Really bad plucking..among other things...

Ok, so I've posted in the intro forum but just a quick run down. We are currently bird sitting for about a month. We are watching a Nanday conure and blue quaker.

The conure is bald...super bad plucking! I've done some reading and I can name a number of things that should change. His cage is too small, his diet isn't ideal, he is pretty anxious.

Here is what I've noticed about his behaviors so far...he is super territorial of his cage. He will bite me if I try to take him out. My husband, however, can take him out. He steps right up for him. If my husband can get him out of his cage, then he is fine. He steps up for me as long as he is out of the cage. How do I go about getting him to stop biting me?

From the reading I've been doing, conures are inquisitive and playful...he is not. He's rather docile. He just sits, eats, and if he's not near food, he plucks. He was sitting on my shoulder and he just picked himself. He also has terrible balance and can not fly (I'm guessing because of a lack of feathers). I think that makes him super anxious since he doesn't have good control, he will panic if he feels unsteady.

We are currently looking for a larger cage and changing his diet. Is there a thread that will explain how to properly feed a conure. I've read a lot about fresh fruits and vegetables and seen what they can eat and can't. What do you all do for diets? We have a dog and cat who are fed prey model raw, I'd love to stay away from processed diets if that's possible.

I appreciate any insight anyone can provide!

Many companion birds are cage protective & like the one you're birdsitting, will be fine once out of the cage.....

The balance problem could be anything and/or caused by anything, but feathers and a bird's ability to use them for balance could well be a major factor with its balance.....as to larger cages & diet change, unless you are planning to end up owning this bird, a larger cage and your month's worth of a good diet may be a waste of time.....unless the owner does not continue the diet/feeding schedule you set up.....

Without a complete veterinary workup by a qualified veterinarian, there are almost too many reasons/options to offer any suggestions.....then, if you were lucky enough to chance on a possible cause, 30 days is nowhere near enough time to to try getting the bird back into good feathering.....

I'm not trying to discourage you, but diet change can be a rather long process with most birds.....good luck though.....

Thank you weco! We are super lucky that we have found ONE bird vet on Okinawa!! The English is limited (we had an accident with the quaker and he happened to be on call, THANKFULLY!) but he was more than willing to work with us. Depending upon our future here, we may keep the conure. Do you have any recommendations for literature or websites? Thank you for your time!

Hi Jackie, how is your quaker doing after his accident and vet visit?

Plucking is complicated, each bird is different, in some cases providing a larger cage, a better diet, foraging toys, training, attention, and companionship is enough to turn the situation around. It's always wise to start with a thorough exam and blood work up to rule out medical issues that could be the underlying cause. The vet can help you choose the best path to recovery. Even if you don't keep the conure permanently, you will be doing the bird a great service by addressing his plucking issues. Best of luck to you.

The quaker is doing well, thank you for asking!

You should definitely try to keep the Nanday if his owners aren't meeting the poor birds needs. There's no way you can keep a Nanday in a small cage. I keep my nanday in a large flight cage and he's out almost half the day. (He has to go in the cage while we are cooking, cleaning, gone, or sleeping). My nandays previous owners were only giving him seed so I'm working on getting him started on pellets and fresh food, fruits and veggies. If we are having cooked veggies for dinner I give Rio some unseasoned as well. He loves eating whatever your eating so maybe that could help you expand the nandays diet. Protein is also great for feather growth. Rio likes fully cooked chicken or turkey.

I need help. My conures name is lulu. I don't know what's going on but she is stripping the feathers on her wings. She is going through her first molt. She has an avian light gets an hour or two of attention at least every day and her friend tubby my other conure is fine. She has a vitamin and mineral supplement and is on a good pellet diet with fresh veggies and fruits at least 4 or 5 days a week. Can anyone tell me why she's stripping her wing feathers. Please!!

LULUnTUBBY said:

I need help. My conures name is lulu. I don't know what's going on but she is stripping the feathers on her wings. She is going through her first molt. She has an avian light gets an hour or two of attention at least every day and her friend tubby my other conure is fine. She has a vitamin and mineral supplement and is on a good pellet diet with fresh veggies and fruits at least 4 or 5 days a week. Can anyone tell me why she's stripping her wing feathers. Please!!

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How often does she bathe herself? She could be itchy and the only way to itch it is to remove the feather. Giving her more options to bathe may help if that's the problem.
Or could be any slight change in her environment that she is uncomfortable with and is trying to express to you by striping her feathers.
But in my opinion since it's her first molt then I would think it's the itching.

I am just wondering what is going to happen to the quaker? By the way I agree with Greencheekachick. Bathing is very important and once the bird gets used to it very enjoyable.

I've have an ecckie and he plucks. They tested him; Dr. said he's the healthiest bird he's ever seen. We travel often and the Dr. believes its him missing us. So he's now on prozac and some vitamin mix for his food.