Is my parrot plucking?

Question

I noticed this a few days ago. My mother thought he was molting but we have several other birds and when they molt they loose their underfeathers, the soft ones.. He is a little over a year old, i had him since he was 5 months old. His name is "Houd".If it does look like he is, can anyone give me some advice on how to stop him? I spend atleast 1 hour with him everyday, he has his own large cage, lots of toys and lives in a room with the other birds.Here are some pictures:
( on his stomach/crop is where it looks like he is picking. The part below where it is brown is because he was just taking a bath.)
http://i9.tinypic.com/2guyz2r.jpg
http://i10.tinypic.com/2ezi4ci.jpg
http://i10.tinypic.com/2n0pmas.jpg
http://i10.tinypic.com/2d2je5w.jpg
http://i3.tinypic.com/2ppxzxl.jpg

Answer 1

Definitely plucking!

Birds don't only pluck when they are bored. Illness has been mentioned.
Often times it can be due to stress. Is there anything new in the environment? Any new pets? Anyone new living in the house? Anyone recently move out? Any traumatic experience (cat or dog incident)? Have you moved his cage recently?

I have a Senegal that was the same age as your Houd that one day chewed all her tail feathers and primaries off. I was shocked! I couldn't imagine what the problem was, especially where she was so young. But I had moved her cage a few weeks before, and shortly after that I acquired a pair of quakers (noisy!). I moved her cage back to where it was and kept the quakers away from her. It took a couple of molts, but she did let her feathers grow back and she is fine as of today at three years old.

Good luck with Houd!

Answer 2

Hi there. Sorry for your troubles. You may need to take a closer look. Mites can cause irritation and can be seen with a magnifying glass. Many birds can be seen plucking. There are many organic causes for this distressing problem. The first step is to rule out any treatable physical problems from Chlamydia infections to nutritional considerations. A great avian vet is really needed. Then there are the behavioral problems to be investigated associated with this problem. In the mean time, look into some environmental changes and even nutritional changes that can be done at this time. Since feathers are mostly protein, a boost in protein intake may help. Chopped cooked egg is a whole protein and can be given 3 times a week. I usually feed companion birds a good pellet food, limit seeds to 10%, and provide fresh fruits and veggies 10-20 percent. Foraging toys can help with diversional activities. I put food and a few treats in pieces of wax paper twisted at the ends. Could a cage companion help? Rotating toys may help. Hang in there and know that you are not alone, Get Houd help as soon as you can and hopefully you can nip this in the bud. My thoughts are with you.

Answer 3

Yep, I'm sorry to say, but your bird is definately plucking. I highly suggest you take him to an avian certified vet (Find one near you here: www.aav.org/vet-lookup). A lot of different things can cause plucking. Most common is probably the psychological. He's plucking himself because he is bored, but this may be unlikely for your situation because it sounds like he gets enough attention. Another possiblity is that another bird is plucking him or he's allergic to something. I know Roudybush has a line of foods that is natural/organic. You put Houd on just the Roudybush (nothing else) and slowly start adding other elements from his old diets back in. When he starts plucking again, then you know what he's allergic to. It could also be mites or some king of disease or zinc poisoning. The only way to tell is take him to an avian certified vet! Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 4

Yep! He is plucking his feathers. I would suggest that you get your hands on a product called Nekton Bio. It is a feather vitamin. It is NOT a overnight cure. It will take about 6 months to regrow his feathers. How you use it is open the cap and poke a single small hole like a salt shaker in the silver seal. Then springle his food with a dash or 2 of this vitamin. I also would give him some cooked meat (steak with a little fat on it. Some chicken drumsticks too.) I have had servely plucked cockatoos from rescuse groups that I have cured this way. I also would give him some more bath time. He might have itchy skin. I hope this helps you a bit. If you have further questions feel free to email me.
Good luck!

Answer 5

round 5 years previous appears to be like the age of adulthood in maximum unusual birds. at the same time as a lady reaches adulthood she immediately away starts off making waiting to advance a relations. to attempt this she desires to position eggs and provide warmth for them with the intention to hatch. it extremely is probable why she plucked out her chest feathers. i chanced in this out at the same time as my cockatoo did this the first time 2 years in the past and that i took her to the vet. With the feathers lengthy gone the female can seize up with and provide more suitable body warmth to the eggs. You being a lady aren't any more exciting to her now - she needs a mate and that i'm constructive your husband or son would receive a lot of affection and interest from her in the journey that they were round her a lot. you'll only might want to attend till this month of breeding time is over because that's inbred and would't get replaced. Then she will have the capacity to pass decrease back to her sweet self till next time. so a ways as plucking on the wings - heck, i do not comprehend.

Answer 6

OUCH! He is definetly plucking.

Take him to an avian vet ASAP and have a full work up done. It could be an infection causing him to pluck. If not, the vet can give you more ideas.

If need be, while he heals, you can get a collar from the vet to keep him from destroying the area where he is plucking.