Adopting a plucker?

[Robinrae]

I am asking for opinions, personal experience,advice. I am interested in adopting an older male eclectus. I have a female that I feel would love to have a "mate". I am not interested in breeding. I have had contact with a breeder who has one who is slightly plucked and a rescue place that has one they rescued that is almost completely plucked! I am a real softy at heart and my first instinct is to adopt the naked bird. But I am not sure this is the best plan. Any of you with experience with this? What about the plucking? I have Ben keeping birds for about 20 years and have had good experiences with my birds as they have been rather well adjusted. Also both birds are younger than her one by about 7 yrs the other 11yrs. My bird is 18 yrs old I have had her since she was 3. Thanks for the input!

 

[Devann]

I just adopted a plucker a few weeks ago and she is the sweetest bird ever! Her plucking seems to have slowed down considerably with the extra attention and lots of new and interesting toys. I say go for it. Many people wouldn't adopt a plucker just because they aren't as "pretty". But I am so blessed to have Spot

 

[Robinrae]

It sounds like a pretty sad story. Apparently the previous owners let their dogs chase the bird around and made him wear a collar. Makes me want to cry.

 

[MonicaMc]

Well, what exactly are you asking?

Just because one bird plucks doesn't mean that the other bird will learn to pluck as well. That said, a plucker may over-preen a mate.


Have the birds been tested to rule out medical reasons for plucking? That would be the first thing needed to be done. If medical reasons are ruled out, then it would probably be ok, but you'll need to accept the fact that the bird may never appear "normal" again, especially if the feather follicles have been damaged to the point that the feathers will never grow back. It can also be rather difficult to get a plucker to stop plucking. It can become a habit like biting fingernails.


I've never dealt with pluckers before, but I do have a bit of experience with mutilators, although they had come to me that way. Both birds had medical issues, but I don't believe that the mutilation and medical issues were related in one bird, considering his past. Could be wrong though! In the other? The medical issue may or may not be related to the mutilation.

 

[sodakat]

I have 3 pluckers - Bella, Sully and Lolly. All 3 came to me as pluckers and had been doing it for some time. All 3 have areas where they cannot grow feathers, not even down. Lolly is completely naked everywhere except her head (duh -- she can't reach that), her tail and her primary feathers on her wings. She plucks her coverts. She also barbers her primaries a bit, along the sides so they will not carry her weight. She launches herself off things occasionally so I think she used to fly. I hope she can someday fly again, but I know she will never be feathered on her body.

I'm not interested in collars or vests or capes or any of that business. If the bird chewed on its skin I might think differently of course.

Both Bella and Sully do much less plucking now than they used to, although Sully plucks a bit around the back of his neck and shoulders during the winter.

I think its common for pluckers to stop for a bit when they first move to a new home. They often start up again. I've heard this from several people. It is a difficult habit to break when they've done it for years, especially if they use it to soothe themselves. A coping mechanism I mean.

My other Eclectus don't appear to notice that the plucker looks different, or if they do, they don't care.

I've not had one bird begin plucking with the introduction of the pluckers to the flock.

I try to bathe them very frequently and that does seem to help. But mostly I accept them for who they are.

Edit to add: Bella discovered pinecones and now keeps herself busy and does very little plucking. Sully only works on feathers seasonally now, and not under his wings or along his sides anymore, where he was very naked.

 

[BillsBirds]

I have a soft spot in my heart for pluckers. I've had several. One stopped, and never did it again, but I got him early in his plucking habit. The others slowed down. Distraction, bathing & showering often, lots of shredding & preening toys, a healthy diet, and plenty of attention, will help with plucking. And some birds never stop, no matter what.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

If I were to adopt a bird, I hope a plucker picks me so I can love her/him for the wonderful creature that s/he is. My Pritti is plucked clean on his belly and legs, but to me he looks perfect.

 

[94lt1]

I call Monte the plucked ultra chicken he's a 4 lbs macaw.. And he's bald now... From his belly to the top of his wings... I Love the bird... Lol.. He's problematic... Just like the rest of the family

 

[MikeyTN]

Dixie our Sulphur Crested used to be a bad plucker when we first adopted her. She only barbers her crown and some body feathers which is more tolerable then plucking. Java the U2 used to pluck his chest feathers and he's stopped doing that. Only Gracie the Eclectus plucks the worst as her body is naked. And she even plucked her mate JoJo's back of his head bald which I didn't like. But I couldn't separate them, JoJo gets very upset if he doesn't get to see her or be near her. I was forced to give them a nest box but she lays infertile eggs, she used to fall to the bottom of her cage at night when she sleeps and broken off all her tail feathers and when she busted the blood feathers and then some wing feathers from falling, I had to do something so the nest box was our solution as she grew them back nicely. My partner basically said we have to get her a nest box cause she's my partner's baby girl and neither one of us want her to get hurt from falling. And she is not a constant egg layer, she mainly just sleeps in there at night and out and about the cage throughout the day not even going in. So we're still trying different methods to get her to stop the plucking....

 

[Jtbirds]

Baby girl and Billie are my pluckers of the house. Baby girl is fully plucked and has nothing but head feathers and Billie is just a few spots she has let some grow in. Baby has let a lot of down come in and some nor al feathers but nothing like she should be. I love pluckers they hold a speacial spot in my heart. The plucking may never completely stop, but it can at least get better. I'd say yes go for it

 

[drlisaort]

My Cockatiel, (Orkie) was completely bald with the exception of his head. He lived until he was 23 years old. I used to call him my little old man. For sure he was just as lovable with and without feathers!

 

[Pinkbirdy]

I used to have a bird that plucked.I felt she was depessed [everything medical was ruled out] She wasnt intersested in toys at all .But she coulndnt resist those pinecones rolled in treats.Then I switched to regular pinecones.