Horrible Over Preening

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
Okay when got Erin her feathers were a bit ragged and edgey. I was told it was from fluttering around with the other birds and it would go back to normal. Well, it hasn't and is steadily getting worse. We've done everything. We switched her to pellets for a more nutritional diet, bought every different type of toy imaginable, even bought feathers she could preen (which she does, but still preens herself), we did medication (a $40 bottle gaurunteed to work, but didn't), bitter detterents (the water listerine mix and the store bought feather detterent, Fooey which tastes horrible and lasts for days), and we increased baths. We also spend more time with her (she gets more training and we have cuddle bug time every night too) and nothing works.

I'm thinking of getting a suit so she doesn't have access to her chest or back, but she over preens her legs and wings too, and I'm afraid she will preen them worse. Also was debating a collar, which will stop her, but I don't want to stress her and after a couple months of collar and we take it off I'm afraid she will go right back to it.

She's not stressed. She has grown to play with her toys (finally) and she loves to eat all day. She has a lot more time with us and we have her on a more nutritional diet. We've tried feather biting deterrents, tried medications, and extra baths. Her skin isn't dry and itchy. It just seems to be a habit. She will be in the middle of eating, training, cuddling or playing and will just randomly stop and preen.

It's gotten to the point where I can see lots of fluffy down feathers and she has "spikes" instead of feathers, because she over preens it to the point it looks like spikes, she leaves nothing but the feather's vein. Please help, I've tried everything but a collar. It's a habit I just can't break.:confused:
 

lizardsmells

New member
Dec 2, 2011
434
0
Eastern panhandle of WV
Parrots
Kazi - 13 yr old yellow nape amazon rescue
Have you tried switching to a wheat-free/corn-free pellet to see if it's a potential allergy?

I know some birds just never stop plucking. Kazi was nearly bald when he came here, he managed to stop long enough to grow all his feathers back, but he started plucking his neck and chest again :( I've just accepted that I may never have a perfectly feathered bird. That's ok.

Right now I've got him on Avi-Calm and Featheriffic to hopefully curb some of that. It seems to be calming him down at any rate.
 

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
Maybe get some bloods pulled . Could possibly be a difficiency of some sorts ?
 
OP
MaraWentz

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
She wasn't on pellets before- just good old dehydrated veggies, fruits and nuts, and she was over preening then, so not an allergy. We will be taking her to the vet in October (we just moved to PA and now we're moving to a more permanent residence, so we working on getting rents and security deposits squared away) when our finances are steady. We tried the vitamin powder prime, and after a week of taking it she got these red lines on her bare white patch, and after 3 days of withholding the vitamins it disappeared, so I think that added too much. However, she was skipping half the food and throwing it out (she likes it all, and spent an hour picking each individual piece out at the store, but then found favourites in the mix). So we were afraid the Prime provided too much so we switched to pellets, and that she eats and provides a good balance. DO you think a calcium or iron deficiency?
 

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
I really dont know , I wouldn't want to guess either.....
I would take her in and pull some bloods...it's the only thing you haven't tried and just maybe it's a deficiency of some kind....hopefully all it will take is the right meds and time to get her back to normal.
It's expensive , but it could get worse , so sooner is better then later IMO.
 

Conuregirl

New member
Jan 16, 2012
219
0
New Jersey
Parrots
Oliver the nanday conure (rescue), Suki the green cheek conure, Picabo the Hahn's Macaw, and Big Bird the dove
have you tried to reward the bird's correct behavior? reward her when she's playing, talking, sitting, and any other time other than preening? maybe it's possible to reinforce any other action besides preening

i had a bird that used to pluck her tailfeathers out. the avian vet didn't find anything wrong and said it is possibly a copied behavior. well, i changed her diet and it took a while to find the right mix. my bird got better and she now eats a pellet seed mix with bee pollen and cuttlebone powder. i didn't do anything else, the plucking has stopped. hope this helps.
 

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
Mara , could it be possible maybe because of you move and a new environment , schedule or a combination that could be causing her stress ?
Maybe too much training ? Idk, just trying to pinpoint something...
They are just so fragile , the littlest things can send them into a tizzy :/
Some birds can handle changes well some can't...I hate to think about if we sell
this place ! Ughhh
 
OP
MaraWentz

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
She gets a treat evrrytime I walk in or out the room if shes been behaving. And I doubt she is stressed. Shes traveled everywhere wiyh us and shows no indifference. The only times she gets streesed is over hawks or airplanes...
 

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
Good , check that off the possibilities .
 
OP
MaraWentz

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #10
I just have to wait til October to bring it up to the vet. I think it's just habit. She's so random with it, but not jerky or anxious about it, just calmly stops what she's doing and very gently takes her time.
 

