hmm...is Sassy plucking?!

KatherineI said:

I've noticed that Sugar grooms... A LOT, but never noticed any plucking behavior. She does have a completely bald spot on her chest, that her other feathers cover up. It doesn't look to be a plucked spot, it looks like feathers never grew there in the first place, it's that bald. Is that a description of the patch above where she looks to have been plucking? I didn't notice it until after our vet visit.

I hear some birds just over preen. I hope maybe with a diet improvement, Sassy stops plucking for you.

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MikeyTN said:

Both of my toos barber their feathers instead of plucking. Both came to me that way, Dixie used to be a plucker but she only barbers mainly her crown now. There's a small bald spot at the top of her chest, I guess it's from where she used to pluck so badly that it's not coming back. She's doing a lot better then when I first got her. Java barbers his chest as well, but from what I was told he's probably going through a nicotine withdraw since the previous momma smokes around him for the past 7 years. It seems to be helping with all the wood toys I've given him to shred. Since he hates the shower, misting seems to be doing it's job on making him look good.

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Mare Miller said:

My newest addition, Sassy, a goffins 'too, came here with a bit of a plucking problem on her chest only. Compared to some photos I've seen of plucking, she isn't bad. The previous owner said that she does it a bit in the springtime. She came to me 10 days ago and I noticed yesterday that she was grooming herself, a LOT! This is the first time I've noticed this, almost obsessive, behavior. I also saw a lot of downy feathers coming off her. Amigo will groom and lose some of those so I was thinking that, because I've been misting her a couple times a day, she's just getting cleaned out.

She's acting normal today but I noticed a small patch, about the size of a nickel, gone from her chest. Above where her other bald patch is. I know not to make a big deal of it, with her, but still concerned. Is this how pluckers behave? Just once in a while decide to take a day off to pluck?

The vet gave her a clean bill of health, just said that she was awful dirty and needed to be on a better diet. We are working on that.

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mrob said:

If I need to go away my eccie goes to the birdsitter. It just me and him here (husband works away) and I get him out at least 3 times a week to so******e but we have a very strong bond, which is awesome.
Problem is, every time I leave him, he plucks out every single one of his tail feathers.
oh the guilt.........

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Copperarabian said:

Rosie also has the bald area on her chest, her's in her crop. I wasn't too worried since she doesn't pluck anywhere but under wings and back, and she's getting slightly better about her back.

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greycloud said:

Mare Miller barbering is when a bird chews on their feathers but do not pull them. The feathers look moth eaten so to speak.
It is completely normal and especially noticeable on cockatoos to have no feather growth on each side of the keel bone(sternum, chest bone). If you blow on their chest or they get wet you will see the bald areas that the overlapping feathers cover.
Plucking under the wings many times is caused by Giardia a parasite and needs vet attention.
MM if your vet did not due a skin scraping to test for yeast, bacteria or Giardia I recommend you get that done. Otherwise, since she came to you dirty and you have been misting frequently she could very well just be cleaning herself better. Keep an eye out for patch of skin that shows, especially if outside feathers are plucked and downies are just left. You may want to add aloe gel to the water at a 50/50 ration and spray her with that. Also offering chamomile tea to drink will help calm her down.

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