New Parrot Owner that needs help!!

[CamilasOwner]

Hello everyone! I’m Esmeralda and I have been a parrot owner for the pass month. I have attached a pic of her chewing my sweatshirt’s cord. When I first got her she had very few feathers and I thought that she would stop the habit of taking off her feathers but she still remains featherless on her chest. Also she has a tendency to scratch her neck to the point where dry skin flakes come off of her. Is there any reason for this??? I’ll appreciate the feedback!

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome to the forum Esmeralda! Camila looks very much trusting if you and so sweet!

Is this your first parrot? And how did she come into your life?

I have a feather plucker too. And it's a complex problem that is difficult to overcome once it's progressed this far. Even if she stopped the day you got her , it takes six months to a year for feathers to grow back. Plucking gives the parrot an endorphin high. Plucking usually starts when the parrot isn't getting emotional support, not enough activity , not enough intellectual stimulations, not enough exercise, poor diet, stressful environment, hormonal frustrations, not getting 10 hours of sleep a night , forced weaning, not being able to learn to fly, sometimes health problems... and more....

A feather plucker is still a wonderful freind and a great parrot.

I've had mine for a over a year now that I rescued her from a bad situation. I recently thought she had stopped plucking, and much of her feathers had regrown. But she started back up again a few days ago.

There are a few things that help. A good nutritional diet. Lots of veggies, and leafy greens. Lots of toys that they will hopefully pick at instead if feathers. Mine likes shredded paper tied together to pick at. Lots of interaction with you and time out if the cage. Getting ten hours if sleep a night.. sometimes fixing all the problems can be enough for them to stop. But it's difficult, you may have success for awhile, then they start again .

I started with a vet visit to rule out health issues. Then my vet said to have her out if the cage at least six hours a day, when weather was nice to take her in her travel cage and sit outside for 15 miniuts a day with her. To improve her first as she only ate sunflower seeds, and to provide lots if preening toys. All these things did help a great deal. And she plucks less. But it's still something we deal with. The least stress and she is back at it. But she is such a funny sweet girl, full if life and love.

I hope ithetes will share with you. And I'm glad this lovely girl is with you now. Many if us here have parrots that pluck.

 

[CamilasOwner]

Thank you so much. I recently got her from a family friend, who also got it from a friend. She just kept getting passed down until now and I have full intentions on keeping her healthy and happy. I ordered a bird chew toy and I try to have her out the cage, especially if I have music playing since she loves to dance. (Selena is her favorite)

Her diet is primarily sunflower seeds, what veggies would you recommend for her?
Again thank you for your feedback!!

 

[mica21493]

Aw, she's a cutie. Do you know how old she is? I recently adopted a goffins cockatoo as well, (at least I think yours is from the picture). Laurasea gave great advice in her post. My vet said if the feather follicles of my little guys legs have been too damaged the feathers probably won't grow back, hopefully that's not the case but if it is bald is beautiful too, lol. He also said to give him showers or spray with a mister to improve his feather condition, but you have to make sure it's warm enough then so the bird doesn't get chilled. I'm providing some toys to shred/preen, my guy likes bird kabobs and coconut fiber toys so far.
For new foods, I'd probably try cooked potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, peppers, and some fruit like pieces of apple (no seeds), blueberries, pieces of an orange. I am always careful with new foods and only offer a teaspoon or so and usually one type at a time. I just like to see how they react to each new food. I make a show of eating it around the bird and show its yummy. Once you have her awhile I'd really try to broaden her diet with a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, veggies, and pellets.
I love that she dances, my guy does too and I just absolutely love it!

 

[Laurasea]

The above is all excellent advice!

At first she isn't going to recognize veggies and stuff as food. But she will! And she will love it! I've taken two budgies that never had veggies and now love all kinds. And two Quakers who never had veggies before either and now pig out on thrm.!

Hera are tips that worked for me. Offer veggies and all lettace and stuff in a sturdy shallow casserole, or serving dish. This makes it easy for them to see them, walk around in them, and just touch or pick up one at time. I have mine placed in too of my flat cages.

Second I offer tastes by hand. Everything I'm am cooking, eating that is safe I offer them a taste. Feeding them things by hand helps them recognize it as food. And the more things she trys the beterr and braver she will get at trying more things! I will even give a bite or two of cooked pasta, toast, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, cooked chicken, oatmeal , plain popped popcorn., Cooked lentils, cooked beans ect.

And like above I make a big deal about eating some in front of them first. Really smacking my lips and saying yummy.

Some foods she might be quicker to try are fresh peas, or frozen peas that you thaw. Never used canned anything for parrots. Some fresh corn in the cob, cut some off and offer a chunck if corn still on the cob. Cut up apple, a piece if broccoli, shredded carrots. Hot red chilli peppers, seeds and all, or bell pepper. Cooked butternut squash, cooked and mashed sweet potato. Summer squash, like yellow squash and zucchini. These also have soft seeds in the center and you can scoop them out and offer by hand, she might recognize the seeds and taste quickly. Green beans, Cucumbers. On the leafy greens mine like Romain, and spinach, Swiss shard, watercress.. any leafy green you can eat they can eat too.

O had all mine eating veggies within weeks. And I think offering things by hand , tons and tons of stuff by hand, and eat it with them and infront of them was the key!

Also you can make many toys your self! Cut up plain cardboard into different shapes and punch a hole in them and thread a zip tie through them and attach to the cage! Offer part of a paper back book pages threaded thought the bars for them to shred and destroy. Plastic bottle caps in a cup, so much fun for them to take out and toss around. A box of Kleenex that can pull all the Kleenex out oh the joy lol. We have threads on do it yourself toys here.

 

[Laurasea]

This is a link to a feather plucking article.
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/featherplucking.html
And on the new foods just because the reject them or toss them at first doesn't mean you should stop offering I've had a veggies rejected ten times only to become a favorite. One day I offered green beans for the first time, no one touched them, I offered them again the next day and they chiwed in them and carried them around like french fries.

I don't know what country you live in? But there are bettervseed mixs that have pumpkin and squash seeds and oat grouts in them. Or you can buy pumpkin and squash and make your own seeds. You will unfortunately have to keep feeding the sunflower seeds until you get her to eating other stuff.