What to do for a feather plucking bird in winter?!?

[kme3388]

This is my first winter with a bird who feather plucks. Has anyone tried birdie sweaters? Do we do heat lamps? I don’t want Nico to get sick, or get hurt. He has started to shiver after his showers (he gets them daily).

 

[Littleredbeak]

Bird heaters, I have radiant heat panel, heated bird perch and a bird safe space heater as it gets cold at night. They have year rou d access to their heated perches and I put the other heaters on as needed.

 

[LaManuka]

I have not had occasion to use one of these personally, but I've noticed a couple of others mention it lately, the K&H Snuggle Up Warmer for birds...

Some folks don't recommend the heated perch because of concerns that it may burn or irritate their bird's feet. The K&H panel attaches to the side of the cage and gives off radiant warmth that the bird can move away from if he wishes to.

Hope this helps you!

 

[kme3388]

I bought Nico this. if anyone knows of this being unsafe please let me know. I tried to avoid the UV bulbs as a lot of people on another thread said they can burn our little feathered friends.

 

[Littleredbeak]

I used those bulbs before and mine randomly cracked. I'd make sure the bird can't reach the bulb. I didn't use the hood because I was worried about the metal from China- possibly giving off fumes when heated up. I'm sure I was just being overly worried tho.

 

[Littleredbeak]

I just wanted to add to keep the bulb away from fabric anything flammable. Fires have been started with these light bulbs.

 

[chris-md]

With Parker’s barbering, I just use a regular space heater in his room.

 

[SailBoat]

- Heating using bulbs is dangerous for too many reasons!!
- Heating using heated perches is dangerous as the technology fails in one of two very different directions: OFF or Full ON! Clearly Full ON is dangerous to the Parrot!

Radiate Heating is the safest to add.
We set our home to a comfortable temperature and leave it at that temperature (Steady State).

Drafts are a serious problem, address it /them and save!!

 

[kme3388]

I am returning the uv bulb, and hood as that has gotten really hot. I am going to do the K & H snuggle up warmer. I had to order it off amazon. Chewy is out of stock for the medium/large parrots.

 

[kme3388]

I have not had occasion to use one of these personally, but I've noticed a couple of others mention it lately, the K&H Snuggle Up Warmer for birds...

Some folks don't recommend the heated perch because of concerns that it may burn or irritate their bird's feet. The K&H panel attaches to the side of the cage and gives off radiant warmth that the bird can move away from if he wishes to.

Hope this helps you!

I am going to be buying this for my ekkie. The bulb didn't work out. Do you know if birds can chew on this safely? I think my conure would love this, but she chews on everything.

 

[LaManuka]

I am going to be buying this for my ekkie. The bulb didn't work out. Do you know if birds can chew on this safely? I think my conure would love this, but she chews on everything.

To be honest with you I really don't know, as I have not used one myself. I would imagine, however, that the panel itself would need to be pretty robust to stand up to those big beaks. It seems to me though that the only chewable bit is the cable, which would be on the outside of the cage when the panel is fixed to the inside, so you would need to be mindful of that if/when birdie is climbing around on the outside of the cage.

Another of our members, bill_e, uses one with his hawkhead parrot, here is a link to the thread that starts out as a discussion about heated perches but rapidly turns to the benefits of the panel instead...

Heated perch?

Hello, I have an amazon that has several "trees" around the house. He doesn't have a cage, because those are ugly and we both hate them. For many years, keeping an appropriate temperature wasn't too hard, since I love heat, however, now that I live with my partner, it's either the parrot...

www.parrotforums.com

 

[saxguy64]

I just recently got a couple of the K & H warmers since we're in the frozen northeast USA. I opened them and put them near the cages for about a week before invading the cages with them yesterday. Tucker is pretty outgoing and not bothered by it, but hasn't used it for warmth yet that I've seen. Baxter still thinks it's a bit evil, and tried to attack and chew it up for a few minutes while I was installing it. Made for an awkward installation lol! I'm happy she did that rather than be afraid of it and stay far away. At least she's explored it with her beak and tongue, and knows it's warm if she decides she needs it. I think it's pretty normal to take some time to accept it, like anything new. I'm happy with the bit of progress so far.

