how can i stop my 3yr old african grey parrot from plucking his feathers?

Answer 1

Take him to a vet that is familiar with birds and plucking disorders. Sometimes birds pluck their feathers because they have mites, and the vet can treat them for that. Most of the time it's a behavior problem. Make sure he's not getting bored. Change up his toys, make sure his enclosure is large enough for him, spend more time with him. If that doesn't help, there are medications your vet can give you to help your bird be less anxious.

Answer 2

African greys usually pluck out of bordom do you spray your bird?
Greys should be sprayed daily with a light mist of warm water, they can also over prune themselves this is common too.

I bought a grey it had no feathers except a couple tail feathers, I bought it cause I felt sorry for the poor thing sitting there all lonely when all the others had friends.

They need to have some one to talk to play with etc I got mine home they get fed up being stuffed in a cage all day they need let out.
I let mine out, left the door so it could go in & out, I do not believe in trimming there flight feathers & mine use to chill out have a fly round the house etc sit on top of my fridge while I cooked.
First, it�s important to know that there are two sub-species of African Grey -- the nominate sub-species, commonly called Congo African Grey and the lesser known Timneh sub-species. Both are from Africa, with Timneh found in a smaller area, including Liberia and the Ivory Coast region.

Congo Greys are larger, lighter colored and have a bright red tail. Timnehs fall into the 275-350 gram range and are a darker grey with maroon colored tail. While not enough Timnehs have been bred domestically to say with certainty, many breeders claim there is a definite personality difference between Congo and Timneh Greys. Timnehs are said to be less shy and potentially neurotic as Congos.
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.

Answer 3

No one really knows why some birds pluck.Can be many reasons,hormonal issue's,lacks one on one attention,illness, bored,diet, allergy to wheat or peanuts are known cause's BUT rarely do captive birds have mites.Never use any sprays or Meds on a bird without a vet check and his advise!
Never use cleaning products or hot teflon cook ware or smoke any where near a bird.
Greys need interaction with their favorite people. Talk to him/her alot even from other's rooms, make him/her feel special. Teach him to talk and play word games back& forth. Count 1,2,3,4! Greys learn this fast and they get a kick out of the intercation with us counting. Last, but not least-spray him with plain water, hold the spray bottle high about him and let the water flow down on him. * Don't let him get a chill though.Dry in door's air & hot air from a furnace can dry the skin out too. Keep the cage clean, fed a good diet, attention and accept him/her feather's or not-:)

Answer 4

you need to take the african grey to the vet. They do have medication to help with this. Plucking can be triggered by many features. Make sure he.she has enough to do inside his cage or is getting enough attention from you. Here you will find some information that is for cockatoo's but can be applied to any large bird that plucks. http://www.birdsnways.com/cockatoo/feathers.htm

Answer 5

Birds pluck their feathers for a number of reasons.

First, boredom. Try putting him by a window to see if that helps. Give him toys that will challenge him. (Toys that make him work to get to treats, etc.) Rearrange his cage weekly.

Second, anxiety. Is there a dog in the house that causes him to be anxious? The vacuum cleaner make him nervous? etc...

Third, mites. Take him to the vet to see if he has them.

Fourth, allergy. Are there sunflower seeds in the food you give him? Those cause allergies frequently. Cigarette smoke is another allergen that can cause plucking.

If you can't find the source of the plucking, try putting a teaspoon of liquid benadryl into 8 ounces of water every day. He should get the right dosage by drinking what he needs of the water. make sure to change the dosage every day. You can also buy the benadryl spray and spray only the area that he is plucking. Make sure not to get it in his eyes.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Anyone who keeps a wild bird captive needs a good kicking in my opinion but now that you have one make sure you give it plenty to do. Plucking is a sign of stress and boredom and you need to give it plenty of attention and allow it to fly as much as possible. How would you like to be in a cage or strapped to a perch most of the day? Keeping parrots just encourages illegal bird trapping and capture. A lot of them die in transit and breeding them in captivity is as bad. Next time think twice before imprisoning a wild thing just for your entertainment..

Answer 7

Comlicated question! They are number one for plucking. Many many reasons. First thing is have a board certified avian vet rule out health problems. Then, if all OK, you need to address behavior problems. Could be stress, boredom, anxiety, etc. www.africangreys.com, www.itsagreysworld.com both have good info.

Answer 8

plucking his feathers is a sign of frustration,you must play more often with the Beard to came down.see a vet expose the beard to open space, to look out side,they neat partner's to communicate to each other

Answer 9

Check this natural method to get rid of acid reflux http://acidreflux-cure.info
Usually, heartburnThe most common symptom of acid reflux disease (also known as gastroespohageal reflux disease, or GERD). Heartburn feels like a burning pain in the center of the chest. It is caused by acid from the stomach backing up into the esophagus. is a symptom of acid reflux disease (GERD) Also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Describes the condition of backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus which frequently happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes more often than it should and/or at inappropriate times. The symptoms of acid reflux disease typically occur on 2 or more days a week.. And if you suffer from persistent heartburn on two or more days a week—and you’ve treated it and changed your diet—it could be due to acid refluxBackflow of stomach acid into the esophagus. Acid reflux frequently happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes more often than it should and/or at inappropriate times. This allows harsh stomach juices to back up into the esophagus. disease. But only your doctor can tell you if these are signs of acid reflux disease.

Answer 10

Honestly, it could be an underlying infection. Take your bird to the vet to rule this out FIRST.

Then work with toys and aleviating boredom.