Help with feather plucking

I've had my lorikeet Jack for about 6 months ago, before I rescued him he had developed a feather plucking habit. He doesn't pluck until he's bald just ruins his feathers. They either haven't grown back or he gets to them before i notice. I have tried everything available to me to try get him to stop. Unfortunately in Wellington, NZ there are no avian specialists to help me. Im relying on what i watch on youtube, read and research. However i don't seem to be successful. Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas, recommendations? I don't know what else to do for him

I've added a photo for reference.

Having never had a plucker I’m sorry I can’t be much help. Mind you plucking is definitely one of the hardest habits to break and sometimes even the most experienced bird people are completely flummoxed as to why oh why oh WHY does their bird pluck! Jack looks more like an over-preener or feather barberer than a plucker. Other than distracting him from plucking and providing plenty of toys or enrichment to occupy him, which I’m sure you already do, I would be every bit as much at a loss too!

He’s still a handsome fella though

I’m sorry to hear your gorgeous boy is having feather issues. You mentioned Jack was a rescue and had started yanking feathers before you adopted him. It’s common for parrots to resort to plucking during stressful times in their lives. Thank you for posting the photo, I agree with the above, this appears to be barbering rather than plucking at this point and it doesn’t look like he’s a habitual or long-term plucker. Hopefully, once he’s comfortable and feels safe in his new environment this behavior will fade completely. It would be ideal if you could find an avian specialist to do bloodwork for Jack and help you pinpoint possible underlying health conditions that may be the cause of the over preening. If you can’t find qualified avian vet, I understand, I know how frustrating that can be. There is such a wide variety of possible causes for plucking it’s impossible to guess, research is amazing but far from an exact science and be prepared when sifting through the internet to find glaring contradictions, differing opinions and flat out falsehoods. The first member of my flock was going through an awful episode of her life when I rescued her, she introduced me to everything I learned about plucking, I shared it on the forum in the form of a sticky, hopefully you can find something useful to help Jack. I wish you well, please keep us informed of Jack’s progress.

http://www.parrotforums.com/behavioral/52217-plucking-search-answers.html

I apologize-- this is so disorganized and filled with one million questions!! I typed it as I thought of things, so it is all over the place:

My bird (U2) came to me with a feather barbering issue and it isn't completely gone, but it has improved SLOWLY (with lots of anxiety and experimentation for me along the way).

When does he do it most often? Do you notice any patterns?

Do you have any boxes, huts, tents, low ledges or shadowy spaces in or around the cage? If so, remove them---same with blankets, pillows, bedding, piles of paper or clothing etc. Sometimes sexually frustrated birds will pluck, so you want to minimize all hormonal triggers. When you pet him, you should only ever pet on the head and neck---other areas=sexual.

It is probably a hard transition for him because any change generally causes stress...Did he have the habit before you brought him home and if so, for how long? It can become almost like an addiction for them.
Have you noticed it getting and better or worse since he moved in with you?

What does he eat daily?

Have you had blood work done? I know there are no specialists nearby, but this is something that might be worth a trip.
At the very least, a CBC and vitamin panel should be conducted. Internal pain, and some vitamin deficiencies or over-doses can trigger plucking--especially because they can cause skin to itch. You do not want to mess with supplements without veterinary support because it is easy to overdo it and hurt their organs. Similarly, too few vitamins can have similarly detrimental impacts on their quality of life.

Are you certain that he is plucking? If he just chews them off, that is barbering and that is less severe (although it can lead to plucking). If you never have actively seen him do either, then they could be falling out...But, based on the situation, I would say plucking/barbering sounds more likely.

Make sure you are using 0 scented or chemical products in your home. Cleaning products (non natural), oil burners, smoke of any kind, vaping, potpourri, carpet spray, insect repellent, candles of any sort, fabreeze, perfume, lotions, deodorants, many essential oils, hair-sprays, Teflon/PTFE/PFOA (deadly) etc can all cause respiratory problems and skin irritation.
If you vape or smoke, make sure that you do it outside and when you come in, you need to wash your hands VERY thoroughly, as the nicotine can get on their feathers and cause issues. Chemicals on your skin can be absorbed by the bird's feet or cling to feathers.

Have you checked the humidity in your home?
It varies by species, but generally, you want it as high as you can get it without providing an environment for mold growth.

Is is getting 12 hours of uninterrupted, dark sleep nightly and is he on a consistent bedtime / wake-up routine and do you cover the cage at night?

How much sunlight does he get daily? Too much can cause hormonal issues, and too little can cause issues as well.

Does he play with toys?

How much time does he get out of the cage each day?

Do you ever bathe him and if so, how? How frequently does he bathe (if ever)?

If you run blood-work, eliminate all hormonal triggers, give him at least 3-4 hours out of his cage daily, ensure 12 hours of sleep, and pay close attention to the chemicals in your home --BUT the behavior continues, you could ask the vet about putting him on a low-dose of something like doxypin (to help with OCD/anxiety)--I HAVE NO IDEA if lorikeets can take that specific drug- it was just an example of an OCD/anxiety drug that some birds do take. Make sure you are speaking to an avian vet if you take this route, and do not do so until you have tried everything else (for a few weeks etc).

Hi All,

Thanks for all your advice, we are unfortunately still having trouble with Jack. His feathers are looking pretty bad and I just don't know what else to do for him. He isn't tame so I can't really do much with him which puts me at a loss. We believe him to be around two years old and I'm told this is around where they reach sexual maturity? Am i right to think this can make him frustrate and over preen? When we let him out of the cage, he only has interest in mating with the banket we use to cover his cage at night. Please help! Is it worth investing in once of thise protective ponchos? Or will that make him more frustrated?

Jeepers I’m sorry you’re still having issues with Jack. I would think a collar would only frustrate him even more! Unfortunately once they get a notion in that brain of theirs it’s pretty darned hard to distract ‘em. My Lilly is a bundle of raging hormones right now too and even though she’s only tiny WOW can she bite hard when she doesn’t get her own way. Your situation is that much more complicated since you say Jack isn’t tame.

If you’re able to get professional advice from an avian vet that’s going to be your best bet. We did once have a male purple crowned lorikeet (he’s the one whose picture appears as my avatar) who would shag pretty much anything but again, much smaller bird so we would kinda just let him carry on...

Sorry I can’t be any more help but I feel your pain!

Just had another thought - if you don’t have a bird get near you, some clinics offer phone consultations, our local one here in Brisbane does. I hope you can find a solution for Jack!

If blankets are causing mating behavior, I would invest in a sleep cage and blackout curtains and allow him to sleep uncovered in another room (if possible).