As far as chewing on it, it's pretty well done, tough and solid. Unless they're really determined, it shouldn't be an issue. I do think I'll invest in some PVC pipe to cover the wire though, just to be safe. Doesn't look like the small DC voltage should be a safety issue (I could be wrong on that, not positive), but more about having to fix/replace the adapter if they go after it when they're out and about.

 

[pizuPCN]

Please keep us updated throughout all winter!

 

[kme3388]

I just recently got a couple of the K & H warmers since we're in the frozen northeast USA. I opened them and put them near the cages for about a week before invading the cages with them yesterday. Tucker is pretty outgoing and not bothered by it, but hasn't used it for warmth yet that I've seen. Baxter still thinks it's a bit evil, and tried to attack and chew it up for a few minutes while I was installing it. Made for an awkward installation lol! I'm happy she did that rather than be afraid of it and stay far away. At least she's explored it with her beak and tongue, and knows it's warm if she decides she needs it. I think it's pretty normal to take some time to accept it, like anything new. I'm happy with the bit of progress so far.

As far as chewing on it, it's pretty well done, tough and solid. Unless they're really determined, it shouldn't be an issue. I do think I'll invest in some PVC pipe to cover the wire though, just to be safe. Doesn't look like the small DC voltage should be a safety issue (I could be wrong on that, not positive), but more about having to fix/replace the adapter if they go after it when they're out and about.

I am very excited to get it in the mail. My conure loves snuggling, but she chews on everything. She chews for hours a day. I do worry about safety with her. I think she should have been a woodpecker lol. I’m sure my Ekkie will not like it to start he doesn’t like his cage messed with. He supervises me cleaning it! Thank you for letting me know how your parrots reacted that way I give it sometime before assuming that my parrots won’t accept it.

 

[Littleredbeak]

In the beginning I got the heated the panel and its like a heading pad on low. Its completely metal so as long as gour bird can't get to it from the back it should be okay.. A space heater works better in my opinion because the panel doesn't give off too much heat. The heated perches are from the same company and the only problem I've come across is they stop working(I've used them for about 2 years now)- you have to check to make sure they are on. I'd assume this is the same with the panel.
Tractor supply also sells a heated panel for chickens that I use for my OWA and it gives off just the right amount of heat! She doesn't chew things she's not supposed to (and she has no access to the cord just incase one day she changes her mind).

I use the heated perch for all my birds and never run into any issues of over heating (not saying there isnt.) Two of my birds have feet issues- arthritis and injury and the perches help them. For my IRN she lost 80 % of her grip strength and function if her on foot/leg when I first got her. She now has regain most of it which her ACV didn't think was possible! I do contribute alot of that to the heated perch. I wrap the perches with vet wrap to give padding and grip. But they also have alot of perches to chose from if they decide not to use the heated perch or it gets too hot. None of my birds have any burns on their feet. I did alot of research before I got the heated perches and read about how birds heat themselves.

All heating components have the possibility of malfunctioning- off, full on and combustion. Combustion happened to me with dysons air purifier - luckily I woke up to the smoke. If there is a electronic component then it's not completely safe.

 

[kme3388]

In the beginning I got the heated the panel and its like a heading pad on low. Its completely metal so as long as gour bird can't get to it from the back it should be okay.. A space heater works better in my opinion because the panel doesn't give off too much heat. The heated perches are from the same company and the only problem I've come across is they stop working(I've used them for about 2 years now)- you have to check to make sure they are on. I'd assume this is the same with the panel.
Tractor supply also sells a heated panel for chickens that I use for my OWA and it gives off just the right amount of heat! She doesn't chew things she's not supposed to (and she has no access to the cord just incase one day she changes her mind).

