moluccan rescue

Hello! I just adopted a moluccan cockatoo yesterday. She was surrendered to a rescue for a small fee when the owner had a stroke. The bird named muffin was being kept in a cage with two cockatiels, no toys, and being fed wild bird seed consisting of mostly of sunflower seed. The cages had no poop trays as they had rotten and rusted away from improper cleaning. The bird itself probably never had a bath since this lady owned her. She plucked her chest and legs and inside of her wings. I do believe the owner showed her love. Before living with this elderly lady for the past two to three years she grew up in a grooming shop and was in perfect feather. When the shop closed down it found a new home. I really have stayed away from the moluccans. Because they are so loud but her story touched me and I really felt I could help her. I also own my own grooming shop and felt like maybe it would help her adjust if she was back to surroundings she is familiar with. She is extremely sweet! I have a large cage ordered and in her temp cage she has tons of toys for foraging, shredding and preening. I put her on a pelleted diet and she is acting like she hasn't eaten in years. She won't touch the fruits or nuts yet but I am happy she is eating the pellets. I trimmed her nails....the quicks are so long and her nails are still so sharp. She has had a bath and hasn't seem to pluck anymore yet. She is a doll baby! I do hope she can grow her feathers back...she just shakes when I take her outside in the sun and seems to chill easily. Any suggestions anyone might have? She has been dancing and whistling(she sounds like a parakeet and cockatiel a lot) and talking. Some mild screaming but nothing intolerable. Anyone rescue a baby like this with any success? Did the feather grow back? How long did it take? Even if they don't I love her no matter what but I want to give 100% towards her recovery!!

Welcome to the forum and welcome home Muffin! What a sweetheart she looks like I've never had a Moluccan but you get what you give with an animal like this. If you give her the right diet, a nice home, toys and most importantly, love, I think she will turn around. It may take time and patience, but it will happen. They do make "sweaters" and special ruffle, fleece collars for pluckers. You may even be able to find someone to make her a custom sweater if she's chilled all the time and make her a stylish little fleece collar (so much nicer for a bird than a plastic e-collar). These are just some exmples- http://www.diapersforbirds.com/images/photoalbum/product-130-alt.jpg
http://www.thesockbuddy.com/images/parrot with picker sweater39.99.GIF
http://www.parrotresourcecentre.ca/uploads/1/1/9/5/11953069/2201933.jpg
Best of luck with her!

Thank you!!! I thought people just made those sweaters.....I wonder if she would leave it alone.
Watch "Muffin 1" on YouTube
Muffin 1: [ame=http://youtu.be/H8cDC_kax7E]Muffin 1 - YouTube[/ame]


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Awww.... Muffin has a British accent What a doll!

If you're able to, of course you can always make her one, just a lot of people can't sew or do "crafts like that The whole point is to keep her distracted from pulling her feathers and teach her to chew other things (like the fabric), so chewing it is part of how it helps. Better to chew up a sweater or collar than feathers.

Sounds like she's found a great home

What happened to the cockatiels she was housed with?

What a sweet heart, Im so happy you got her, with love and care the feathers will hopefully grow back. Good for you, you saved that bird. Shes adorable.

She's so sweet! She's doing the same kind of plucking as my Alice... Does she wear a harness outside?

She is clipped and even if she hadn't been, she has chewed the inside of her wings so badly I doubt she could fly. I wish I had a flight cage....I really think her moving around constantly or trying to fly eventually would help her recovery immensely. Moonlight did Alice ever grow her feathers back?

The cockatiels are about 15 to 20 years old and was found their own cage and rehomed. There was also some parakeets who were placed out and a yellow shouldered amazon named bones who has yet to find a home. He is slightly cage aggressive but is sweet and talks a lot. Yesterday they posted a pic of him being petted inside his cage. So he is coming around also.

I recued Alice too, she's 9 years old and it seems that she has been plucking for over a year now... I have had her for over 5 months and there isn't much improvment

Sometimes she has more duvet and we think she's going to grow feathers but it looks like she keeps plucking because the duvet disappears and come back all the time... She's not clipped and she can fly even with the plucking damage though... We are thinking about getting her a little sweather for the winter But we find her beautifull anyway... She's our baby!

Awe how sweet of you to rescue her. It takes a big heart! I think that at one time in their life they didn't have this neurotic behavior and hopefully we can help them overcome it. I see a lot of stuff out there to runs plucking and wonder if it actually works. She will spend a lot of time out of her cage and I can keep a close eye on her. I got a email last night that her huge corner cage has shipped! I am so excited!!! Soon she will have a 1/4 of a room to play in. I know that doesn't sound big when the sky should be her living room but it is tons better than a cockatiels cage.

Muffin is adorable. Bless you for saving her.

Awww...she's beautiful! Glad she found you!

She is a lovely bird, so good of you to help her! I'm impressed she doesn't seem to have that defeated look some rescue but have. I think she'll turn around really well for you I also my galah cockatoo, took a long time but getting a bird healthy and happy is the most amazing thing!

You are a wonderful person to save Muffin. Sometimes I find it disheartening that so many birds need our help. It's made me lose my faith in humanity.