pulling feathers..?

Question

I have a Catalina Macaw, recently she has begun to pull her feathers. Any ideas as to why she is doing this and how I can prevent it??

Answer 1

Where this can be something in the body that may be causing your bird to pluck (make sure the vet does not just a CBC but also a metal panel), it can also be emotional can you think back to when this started. You know it could be something so minor you have dismissed it but it was enough to stress your bird to cause plucking, diet can cause a bird to pluck, as well as housing two birds together.
With two birds together this can be even worse cause if one is being pluked it is not very far to the bird he harmed physically or worse by its companion.

This could be behavioral or medical.
Have there been any changes in your life??
Maybe you are working more hours??
Has anyone recently moved in or out of your home??
Are you maybe paying less attention to the bird and you are not realizing this???
Have you maybe changed the location of the cage??
Taken away a toy that is a favorite (that you may not have known was a favorite) or added a new one??
Maybe a new boyfriend you are spending more time with??
Maybe a roommate is teasing her and you are unaware of this???
Are there enough toys in the cage??
Do you alternate the toys with new ones every few weeks???
Is some of the toys wood chewing toys???

Yes, those are a lot of questions BUT>>>> BUT>>>What you must remember is that it could be something so minor to you that can cause this reaction from your bird, something that to you was of non-importance, but was very important to your bird.

Answer 2

There may be many factors why your Macaw is plucking its feathers why don't you check if it has any parasites and if it doesn't then it might be that it has nothing to do in the cage.does it have toys to keep itself entertained throughout the day that may be a reason why its plucking its feathers and if it does then maybe it got tired of playing with its toys try buying your bird new toys and switch the toy weekly and if that does not work then take him to the vet and see what is going on.

Answer 3

large birds do this when theyre upset for some reason, or when they have mites. first, think about anything that might have changed recently, are there new children visiting? are you using a different household cleaner that might be bugging her? playing music loudly? have your hours changed? have you changed her food? did you throw away a favorite toy that got worn out? etc. etc. etc. if the problem is in a change you made, take steps to correct it, keeping everything as quiet and normal as possible. if this doesnt work, take her to a vet to be checked for mites and other parasites.

Answer 4

A lot of birds will develop feather plucking due to low social time. Birds are very social and need lots of time out of the cage with new experiences. If you do this already, I would contact a bird vet and get their medical advise. Good luck!

Answer 5

Sometimes its lice making the bird itchy

but more often its a sign of Boredom or Stress..

Birds, and especially Macaws are VERY intelligent, and as a result, the require ALOT of mental stimulation to keep them happy.. they are all to often housed in small cages that accomodate our homes more than they are made for the birds pleasure.. very seldom do they even allow flight room which is extremely important ..... after all it is a BIRD...

so I suggest a bigger cage - even an aviary... and more stimulation for her... lots of doing things.. not just giving her more toys.. she needs YOU to do stuff with her...

Answer 6

we had a conure that did this and it was a nervous condition. WE could never get him to stop though we made a plastic collar out of a lid for a butter bowl, you know the ones like they put on dogs, and it slowed him down but when it would come off he would start back again. Good Luck. I think if you can find the source of the anxiety it will stop.

Answer 7

Has something changed in the househould? Moved her cage, new baby, friends over, kids visiting, contractors working, new pet, loud music, spending less time with her, etc... Birds are creatures of habit and can stress and pull their feathers when something changes or if they get bored.

Answer 8

If she puffs up and grooms herself more often then she has began to molt.All birds molt in between seasons.Molting is when they grow winter feathers or summer feathers, Ect.......
So she is fine and healthy!

Answer 9

give it something to chew other than itself, or bitter apple works well too. If you don't know what bitter apple is you can find it most likely in the dog section at your nearest pet store and it just gives a bad taste to everything you apply it on to

Answer 10

The bird is preening. This happens when the bird is upset, or has some kind of environmental change around it. It could also be caused by weather change outside. You really can't prevent this.