Still chewing her feathers :(

So we have had Zoey for just over a week now and we are already seeing a great improvement with her. She loves being out of her cage, especially when I am getting ready in the bedroom. She loves to run around on the floor and climb up the chest of drawers. Contrary to what her last owner said, she does talk. She is saying "hi, hello, step up, good girl" and some other mumbles which I can't quite make out. She is now fully converted to Harrison's and appears to love it.

The only thing that worries me, she is still chewing her feathers. I have been giving her daily baths/showers, she hates them both. I have tried a mist spray, a bowl of water and even taken her in the shower with me. During all of them she appears terrified.Has anyone tried any of the anti-plucking shampoo's or drops? I know it is still early days but I am worried that she is doing it out of habit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

To many showers can dry the skin out and make it worst. I would cut back on that. Try Aloe juice that really helps, also lots and lots of preening toys. She can drink the aloe juice also can spray her with it but it seems to really work if they drink it. Good luck!

I've heard of a bitter apple type product for birds. It might help.

not tried any shampoos with my nut, when we got her she was a feather chewer, then she molted, an when she came in season again, she started to chew her new feathers! grrr again!

but on the plus side, comparing pics of her when we 1st got her and now, 1 year on, she has chewed less, so that is a bonus in my eyes

as for bathing the nut, its about once a wk with a spray if she does not take the incentive to bath herself

nuts fav time is my bath time, she never gets wet, but enjoys a warm drink of bath water! she was terrified of the shower, and was for a while, but now she hops onto my head and as long as i don't move so she gets wet, she'll take a drink that way

ignore all chewing, and do not blame yourself, as when you go through the what if's it is very tiring, an year in with nut, and she is settled and i do not encourage any mating behaviours, no matter how cute they are

I don't have much experience with plucking, but my new Grey started doing it in her previous home when her owners were gone a lot to help the woman's mother in another state. That was actually the reason they knew the birds were unhappy with their absences. She hasn't been doing it here (yet) and even has downy feathers now coming in in the plucked area. In her case though it is probably phobic, worrying Grey behavior. Hopefully she won't do it anymore now that she has someone with her almost all the time.

But, birds can pluck for a lot of reasons. You may or may not be able to figure out why, or be able to stop them from doing it. And it seems with some birds once it becomes a habit they need to keep doing it.

Hopefully you will find that in her new home, she is happy, gets settled in and stops the behavior.

Yes, daily showers are too much. I'd say 1-2 a week are good.

Thank you for the replies, I will cut back on her baths to just a couple of times a week. Feels like I am being a paranoid new mum again lol. She also appears to molting, so maybe that isn't helping with her feathers. I am so pleased we got her, she is such an amazing bird.

Icarus is a chewer. When I got him he looked like a fledgling, all poofy gray down except his green head, tail, and a few primaries. The worst was when he'd finally molted and grew back all his feathers... and then I took him to the vet and he chewed nearly every last new feather off in the 20 minute car ride.
I've got him on a good diet of pellets with supplemental fresh food, he has toys and interaction and 2 budgies to talk with and baths, and one stressful day put us back at square one. So basically, you do the best you can with them and don't blame yourself if they're never 100%.

I am considering trying a flight suit or one of those little vests that would physically prevent him from chewing his feathers, though. I've heard it's worked for some birds- as in not resuming chewing/plucking after taking off the suit. But this would be kind of a last resort. I don't have anything useful to add otherwise, unfortunately.