I think we're back to square one with plucking

[chris-md]

I wish I had better news but I think Parkers plucking is back. On a daily basis I see him chewing on one or two feathers throughout the day, and I came home to an a small pile of what appeared to be chewed up on or two larger feathers.

I think they are being barbered since they look like they are cut in the middle of the grey base. He finished a molt in September so I don't think he's molting them out and chewing them. And he's been very hormonal. It seems he really is a hormonal plucker

He still looks good for now. If this continues and he starts looking all downy like before I might get him to the vet for hormone control. Too bad they can't be neutered.

Big sigh, always knew this could return. I'm really hoping this doesn't get much worse!

 

[Minimaker]

It's hard to understand isn't it? I do everything right with diet, constant distracting toys, etc. and my boy still plucks. He plucks worse here than he did at his awful last home where they left him in the cage all the time, fed him walmart birdseed and no fresh food, and he had no toys except a ratchet wrench hanging from a chain. He gets so overstimulated by the slightest thing, the slightest touch sends him into a horned up feather-pulling fit. Even just head petting or having him step up gets him yanking feathers. We don't do it much anymore because of that. We just can't. When my MIL was visiting he chewed his wing until it bled because he was crazy about her after she gave him too much attention. She tried to go to bed and he screamed until she had to cover his cage and that's when he did it. He was so unhappy to be away from her he made himself bleed. Thank goodness it wasn't serious. If I pick him up he tries to butt rub my hand and that makes him pluck so now I can't hardly touch him because if I do he goes into feather chewing overdrive. It's so sad. I'm trying Avicalm and Featheriffic supplements now. I really hope they help.

What have you tried? I'm open to any suggestions.

 

[RavensGryf]

Oh no Chris, I'm sorry to be reading this . Hormones are unfortunately a common reason for plucking or barbering. I would have a talk with the vet before it gets too far. If it's determined for sure to be hormones, see if the vet thinks Parker might benefit from Lupron injections to balance out hormonal issues.

 

[Christinenc2000]

I wish I had better news but I think Parkers plucking is back. On a daily basis I see him chewing on one or two feathers throughout the day, and I came home to an a small pile of what appeared to be chewed up on or two larger feathers.

I think they are being barbered since they look like they are cut in the middle of the grey base. He finished a molt in September so I don't think he's molting them out and chewing them. And he's been very hormonal. It seems he really is a hormonal plucker

He still looks good for now. If this continues and he starts looking all downy like before I might get him to the vet for hormone control. Too bad they can't be neutered.

Big sigh, always knew this could return. I'm really hoping this doesn't get much worse!

I have never been around a bird that plucks but it has to be one of the saddest things i know of. Pictures just break my heart. God Bless you and my prayers are with both of you.

 

[Anansi]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Chris. I know you've worked so hard to get his plucking under control.

Yes, I reckon a visit to an avian vet would be your best recourse. But I'm still hoping that the plucking doesn't get as severe as it was when you first got him.

 

[chris-md]

Thanks all. A part of me is hoping I'm jumping the gun and not correctly interpreting what's going on, which is certainly possible. The only thing that makes me question whether it is in fact plucking is the fact that he is chewing most of the feathers, which he has done in the past and it ended abruptly. But there have been a number that weren't chewed on.

i can also cop to it maybe being stress. He was moved to the basement last week (up with us when we're home, basement in cage when we're away at work). We tried a grand experiment putting him on his portable perch in the bedroom at night, to give him even more time out of cage up stairs but that must have made him really stressed because he would constantly fluff and flap his wings intensely. So back to sleeping in the basement.

Because of this doubt that I want to see this through and see how bad it gets.

 

[DexMom]

Ugh. I'm so sorry to hear this, Chris. I hope you are jumping the gun and his heavy plucking days are behind him. It could be a temporary self-soothing behavior to help him get over the recent move to his new daytime space. Hopefully it eases off once he gets used to the routine.

 

[chris-md]

I might have been wrong after all, I think Parker is going through a mini molt, hallelujah!

I noticed tonight while cleaning his cage that the chewed up feathers were a actually one or two large tail feathers. That was the first hint, because he never pulls out/barbers tail feathers.

Soon after, I saw something I didn't notice on him before: a tail pin feather growing in, along with a bit of green feathers here and there on his flanks under his wings which, until recently, were only down feathers.

So I think what I'm seeing may be a combination of plucking and molting. There have been feathers that were clearly snapped in the middle of the shaft while grooming, and thenremoved closer to the base. But it might be temporary as has happened before, or even related to the molting.

I will continue to warch him and keep y'all updated!

 

[Scott]

I hope your most recent post suggesting a molt is true!

 

[Dopey]

Chris - When I got home Wednesday night there were a lot of feathers on the floor from Kiwi - my male ekkie. And by looking at him you couldn't tell he had lost a thing. He's been preening a lot more lately too.