Umbrella Cockatoo plucking down feathers only

[bannas4birds]

Hi,
I have a umbrella cockatoo named Chopper. By the way Im new here and think this is a great place for us birdy people. Anyway about a month and a half ago Chopper started pluucking out his down feathers only. He did this for a few days and then for some reason dug a hole in his back! It was nasty I had to take him to the vet to which they had me give him antibiotics along with suturing up the wound. Chopper had to wear a collar for about three weeks. I did take the collar off after that time and of course he went on a preening benge as he had a whole bunch of new feathers ....By the way the wound healed perfectly...After taking the collar off the first couple of days he did real well he would just preen the down feathers normally until they were all nice and fluffy. A few days later I noticed he started pulling the down feathers out again that brings us up to where we are now. He has not self mutilated as of yet but Im scared that he may start that over again. By the way they had me give him the Haloperidol to help keep him calm. After he started plucking again I started up the Haloperidol again hoping that would help. Heres what the vet did, he did a xray to make sure chopper hasnt swallowed and metal or anything like that, that came back clean by the way.
By the way Chopper is spoiled I do have a Bluefronted Amazon male. Chopper is a male. He has a big cage with lots of toys...I moved him to the big cage before he started plucking......I dont think this is the reason why as he was ok for a few weeks in the new cage...I have not put the collar back on him yet as it breaks my heart to see him struggle with it although it was down to a matter of life and death before so of cousre I put the collar on him....What can I do and why is he only plucking the down feathers?? Im pretty sure he is just turnning 6..........I heard that its mateing season for them now and that there back is there erogenous zone. I was petting him on the back however I stopped right away when I heard that.....I love this bird to pieces and I will do whatever it takes to get him better. I cant have him where a collar for the rest of his life..........No vet has done blood tests yet should I do that next?
Thank you PHil

[Cindy215]

Yes I would do the bloodwork. Calcium deficiency is common in feather destructive behavior. I'd also really watch the diet I assume the vet reviewed all that with you?

Did you happen to just start using an Ionizer air purifier? This has happened before with instant plucking after ionizers or ozone.

How about a humidifier? Could be a moldy humidifier, or the humidity in the house could be way too low. Lately here it's 25% and I use a humidifier to make it about 50%.

I would only use distilled water for drinking, cooking or bathing too.

Did your vet offer probiotics to go with the antibiotics? They get yeast like humans do on antibiotics.

It is not breeding season in the Northern Hemisphere so if he's exhibiting breeding behavior it's a hormonal imbalance. If you are exposing him to too long a day like in the summer then you definitely have to change that.

Follow a strict natural daylight schedule including dawn and dusk. NO artificial lighting after about 3 pm he should be going to sleep in a dark QUIET room about 5:30 this time of year after sitting in the dusk winding down. Same with waking up at dawn no artificial lights.

They have a sensor in the brain (pituitary gland) that is totally driven by light and they have thin skin up there. So that sensor tells the body what "season" it is. He needs to be doing whatever it's doing outside at all times of year. If you work you can simulate with a dimmer on a lamp placed on the floor dim the light simulating dusk for 15-30 minutes religiously every single day when he is already in his cage in place for sleep. He'll get used to the signal and you'll hear beak grinding.

Regarding lighting I'd provide full spectrum lighting. Theres alot here on that. Use a hanging shop light, ELECTRONIC not magnetic ballast. With the reflectors. Available at Home Depot ONLINE not the stores. 2-4 ft. away from him. I prefer 4 feet. You cant use a dimmer with florescent. Shut them off by 3 pm. You can hang from swag hooks in the ceiling found in the ceiling fan and chandelier dept of Home Depot.

Put two PHillips tube florescent lights in it. CRI >93 Kelvin 5000. The number is F32T8/TL/950 PHILIPS
F32T8/950 (F32T8/TL950) PH 32W T8 48" 209056 PHILIPS 5000K LAMP 98 CRI

Feather destructive behavior is very tricky. You need to rule out health first, then environment, the lighting , diet, sleep and water.

If it started after a new cage I'd be wondering. Did you change the location of that new cage? Sometimes it's JUST cage location that triggers it.

Poor guy, hope he's feeling better soon. In case he IS hormonal dont allow any hanging out in dark places, not even behind pillows etc, and no petting his beak, feet, back or butt.

[kensbuns]

And after all of they he may still pluck!

[Monica]

Don't mean to butt in... however this is Kimbears forum.... it would be nice if she could be the first (or sole) replier in this forum... please try to refrain from posting here. You can however PM the person privately or otherwise...

[KimBear]

My concern is that there weren't enough diagnostic tests done when you first went in. Being put on antibiotics was most likely necessary for the skin wound, but why blood tests,skin scrapings and fecal checks were't done in the first place, I don't understand. And to automatically put a bird on Haldol without a full round of diagnostics (just an x-ray isn't enough) seems premature.

On my website, www.kimbear.com, under the "articles" link, there are some articles about feather picking, all of which were written by vets. These articles lay out just how complicated it can be to make a proper diagnosis, since feather destructive problems can have many causes: Infections, allergies, toxins, hormonal factors and so on.

Any of these can stress the bird and make the problem worse, but of course you can't rule out some sort of stress being the primary factor, either. Something obvious like a change in circumstances or routine can be the culprit, but don't underestimate something more subtle and slow-developing. Boredom, for example, is something most owners assume isn't a problem because they see the bird's cage is full of toys and they feel that they're spending plenty of quality time with the parrot. However, when you look at life from the bird's perspective, you may see that he may need more physical exercise and mental stimulation. Environmental enrichment through activities like foraging opportunities and trick training can help fill those "empty" spaces in the bird's routine.

If you haven't already, talk to your vet about what more tests could be done to try to rule out a physical issue, and then hit the best bird toy store or website you can find. Look for toys that will challenge your bird's instincts to hunt for food, and also for things you can do together. Rotate the toys often, every day if needed.

And watch your parrot closely to see if he will interupt normal activity to pick at himself. That may be a helpful clue to give to your vet.