I use the heated perch for all my birds and never run into any issues of over heating (not saying there isnt.) Two of my birds have feet issues- arthritis and injury and the perches help them. For my IRN she lost 80 % of her grip strength and function if her on foot/leg when I first got her. She now has regain most of it which her ACV didn't think was possible! I do contribute alot of that to the heated perch. I wrap the perches with vet wrap to give padding and grip. But they also have alot of perches to chose from if they decide not to use the heated perch or it gets too hot. None of my birds have any burns on their feet. I did alot of research before I got the heated perches and read about how birds heat themselves.

All heating components have the possibility of malfunctioning- off, full on and combustion. Combustion happened to me with dysons air purifier - luckily I woke up to the smoke. If there is a electronic component then it's not completely safe.

My Ekkie always has cold feet. A heated perch is something I should consider. I'm wondering with his feather plucking if he doesn't heat himself as he should.

 

[Littleredbeak]

From my memory , birds when they are trying to stay warm or consever heat they restrict blood flow from their feet and this is why they don't get frost bite and why their feet can feel cold. The heat helps them stay warm but also keeps the blood circulation in their feet. I'll see if I can find the original article- it had a nifty diagram of their circulation and how they regulate heat.
All my big birds have feathers. My one love bird is missing feathers around her chest back and tail (I was told her previous mate plucked her) and she goes to the heated perch but I also use a space heater. When it's cold the love birds will sit near the space heater. Normal non chilly nights they will both just roost on the heated perch.

 

[imouse1]

IDK if it's been discussed but I'm using an infrared pad that radiates heat from outside the cage. It gives a larger area for Gregg to move around and hang out in (and also helps keep his bath water warm) without making the cage hot unless it is in full coverage mode with his earmong blanket. So, he can move away from it, it doesn't spoil his chop (or, at least, isn't making it wilt), but gives him a few places to decide to perch or play while he stays warm. He really likes it for when he first comes out of the bath (and especially when he's having a hard time deciding where to perch at night) and then the drier he gets the less he feels he has to be next to it. IDK if that helps.

 

[BillsBirds]

Please keep us updated throughout all winter!

 

[kayjay61]

This is my first winter with a bird who feather plucks. Has anyone tried birdie sweaters? Do we do heat lamps? I don’t want Nico to get sick, or get hurt. He has started to shiver after his showers (he gets them daily).

My Marley, a Citron Crested Cockatoo, has been a feather plucker and when he was younger, a severe chest mutilator. It broke my heart to see my happy go lucky boy go to sleep singing our lullabies, and wake up with the removal of his nighttime blakey, and have the beginnings of a plucked chest which was also bloodied. Marley had two of these episodes and each one were so severe, he required surgery to close his wounds.

My avian vet has known each of my cockatoo boys from the moment they came home. Luckily, Marley was in good physical health, but we soon discovered that his plucking had the earmarks of a seasonal plucker. He has the correct diet, a great ever changing variety of toys, and nightly hours with my husband and I, but for some reason Marley was prone to this destructive behavior.

We tried every gadget on the market for pluckers. He wore the bird version of the ‘cone of shame’ and he managed to chew through it. We tried “clothing” made out leather, and even leather with Kevlar and Marley viewed his clothes as a new chew toy that did not keep him from his fixation of plucking his chest. It just proved to be a challenge to get past.

My husband and I did not want our sweet boy to face another surgery. We came the “washcloth poncho“. We took several washcloths and measured from his neck to mid leg and applied our basic geometry skills and selected a bowl that matched our measurements. We then folded the circle in half and in half once again and cut the tip off. When you open the circle, you should have an opening wide enough to get over their head, but not so wide that they can access their chest. If necessary, you can keep adding layers to the poncho, but you will not impede your bird’s ability to walk, (make sure to check your length), nor will it affect their ability to use their foot. You will be able to access potential wounds and treat them as directed by your avian vet.

Now my Marley has come to call his poncho his nighttime jammies. I don’t have to worry that he will be bored in the early AM hours. Come morning, Marley has his routine to go to his play-perch in the familyroom, remove his jammies, oversee the making of his morning veggies and kissing Dad before he goes to have breakfast. Since we have Marley wearing his jammies every night, the plucking wound is a thing of the past...at least we hope it is. We just have a cockatoo who wears PJ’s every night.