Why would a grown cockatoo pluck his feathers?

Answer 1

If your 'too is plucking, you need to go to a vet. There are many reasons (as demonstrated by the above answers) and the problem probably can't be diagnosed by bird fanciers online.

If you need a vet, try
http://aav.org/vet-lookup

Answer 2

The bird lady is making this way too complicated. I have five cockatoos and your first few answers are right on. Sexual frustration, lack of attention, stress and boredom are the reasons 99.9% of the time.
The links about cockatoos will be well worth your while to read. Toos are a handful. I inherited three that were pluckers. One has now stopped and the other two aren't as bad, but I feel like I'm entertaining preschool kids all the time.
It's actually a lot of fun.

Answer 3

Cockatoos require a lot of love, affetion and attention from their owners. Cockatoos stress out real easy and will pick their feathers because of it.

Another possibility is it could be too warm in your home (we all use heat in the winter and it drys out the air). The Toos skin may be dry and itchy, therefore it will pluck its feathers while trying to take care of the itch. Use a room humidifyer to keep the humidity up. Give your cockatoo baths to loosen the excess feather dust, dander, and scaley loose skin.

My cockatoo plucks her feathers when shes bored, even though she has toys to play with. I keep her out of her cage during the day until I go to bed or have to leave my home. They are happier to sit on top of their cage with the door open so they can go in and out to eat and drink. I also let her sit on my shoulder while I am home. This will alleviate the stress and they will not pick while you are giving them attention.

Good Luck :-)

Answer 4

Cockatoos are extremely complex birds. I actually wanted to get one until I found this website http://www.mytoos.com/. I read through it and I do not want to put a bird through that. They are very needy. They stop being sweet and loving after about 3 or 4 years of age. They can get very aggressive, especially males in the umm mood. I heard horror stories of 2's attacking their owners and they need reconstuctive surgery. I think you should visit this site and I hope it can help you with your problem. There is a site that you can buy feather plucker sweaters from I think it is birddiaper.com. Good luck and I hope your baby feels better soon!!

Answer 5

Has anything changed in his living area? Does someone in the house/ his room smoke? How often does he get showered or bathed? How much time do you spend with him? How often is he out of his cage? How much stimulation does he get during the day when you are not there?

Grown or large birds need "large" care and it has to be constant or they will sense the change. They are highly intelligent, much like an 8 year old, and need to have attention, love and stimulation to be happy...

Answer 6

Boredom, Anxiety, Frustration.

Cockatoo's require a lot of attention and stimulation as well as a proper diet, or they will revert to plucking.

Answer 7

iF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE COCKATOO. YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT GETTING ANOTHER ONE. THEY DO THAT WHEN THEY'RE LONELY AND I'D FIX IT FAST BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY END UP PLUCKING OUT ALL OF THEIR FEATHERS I LOST A BIRD TO THAT ..
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Answer 8

Its just pruning itself. If it persists you might concider buying him a playmate. Also make sure you give him gravel for birds. It helps in the digestion. Always have toys for the bird to play with. It keeps them happy and content. If you really want a happy bird buy him a mirror so he can talk or at least try to talk to himself.

Answer 9

It's a sign that it wants to mate. It is very frustrated not to be able to relieve it's natural instinct.

Answer 10

it means that your bird is not happy and it's living conditions are wrong, pleae get a book about too's and try to correct its circumstances