Our 4 year old cockatoo has been picking his feathers out(over a period of months) to the point he has bare keel area of breast. skin color shows through at top of wings and tip of tail kind of macerated.
He has been treated for mites, bathes once or twice a week under sink spray, spends several hours at assorted times to fly free in house and get in trouble, says 20+ words and is not seemingly in a stressful environment.
Recently we hit upon the idea of covering his adequate sized cage when the sun sets. If not he has been staying up until 10PM with light and TV. Now covered, he seems to go to sleep and appears a little better. Too soon to tell definitively.
Do most people cover their pet bird at night. He doesn't seem to mind. Note Diet is adequate
2007-05-31 07:03:25 · 9 answers · asked by Geraldo 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
Feather picking and self-mutilation is sadly more common in cockatoos than any other breed of bird. Your cockatoo is not "getting old", he is still considered an adolescent, as they can live over 80 years! I don't believe any cockatoo should be permitted to free fly in a home enviorment due to the huge amount of destruction and trouble they can cause in a very short amount of time! It is also better for their personal safety if they are wing trimmed by someone knowledgable ( do NOT attempt this yourself ). Because of all the powder that cockatoos produce from their feathers it can be very hard to even get them wet for a bath! I take mine in the shower and use "Dawn" dishsoap to clean any dirty feathers ( rinse well ).You didn't mention any toys in the cage? Birds that pluck can sometimes be doing it from boredom. Buy several toys appropriate for large parrots ( they even make some especially for pluckers ), put 2 in the cage at a time and rotate them at least once a week for variety. It can be hard for people to evaluate what "stressful" to a bird is. Cockatoos are very needy birds who don't like being alone, try leaving a radio on when you are not home and you must spend at least 1-2 hours a day interacting with your bird. They do make "Elizabethan" collars for birds that can at least allow all of the feathers to grow back, then you try taking it off and see if the problem has resolved. ( an Avian Vet would have a collar and could put it on for a proper fit ) If the plucking goes on for an extended period of time the feather follicles become damaged and no feathers can regrow normally, so addressing the problem right away has the best results. Good luck as this can be a very frustrating problem to diagnois and cure in this breed.
2007-05-31 08:56:44 · answer #1 · answered by Lizabeth T 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You need to take this bird to an Avarian Vet. They have medicin for this but it does sound like a stress issue. Those birds need lots of attention.
Giving it freedom and intention are two different things.
They also need sleep so you did the right thing to cover the cage. Is it possible to move the cage into a quiet dark area at night?
I cover my birds at night and they love it. They are in a dim lighted room and the covers are not dark so they still have very dim light but the covers signal to them that it is bed time. And it keeps out drafts.
Only thing I could add is to take it to the vet. This could be a medical issue as well.
Good Luck
2007-05-31 14:23:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like the only cause left is sexual frustration, which he is about the right age for. Is he getting enough "face time" with you? Cockatoos want about 80 % of your time so if he isn't getting enough, that could contribute to it, especially if he thinks of you as "his mate". Birds also need about 12 hours a night of completely dark, silent sleep so covering the cage is a good idea. It's even better if the room he is in is completely dark and silent too. If the plucking doesn't abate, he could graduate to picking holes in his skin to the point of killing himself.
Good luck.
2007-05-31 14:18:00 · answer #3 · answered by Aunt_Etty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I recomend that you feed this bird only short grain carbohydrates. You most likely have him/her on a pellet diet at the present. Feel free to email me (i'm not online a lot lately)...there is more i could say. You also need rule out as many possibilities as possible by seeing an avian vet.
2007-05-31 15:50:38 · answer #4 · answered by Steve 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had a gahla cockatoo that did the same the only thing that helped was spraying with water everyday but it could be boredom
what kind of diet is it ?on plain seed diets can make parrots very ill
i have a macaw thats fed on kaytee exact ,fruit and veg seeds should only be given as a treat
2007-05-31 17:46:54 · answer #5 · answered by ♥ mum of 4 ♥ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lizabeth T gives excellent advice above. I would also recommend a thorough work up/ blood work from a qualified avian vet. There are many physical causes (even intestinal parasites) that can cause plucking, and these must be ruled out before addressing behavior.
2007-05-31 18:35:15 · answer #6 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it could be a number of things i have had ,a simalar problem with a macaw he now gets lots more attention a bath every day,,calcium drops and vitimins,, every time he plucks a feather i spray him with a water pistol,,he also needs lots more vitimin c which is found from the sunshine ,,my bird has a hormonal problem but try all i have sujested im sure he will benifit,,,,mine has,,,,,,,,good luck,,,,,,,,,,,
2007-05-31 14:38:05 · answer #7 · answered by colin-irene D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that just means hes getting old but not to worry it happens all the time he eventually grow back his feathers its kinda like a snake sheding its skin but it always grows back.
2007-05-31 14:10:14 · answer #8 · answered by Tori D 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
probuly sheding season
2007-05-31 14:06:56 · answer #9 · answered by Cody G. 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