Alexandrine Parakeet Losing Feathers

[Aakash]

I have a male alexandrine parakeet which is an about a year old. I got it for my mother as a birthday present. I feed him with pulses, grains, dry chilly, rice. He had very less feathers when he was small and then gradually new feathers were coming but after 3-4 month he stared losing his feathers. His tail also doesn't look very fine to me. He has habit of biting his claw and licking his feathers. I live in a town and there is no vet nearby. Please suggest me some easy means to cure him.

Also some parrot owners told me to make him bath with turmeric powder dissolved in water.

 

[kc_y0]

Hello, your parrot needs a new cage for starters. That cage is small and looks rusty, which can be deadly to the birds. He will also need lots of toys to keep him occupied which might stop him from pulling his feathers (If he is pulling them). I think his diet will need to be changed as well, others with alexanderine can advise on the diet. Where is the closest vet? Even though you dont have any vets in your town, you really need to get him to an avian vet, even if its a long drive. Some of us have to drive hours to get to our closest vets..

 

[Featheredsamurai]

This can be caused from several things,

His diet is dreadful, he should be on a diet of healthy pellets(even a seed diet would be better then what your feeding him and that gives birds organ failure) with fresh veggies, such as kale, broccoli, spinach, and squash.

The cage
Why doesn't he have perches! I don't want to sound mean but he needs somewhere to sit. Sitting on the problem is going to give him severe feet problems which may have already started.
The cage he is in is a poisonous cage, the rust can make him very sick. He actually doesn't look all that well, his feathers are discolored.

He has no toys and no perches and a diet that is going to the death of him, any bird would pluck in that situation.

The best thing you can do for this bird is buy a new cage(rust free and double in size with proper bar spacing so his head can't get stuck) get him proper perches, and either buy him pellets to eat, he'll need to be slowly weened onto them so he gets used to them as well as fed fresh veggies. He is also in desperate need of seeing a avian vet, if you can't afford to get him a new cage with perches and a better diet you need to consider finding him a new home with someone who will, or surrendering him to a parrot rescue.

I'm s sorry this sounds harsh but I want you to understand how bad this birds situation is, even if he's taken out and played with it's not enough

(I hope this isn't a troll post)
__________________

 

[lene1949]

Please look into diets, cages, and toys...

Alexandrines love to chew, they love to fly...

The cage needs to be replaced. It's rusty.... His diet needs to be improved... My alexandrine love fresh fruit and vegetables...

He also loves his natural perches and especially foot toys...

 

[Ian]

Hi Aakash,

I've just spent years in the middle east/Asia and I know that sometimes the people you buy birds from offer no support and you can start your bird ownership in completely the wrong way.

I'm glad you came to this website and asked the right questions.

You will need to spend quite a lot of money on your bird.

Immediately start feeding him fresh fruit and vegetables. They can be leftovers from food preparation, make sure they are washed and clean. No onions, avacado or salted foods.

The bird will love a small portion of whatever you eat...again make sure it isn't salted too much. Read up online about safe and unsafe foods for parrots.

You will also need to provide him with a basic seed diet which has been designed for parrots. DOn't let him have too many sunflower seeds and remove the monkey nuts from the mix.

Provide plenty of clean drinking water and offer him a shallow bowl to bathe in.

Go out immediately and get some branches from a PARROT SAFE tree for him to sit on and chew. You need to follow the internet instructions for checking the wood is safe for birds and then preparing it for the cage but it is free and Alexandrines LOVE to chew real branches. They are even better than toys.

You will need a new cage....and it will be quite expensive. The cages with thin bars are easily bent by alexandrines and they destroy wooden edged aivaries easily. I'm sorry there isn't an easy way around this but as the other posters have said the cage you have is dangerous for the bird.

It looks like the bird has also been 'clipped'. If that is true please make sure the person clipping knows what they are doing. Its is a very delicate procedure.

If you follow these actions your bird will eventually get his feathers and will sing and talk much more. Your Alexandrine is a very valuable little bird, you need to spend some money to keep him in top condition.

I hope this was helpful to you, please ask more questions, the people on here are very helpful and have lots of experience.

 

[BradGC]

If you can't get toys, use almonds and walnuts in shell.
EBay sells some nice sized cages and you can buy good pellets online. Birds also need lots of research on care before buying and pets never make good presents as the owner might not be wanting a pet.

I hope that your bird gets better care soon.

 

[Boysmom]

I have to agree with the others, your bird needs to see a vet. It looks to be in very poor condition. It needs a liner in the cage bottom and definately a new safe cage that is rust free. It needs perches immediately and wood toys to chew on and destroy. Alexandrines have very strong beaks and must have stuff to chew on or they will chew on the cage bars. With the rust on your cage the cage bar chewing is deadly. It could get metal toxicity from the rust. My Buddy likes to chew on simple dowel rods, and they can be cheaply purchased at a home improvement or hardware store. You also will need to change the diet slowly. We do not mean to make you feel bad about your bird, we just want to help you give it the best life possible. Alexandrines are very intelligent, mine is very talkative, and they are amusing to say the least. It will bring you many years of love and enjoyment if you give it what it needs to be happy and healthy. You are on the right track by joining here and asking questions. Please dont let us scare you off.