanks dave,
for the information.we will go down and get him some aloe juice......
i sure appreciate the info..........donna

[imported_Birdiemom]

Hi Donna,

There is a great Website, Wellvet.com and they sell a suppliment for birds that pull it's a nutritional Suppliment, Healthy feather Regrow formula, I would try that. They also have other suppliments. I am currently working with Bach flower remedies with a Hahn's macaw that was recently given to me, but they are different from Toos', I have never even babysat a Too before.

Simon is letting down grow in now and has started to talk again, which apparently he had stopped just before he started to pull again. It is Simons 5th hoome in 14 years... and he is now home to stay.