oh-no

[darkchi]

ok Cricket doesnt pluck and her wings were clipped when I got her.

I have decided to let her flight feathers grow back in and as of yesterday one feather on each wing has grew all the way in. Now there are two reason I wanted to do this. One because I though I would see how she would handle being able to fly and two because she really chews the ends of the clipped feathers, I thought it was only over preening until today. I came home from work and one of the beautiful flight feather was all bent and broken and chewed on... well with in hours she had it pulled out. I looked at the end of the feather and there was a deff sign of stress to it like bite marks and a little tiny bit of blood. I dont know what to do. Does she find the feathers odd because many she has never had them or is this a sign of plucking? She has sence plucked out the other side yet nor has she gone for any chest feathers.
anyone ever hear of issues with growing back flight feathers?
I thought I would go out and get some of the bitter apple stuff and see if that does any good, but then I would have to hold her feathery butt down and pull out the wing and spray the bottle... deff thinking a 10 man job here LOL. and if i do manage to spray it on her wings is any of it going to stick because serously she more water proof than a duck

 

[Peta]

I've not heard of anybird ONLY plucking new flight feathers, but Bucc has been known to pull out a few of his flights, Is she going through a molt, or has she just been through one, Bucc tends to do this just before or just after, (mainly just before) a molt.

I got some of the bitter tasting stuff and it really works and yep it will stay on the feathers, (doesn't look like it does but its def there ) Buccs face is a real treat when he's tasted it. I tried some of this on Gemini who is a plucker but didn't have any effect on him don't know if thats because the urge to pluck is stronger than the nastiness of the taste, or he just likes the taste.

Maybe she's finding it a little strange, so give the bitter stuff a try and see what happens. She may even leave them alone the next time they come in, won't seem so strange to her then. Its great watching them fly the first time, they're so clumsy looking and then watching as they gain all the natural grace.

Let us know what happens

 

[darkchi]

Ok, so she han't gone for the other flight feather (on the other side) as of yet.... hoping she doesn't. At the first sign that she is going to tear it out I am going to soak her in the bitter apple spray LOL
She is molting something fierce, vacuum cant keep up with her maybe I will just vacuum her

 

[Peta]

maybe I will just vacuum her

Oh that sounds like a good idea to me, don't see why they wouldn't like it, Jess loves to be vacuumed, so why not them, It would save a lot of hard work. Let me know how that goes.

I am glad that she's leaving the other flight alone, hopefully she won't touch them again. Keep us informed.

 

[pheobus]

You should see Phoebus when my mother turns the vacuum cleaner on

He pretends tough guy(girl) and can be heard in the whole square..

so we let him in a room with the door close while cleanig and change him place to clean the room he is in.
You could imagine what would happen if I turned the vacuum towards her

 

[darkchi]

I hear all these stories about birds not liking vacuums... well my baby must of not gotten that memo, when the vacuum is running she is singing and talking to it and laughing at it and making ever sound that she can think of... but not in a freaked out way, like she is talking back to it or something LOL

 

[Peta]

Kito hates the vacuum with a vengence, growls and screams at it, but Bucc (silly bird) loves to ride round on it when I'm vacuuming and telling me what a good boy he is.

 

[darkchi]

Kito hates the vacuum with a vengence, growls and screams at it, but Bucc (silly bird) loves to ride round on it when I'm vacuuming and telling me what a good boy he is.

haha, I bet given the chance Cricket would ride on it too... or try and eat it
she seems to think the world is her dinner plate

 

[Peta]

world is her dinner plate

Blimey another one, Cricket and Kito would make a good pair. He will eat anything and everything given the chance.