Echo

New member
Dec 7, 2009
1,479
3
USA
Parrots
Green Cheek Conures, Crimson Conures, CAG, Pionus, Budgies, Goffin Cockatoo
I'm using the Sock Buddy for my Grey. Yes she destroyed the socks but I kept changing them. After about 4 months her feathers were all back, so I just tried to not put it on her for a few days at a time. When I saw her pluck, I told her she needs the sock on again and put it on. It's been 1 whole week with no sock and so far so good, if I see her pluck I show her the sock and ask her if she needs her sock LOL. She stops. I will have to put the sock back on i am sure as it is a habit that is hard to break. The Sock Buddy is helping in the way that she doesn't pluck as much and I'm hoping that maybe in time, she will stop all together. But maybe she will go through times of plucking where she will still need the Sock, but that's ok, the sock is soft and comfortable and she can climb and fly etc. so she can lead a normal life.....not like the collar :(

You should look into it, it's not expensive and it seems like the Sock is like a big hug, some actually like it....not mine, but she is smart and it's an incentive for her not to pluck if she doesn't want to wear it!! LOL
 
OP
MaraWentz

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #12
I just did a post for the tube collar which was great and didn't stress her out at all (except the first 60 seconds where she spun around and dramatically fell on her back in hopes I would take it off and when my hubby (who she always runs from) bent down to take it off her she got up really fast and just waddled away- what a faker). It worked great for the first 3 hours- she really can't preen anywhere.Great invention, but I refused to put it on tight like everything online said because it'd just be so uncomfortable to yell, talk, swallow, or stretch her neck. Plus if it was squeezing her neck it'd stress her. So because I did it a bit lose she decided she put her beak under it and bite it 1/2 way off (not viciously, but over the course of 3 hours), so I just cut it off. Great idea, not to uncomfty, not stressful, she could still fly, talk, drink, eat, etc, but I don't have the heart to tighten it. It's just cruel to have it so tight. The sock buddy wold work great, but it's not just her chest and back- it's her tail, wings, and ankles too. I'd need a full body sock buddy lol
 
Last edited:

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
Shame it didn't work out .
The reason for tightening it is so they cant get their beak or legs caught up in it and possiy strangle themselves .
You should design one if your good with a sewing machine.
If it works well you can patent it :)
 

Echo

New member
Dec 7, 2009
1,479
3
USA
Parrots
Green Cheek Conures, Crimson Conures, CAG, Pionus, Budgies, Goffin Cockatoo
The sock buddy wold work great, but it's not just her chest and back- it's her tail, wings, and ankles too. I'd need a full body sock buddy lol

Hmmm, good point :(. She would need leg warmers to go with them LOL ....Poor little thing.
 
OP
MaraWentz

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #15
She had a hard time getting her beak under it but any tighter it'd be pulling on her feathers and just be more stress than it's worth. And hahaha leg warmers
 

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
She had a hard time getting her beak under it but any tighter it'd be pulling on her feathers and just be more stress than it's worth. And hahaha leg warmers

Poor Erin .....:(
 
OP
MaraWentz

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #17
We will be getting to the vet October. The aloe is helping everywhere but her wings
 

luvmytooo

New member
Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
Parrots
*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
I'm using the Sock Buddy for my Grey. Yes she destroyed the socks but I kept changing them. After about 4 months her feathers were all back, so I just tried to not put it on her for a few days at a time. When I saw her pluck, I told her she needs the sock on again and put it on. It's been 1 whole week with no sock and so far so good, if I see her pluck I show her the sock and ask her if she needs her sock LOL. She stops. I will have to put the sock back on i am sure as it is a habit that is hard to break. The Sock Buddy is helping in the way that she doesn't pluck as much and I'm hoping that maybe in time, she will stop all together. But maybe she will go through times of plucking where she will still need the Sock, but that's ok, the sock is soft and comfortable and she can climb and fly etc. so she can lead a normal life.....not like the collar :(

You should look into it, it's not expensive and it seems like the Sock is like a big hug, some actually like it....not mine, but she is smart and it's an incentive for her not to pluck if she doesn't want to wear it!! LOL

I love how you ask her if she needs her sock , lololol.
That is hysterical !!
It's a shame she needs the sock in the first place , but seriously , that is so funny :). It's a great idea though .
 

Mare Miller

Banned
Banned
May 14, 2011
1,260
Media
2
3
sierra foothills of central California
Parrots
13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
When Sassy came to me, she was and still is, a bit scruffy from picking at her self. The previous owner said that she plucks herself in the spring, I brought her home in May of this year and boy 'o boy did she go through a heavy molt! I don't know if it was because of a more nutritious diet, or not. But through her molting time, she overly preened herself, feathers everywhere! She is now settling into her new feathers, looks WAY better than she did, but still, a bit scruffy.
 

Remy

New member
Jul 13, 2011
1,905
1
California
Parrots
Darcy (Golden-Collared Macaw), Puck (Caique - RIP)
Was she eating corn with her veggies on the previous diet? Some times animals/people have allergies to corn also, which is sometimes classified as a veggie. Have you tried eliminating all of the 8 most common allergens, to see if it helps? Just an idea.
 

Most Reactions

Top