African Grey Self Mutilation Issue !!!!!

Hello. I have joined this forum HOPING to chat with other owners who have experienced their parrot self mutilating.

This is our story.

Chee was about 9 months old when i got him/her last February from a reputable parrot store.

Everything was fine until August, when I left him with my parents (who he knows & likes) for a few weekends (visiting Chee on the weekends). On the third weekend, I noticed him on the bottom of the cage, pacing around looking frantic. He was fine until that 3rd weekend. He began chewing on his legs making them swollen and raw!! No feather plucking at all.

I took him HOME for good and quickly took him to a TOP AVIAN VET down in my area who placed a CONE COLLAR on him and gave me antibiotics and anti-inflamatory. Since August 2010, 4 attempts were made with removing the collar. The first 2 times, the mutilation on the legs started within a day or two. The vet told me that is was separation anxiety, hormones & something else causing it.

Chee has been home with me for almost a year as I WILL NOT leave him with anyone again!

Chee has been getting LUPRON injections every 1-to 3 months since. The longest he went without the collar was over 2 months before the biting on the legs began. Now, last month another attempt at removing the collar was made and he lasted 2 days only! I have spent hundreds on this problem already and would love some input from you and any SUCCESS stories.... I love CHEE to death and will deal with this, but feel sorry for him as he is restricted with collar. Please message me THANKS

I have no advice to offer you on this subject, but after reading it I felt I should still comment.

I think there are some great people on here, and I am sure you will get some good adivce. This sounds stressful for you and Chee. At least he has an owner that is willing to try their best to help him! I am glad you're not giving up on this guy. It sounds like he really needs you. Best of luck.

Thanks!!! I have spent several hours "googling" the issue and not much is known about self mutilation and or success rates! But would love to exchange stories with others.

No, i will not give up on him. He is very smart, friendly and loving, but just has this issue. He has lots of toys and foraging toys too and i spend lots of time with him after work.

I did a lot of research before buying him and knew what the commitment would be of owing a parrot.
Be well !

He sounds like a loving guy. I can tell you love him very much. Also regardless of his issues, if you have pictures, please share. We all love pictures here.

Yes will do. I have just joined and will figure out how to post a few pics!

It is very hard to watch your beloved parrot doing this. Take a look at this site.

FEATHER PICKING AND SELF-MUTILATION IN COMPANION BIRDS

Mutilation: Beyond Plucking

I found this to be interesting.

MikeyTN - I have seen that site VERY DISTURBING!!!!! Don't know what extent my CHEE would do to himself w/out the collar.
ABZEEZ - thanks I have printed that article out!!!!!!!!

I have been told that mostly Greys/Cockatoos have this problem mostly!!!!!!
Thanks all

Self Mutilation can be caused by many things... Just a couple questions:
What are the dimensions of his cage?
How long are you away from home daily?
How long does he spend time out of his cage daily?
What diet is he on?
Are there any other animals in the house?

Hello..... Ok here goes.

No other animals in the house! No kids either. He does like when my 3 nephews & friends visit.

Diet is pellets 70 %(Pretty Bird Species Specific for African grey and seed mix 15% (sunflower mixed with other seeds, corn).

Everyday I try to mix up a snack bowl of grapes, apple, beans, other veggies and also trick him into spinach, kale sometimes too lol... harrisons fruit mix balltreats, peanuts, tiny amounts of pizza, meat and crackers here and there as treats.

I work 10-5 mostly and the minute I come home, I let him out and he hangs out on the balcony of his cage or I let him walk around the apartment until he gets bored. I talk lots to him in the morning and after work...... and he cracks me up. Lots of time is spent on the weekends too.

I have even taught him 4 colors and he picks up each different color as instructed & drops it into an empty toilet paper holder -mock basketball... (when he cooperates) and a few other tricks.


His cage is placed in the living room across from my big tv and I leave cartoons on for him for 3 hours till 1 pm. Dont have the exact measurements but its big and it was recommended for african grey. You can kind of see the pics in my album.

I do and did lots of research on the IDEAL care and follow it the best I can !!!!!

Thanks for your questions........ hope we can find answers for me and others who have this problem !!!!!!!!!

have you tried uv light? or try placing cage in front of windows during the day (bird will get no benifit as the glass will cut out uv) its what i do with nut's cage every day and about tea time its pushed back against the wall, as her cage is way too big to stay there, but if its not there in the am she throws a complete fit, she just like it there, during the day

when weathers sunny i take nut out in her sleep cage, when i have a smoke
(the vets will not clip, near me, i was against clipping at the start, but with the summer weather and nut loving being outside, it would have been a good thing for her to be flightless to be able to enjoy being outside)

problem with birds is they can be very single minded, so when they get it in there heads to do something, they often will do it, till they can't no more

change cartoons to music perhaps as some cartoons are rather violent, there are some parrot dvd's you can get, nut will watch anything on screen with bird sounds!

your routine reads ok and chee sounds so well behaved compared to my nut, i cannot think of what else you can do other then with suggestions i've posted, as anything seems to set them off,
(nut had chewed nearly all her body feathers off leaving herself just fluffyish down, when she was hormonal, and bit everyone at a whim)
but with change of season, and her out of season, she has calmed the habit, but still has a little nibble on her new feathers grrr

lol do you eat with chee?? nut seems to love eating as a family all sat at the table, even when my man puts her into her sleep cage for a meal, cos she likes to inspect plates, and try using the cutlery, she gets all excited when she hears the call *teas ready

i am sure chee will grow outta this, and i understand how very stressfull it is for you, it got crazy at my house while nut was biting us and chewin off her feathers, we all went about as if on eggshells lol but we stuck to routine, of every day things, like the family dinners (we call tea) as that was the most constant thing, as both me an my partner work and son was at school, i work part time, but i wasn't the person nut wanted to be with, as she loves my man grrrr!

even bath times she liked to join us, though now she likes a spritz while on a shoulder, rather then us splashing her with bath water

^ ditto suebee I was just about to say the same thing!

ETA- My hubby wants to know if you have tried Aloe Vera juice? I get mine from the Asian market... but I'm sure they sell it in other stores too. Rub it on the areas where he's pecking. Similar to bitter spray; it has a horrible taste- the only difference is aloe is usually less expensive and it's excellent for their skin & feathers.

Good luck!