My plucking grey..HELP!!!

[peteygrey]

My AfricanGrey is plucking, what should I do?? I've tried new toys, better bitter spray, vitamins, and special food. Is there a shield for her neck I could put on her to break the habit? I can't find one anywhere. They make them for dogs. Has anyone seen one? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[Lynjupiter]

I think right now the best thing you could do is get your bird a vet check.
Plucking can be caused by disease like Giardia, allergies, also mites and skin conditions. It is best to have the vet take stool samples, skin scrapings amd blood tests to rule out any physical problem .

Lynda

[Monica]

I agree, try to find if anything in her environment has changed (as simple as her food or water or something in the room), if you have changed anything yourself, and a trip to an avian vet to rule out illnesses. Make sure she gets daily sunshine as well (not through glass or screen), or proper indoor lighting.

You may have to take her outside, or set up an extra cage outside for her, if you don't build an aviary instead. If there are no medical reasons for her plucking, and you can't find any reasons inside of your house, then you should try having her outisde for 3 or so hours a day. Parrots usually never pluck when they are allowed outside for some time.

(Now where is Joel??? He should be around here somewhere to talk about the lighting!)

[peteygrey]

Petey gets lots of attention. We'll try daily bathing. We moved when she was 5 months old, and she began plucking soon after. She is almost 10 months now. We'll take her to the vet. She loves peanuts, fruits and vegtables. She also likes pastas, bread, yogurt, etc. Emotionally and Physically she seems normal compared to the 2 other african greys we've known, only she has plucked herself bald...

[The Outlaw]

I am currently restoring a very plucked grey. She hasn't pulled any feathers in weeks and was only full of down when she arrived about a month ago. If your bird is on ANY pellets, please remove them from the diet NOW. This bird was on Harrisons for 3 years. Unless you have an outdoor aviary or flight, the bird probably hasn't received the proper lighting necessary to absorb vitamins.

Also, you may want to try covering half of the cage. Some birds get stressed and need to feel the have a safe place to hide. I have a 4 year old Ekkie that started plucking about 3 weeks ago. I have had to take her outside for most of the daylight hours. She NEVER plucks outside, but pulls feathers as soon as I return her. Today, I switched her cage with my Severe's.

You may want to go to the Dr. Fosters Smith website and take a look at cream of red palm fruit. It has been shown to be effective in some plucking cases, mostly African greys. I have opened my first can today. Its nasty and I'm offering it to my Ekkie. The grey seems fine without it.

Frankly, I doubt that your bird has anything systemic wrong with it. If its 3 or older, its more likely hormonal or stress related. You MUST intervene early, however, for it can become a habit very, very quickly. As for the Elizabethan collar, I don't recommend them. Usually, the birds simply pull all of the feathers they can reach as soon as its removed.

THE OUTLAW

[cathy]

Hi:
I was just wondering why the Outlaw said to take your bird off pellets right away.I have found just the opposite,that getting them on a good diet which also includes pellets is benificial.I have also seen birds that pluck wearing a collar to prevent the plucking .It may stop the bird from reaching some spots but where the birds can reach he sometimes then starts to mutilate which is an even bigger problem.
If it is from hormones he might just pluck in the spring and then be fine .I do agree that it is probably more from the move than anything.Hopefully he will get used to the new place and stop plucking.Good Luck!

[Monica]

Some of the larger birds are on an all pellet diet, or a pellet diet with fruits, veggies, and other fresh foods daily. Land Of Vos has seen that if birds are on a pellet diet, they usually have bad reactions, and when switched over to seeds, and fresh foods, the birds are much better. Some of the larger birds are reacting badly to being fed pellets, though when on a 100% natural (or as close to natural) diet they don't tend to have these problems.

Yes, you would want to get the bird on a completely healthy diet, however, sometimes going the way of the pellets (or to say pellets included) is not the best way to go about a healthier diet...

[The Outlaw]

The problem with all pelleted diets is twofold: they are SUPPOSED to be complete. That having been said, if you add any vitamins and supplement with fresh foods, then you can cause over vitaminization (sp). Too much iron, for example.

Also, I cannot stress enough the need for good UV lighting. Some vitamins cannot be properly absorbed without it. It seems to me that MOST birds I've personally come in contact with do fine on pellets for a few years. However, after that time, I see more and more feather issues developing. Harrisons has a good reputation in the pet industry for lack of chemicals that are KNOWN hazzards, but still, a pellet is pellet. Most birds require more.

The added stress of "growing up" and not being able to reproduce compounded with a lot of other issues that constantly plague captive birds can sometimes cause stress related issues to appear. Feather plucking is classic.

Why not try what I've suggested for one month. Surely, you should see some noted improvement by then. Go to www.landofvos.com and look around on that site. Though its geared for Ekkies, all birds will do well on the recommended diet. You will need to make sure that extra calcium is added to your birds diet for greys simply require more. You have nothing to lose. By switching this Congo to a totally fresh diet and giving her outside time, she has stopped plucking, totally. She is just now 3 years old.

THE OUTLAW

[cathy]

Hi:
That is why I love this site.I learn so much from all of you ,it is wonderful.You can read up on alot of these things but it is only the writers view and if you wonder why they said something that you don't understand you have no way of asking them why they say or think what they have written.I have had birds for 6 years and so much has changed even in that length of time about keeping birds happy and healthy.I guess that it is why it is so wonderful having them around,because it is always a challenge to keep up to date on whats new.
Thanks again for such a terrific site.

[angelbaybz69au]

Hi all,

I have a 5 year old tame male cockatiel that started plucking about 2 months ago, i couldnt work out why as nothing had changed. He would even do it while out of his cage.
I noticed that he wasnt just plucking them he was also playing with them ( like preening the plucked feathers) in his mouth after he'd plucked them.

I still couldnt work out why he was doin it til about 2 weeks ago when i had him out the cage he was singing to me and trying to give me kisses as he usually does, but then he jumped up on my hand and began trying to mate with my hand.
So i have come to the conclusion that he is sexually frustrated and have been told by a bird shop and a vet that there is pretty much nothing i can do as it is hormonal except to try bitter sprays to stop him plucking .....

Maybe this is your problem also???