My African Grey plucks his belly feathers out and he looks horrible!?

Question

Not only does he pluck but he rubs the top of his feathers on the cage if he isn't allowed out. I try to let him out as much as possbile when I'm home but he's a wanderer and won't just stay on his cage so I have to watch him constantly. The vet has to give him shots every month to help w/ his anxiety when I go to work. He is very attached to me. He is a very ahppy bird though otherwise he just want to get his way. What can I do? I want him to be pretty!

Answer 1

Having been a raiser of parrots, including African Grey's and Timnia African Grey's, you need to know that these parrots are very intelligent, sociable birds. They NEED attention so much that their health depends on it. Things you can do...Obviously give him as much attention as you can. Buy him a bigger cage and give him stimulating, 'thinking' toys. TALK to him...it may sound silly, but parrots talk to each other constantly and talking to your bird comforts him.
Unfortunately, having worked with hundreds of parrots that start plucking, once a parrot starts, its VERY hard to get them to stop. I'd say your chances are less than 10%.

Answer 2

well It is true that Greys are notorious feather pluckers. There are some who maintain that Timnehs are less neurotic than Congos and are not apt to pluck or bite their feathers. This may be true. I have yet to see a Timneh who plucks for neurotic reasons. Greys pluck feathers for a variety of reasons. Sometimes boredom or not enough human interaction causes an African Grey to pull out its feathers. I have also seen birds that pluck because they get too much attention -- with the owner running over every time the Grey pulls out a feather. Others pluck because of dietary imbalances, or environmental problems, such as people smoking or the air too dry. Greys should have regular baths and exposure to some kind of moist air on a regular basis. African Greys who are emotionally abused by someone who bangs on their cage or routinely squirts them in the face with a spray bottle for discipline may pluck. A single frightening experience has caused Greys to become feather pluckers. Any bird that plucks should first see a veterinarian. If the veterinarian cannot find a physical reason for plucking, behavioral problems should be explored. There is no question that African Greys are among the most intelligent parrot species. This higher degree of intelligence, along with possible incorrect early socialization at the breeders and not understanding the bird’s intellectual needs when it becomes a companion parrot often leads to neurotic habits -- such as plucking. It also could be under a lot of stress and scared of a lot of things like you mite hurt it , talk to it be kind , and also you mite want to take it to vet ok hope this helps .-B-

Answer 3

He is most likely anxious because you do not spend enough time with him. One of the most common plucking problems is boredom and not enough intellectual stimulation. African grays have the mentality of a 4-5 yr old child and just like if you stick a child in a box all day with no new toys, they will get bored and anxious. If you need to give anxiety shots, you are probably not home enough. With an African gray, most need at least 2-3 hrs of play time a day, much more than most other birds. You should not be so concerned with him being pretty- it sounds like you just want one for show and status and not as an actual pet. Spend more time with him, or find someone to, and he should eventually not need the anxiety shots and should stop plucking.

Answer 4

It is stress & boredom. You have an incredibly intelligent bird, that is frustrated & bored. You need to have his wings clipped if he wanders that way & put toys into his cage & change them every week, with new, or refurbished toys. Leave tv or music on when you go to work. You have to give this bird something to occupy itself or you will have a naked parrot with mental problems!
Get him a remote stand so he can be with you other places in the house! I 'wear' my parrot around the house when I do everything but cook on a hot stove! That is just unsafe!
Think of the bird as a young child...they can have the intelligence of a 5 year old & have tantrums of a 2 year old...

Answer 5

Hi same problem.
I have a galah which i rescued years ago she has been plucking her feathers in her belly.
Birds are incredibly smart and need mental stimulation - things like toys, coloured block etc. They also need things to destroy at time as well.
I found that putting a feather duster in my galahs cage distracted her from plucking her feather a little.
Also i switched some of my bird diet and put up new perches.

Answer 6

Was he plucking before he started getting the injections? If not, talk to your vet about the possibility that the injections for anxiety are causing the plucking behavior.

I've seen Greys that are totally plucked (except for the head) and they're still pretty. As it is with humans, bald can be beautiful in the eye of the beholder.

Answer 7

You can buy holistic products for this problem. I am not sure how effective they are, but you can try. Also buy him lots of toys, they sell toys for feather pluckers. You can get toys that you hide treats in and then they are so enthralled with getting out the treat that they forget about plucking. And if you dont like poo all over you and your home, you can buy a flightsuit. i think it is birdiediaper.com. then he can spend a lot more time out of his cage. remember you must keep parrots very busy and active, they are very smart and demand a lot of attention.

Answer 8

Boredom & anxiety will make a bird pluck his feathers. African Greys are very smart. As u said he does take meds for the anxiety...i would try spending as much time giving him attention as you can, poor guy.

Answer 9

looks like you have all the answers you need. my friend 's bird pulls his tail feathers out. been doing that for years. her work keeps her too busy so she only has time weekends.so, not enough bird time.

Answer 10

Take your bird to you bird vet and he sh ould be able to dust the bird