Need Grey Peoples Help - Plucking Question

[greylover74]

Hi - I am new to this forum and need your help and advice. I am looking to adopt a congo african grey and need your advice as I'm fairly new to the grey world. I have found a grey that is in need of a home and am considering adopting her but she is a plucker. She supposedly was from a home where they did daycare in the home and lots of chaos with kids and pets and didn't get attention or a good diet. What I need your experienced thoughts on based on the pictures I will post is will this greys feathers grow back or are the follicles too damaged? She's supposedly 10 years old and the woman who has had her for 5 months (rescued her from bad home but now says she is going back to work and doesn't have time for her) says she sprays her with aloe vera and red palm oil to help with the feather growth, which I've never heard of. She says bird was totally bald when she got it and in the 5 months she's as the pictures show. I just don't know enough about the plucking to know if from these pictures the feathers will grow back. Please help!! Thanks so much!! Please see the pictures under the New Members section of this forum.

 

[Ginkai]

I don't know whether the feathers will grow back or even whether she will ever stop plucking but I urge you to not worry about that. She needs a home and if you are able to provide a good home it doesn't matter if she is bald for the rest of her life. Just my two cents a more experienced knowledgeable member will be along soon.

Many birds once they start plucking never stop no matter how happy you make them.

Good luck

 

[sonja]

One of my greys is a plucker. Not bald, but just downy fluff with a few longer feathers here and there. I think he looks like a baby penguin.

If you love the bird, go for it.

 

[Mozzie]

I agree with the others. If you love him, go for it!! He might stop plucking with lots of toys and attention and love but he might not. You just never know for sure until you get him. But one way or another he will make a wonderful friend!! And it sounds like he needs a good home. I really wouldn't let the plucking stop me if I were you.

 

[Davinchi]

I'm definitely with the first two members. Don't let the worry of feathers growing back be a factor in your decision. We get our parrots for the bond that is created with them and that bond is not affected by the feathers on our birds. This bird definitely needs a better home and someone that can provide love and stimulation. If you think you can provide that, then I urge you to get the bird. Growing up I had a three legged dog (he lost one leg crossing train tracks before we got him) that meant the world to me and half the time I didn't even think about the fact that he was missing a leg. If you can do it and your heart is in it, I say go for the grey!

 

[KBEquine]

About a year ago we adopted a Grey via this board & he was fully feathered on his head, back & wings, and pretty bald elsewhere. Like you, we didn't know if we were going to live with a half-bald bird for the rest of its life.

There is a homeopathic remedy that goes in their water called "Pluck No More" by King's cages (I think). It is pricey - about $30 for a bottle that should last a month. Either it will work or it won't, depending on your bird, and you'll know after 1 or 2 bottles (it takes a few weeks to start to work). I've told you all I know about it - we used 1 bottle on a greenwing macaw & he seems to have stopped plucking (although he still looks a little ratty).

Our plucked Grey had previously belonged to a smoker & had lost the love of his life, so was in mourning. We were told to give him preening toys so he preened them, not himself. Didn't work - he was terrified of most toys.

But we were also advised to give him a phone book [with the cover removed] to shred instead of his feathers. That didn't work the first time because he was afraid of the phone book, too. So we started small - with a paperback. He got into that, moved up to a half-sized phone book - and now will work industriously on the "big" phone books. And his chest is fully feathered, although I truly thought he'd be partways bald for his whole life.

In my opinion - the hard part is watching them pluck when they first arrive. YOU know you will be giving them a good life, but THEY don't know it & everything parrot takes patience.

The 'before' pictures don't completely capture the extent of Gilbert's nakedness, but he hadn't damaged his follicles & was refeathered inside of a year. I don't know if your Grey will refeather & frankly, bald or feathered, Gilbert's personality is HUGE. I'd take him either way.

So, if you take the Grey:
1. Do a well-bird check soon after the bird arrives to rule out medical causes.
2. Don't worry about the plucking - it will take the bird a while to settle into a new routine.
3. Try the "Pluck No More." It could help. We used it on the macaw specifically because he seemed to enjoy playing with & sucking on the feathers he'd removed. I wanted to break the cycle.
4. Try preening toys
5. Try the phone books
6. If the Grey is currently on a seed diet, decrease the peanuts & sunflower seeds & try for fruits, veggies, egg, etc.

Good luck!





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