why would a cockatoo pluck his feathers then pick at the skin on his chest?

Answer 1

birds are alot like humans.

there are some humans that you can put in a closet, and lock the door, and as long as they have a TV, and something to watch, they are happy.

there are some humans that get very upset inside a limited space, and often need room to move around, even if its just maybe once a day.

some humans get lonely very easily, and prefer to surround themselves with friends to keep them company.

take this into consideration. your birds is obviously upset about something. humans go insane too.

Answer 2

Simple it's uhappy. The cage is probably too small, or they arne't getting enough time out fo the cage with people no matter the cage size. Or it could be an allergy to any of the foods it's eating or eprhaps he/she has a skin condition. If you're nto giving your cockatoo at least an hour or 2 a day outside the cage then that is most likely the reason for its self mutalation. It could be stress, or lack of nurtrition from a seed only diet. Its telling you that his/her needs aren't being met. I would take a look at the birds situation and see if it is possible you are being a bad pet bird owner before accusing allergy or skin problems. It's so sad to hear another beautiful bird like a cockatoo is mutalating itself....too many stories like this because people DO NOT take proper care of their birds. Call an avian vet after you decide whether or not its your wrong doing and get the bird seen immeadiately. Your birds needs a collar to keep it from doing more damage to the skin and probalby some antibiotics if a wound is there already. Your cockatoos is telling you they're either Bored, being ignored, or sick. And unless you want your bird to get worse you better figure out which one it is. Stress can sometimes cause plucking but usually not that bad. PLease start trying to figure out what is wrong so that your bird doesn't make the wound worse.

Answer 3

First, you should take the bird to a vet for an evaluation. Plucking and feather mutilation can be a sign of poor health or a physical problem that needs treatment. If the vet gives a clean bill of health, consider other issues. Has the bird's environment changed recently? Has the bird lost a cage-mate? Is the bird stuck alone in a cage without stimulation? If you can identify and remedy problems like these, the plucking may resolve.

But plucking is not uncommon with some kinds of pet birds, and you may not always be able to reverse it. It can be sort of like people getting in the habit of chewing their fingernails.

Answer 4

Actually there is a good version of this and a bad version. In the good version, the bird slides his feathers through his beak and removes keratin and seems to be "sorting" through the feathers as if organising them. This happens throughout the day and is casual. Some birds rub a gland at the top of the tail often as they do this and distribute oils over the feathers as they groom themselves. This will seem calm and systematic and usually the birds seem passive and happy. This is preening. Sometimes birds preen one another or allow people to preen them. This is allopreening.
On the other hand, in the bad version, the bird will seemingly randomly pull feathers out with his beak and sometimes go so far as to wound himself. Some birds will pluck themselves naked but for the feathers they are unable to reach. This is called self-mutilation. Rarely is this done when the bird is in a calm state of mind. Most often this is done by a bird who is caged and has no mental stimulation. Sometimes a beloved pet does this and it is frustrating because the loving owner does not know how to reverse the behavior. Sometimes it comes on during hormonal birds who are otherwise normal. I hope you are referring to the "good" kind of plucking.
If not, and the bird in question is plucking himself naked in spots, this can be due to stress in the environment, combined with possible hormonal changes. Stressors may include: excessive caging and/or inadequate cage, a lack of mental stimulation (bored), grief over a lost friend (bird or human), fear, pain, change in diet, change of surroundings and even silence (which is very unnerving to birds). Many of these stressors can be corrected. However, plucking as a coping technique is a learned response in addition to instinctive and needs to be given due attention to be reversed or corrected. Many birds are rehabilitated by loving caretakers. Good Luck.

Answer 5

Could be heaps of different reasons.
Could be mites or lice,
Could be stress
Could be somethings changed in the household?
A new addition to the family? human or animal?
Could be lack of nutritious diet, (seed only) Cockatoos should be eating plenty of fruits vegetables rice, pasta and a few nuts, etc incorporated in his diet.
You must never feed birds solely on seeds, especially grey stripe or black sunflower seeds this is like giving yourself a tub of butter every day. They should only, if any, have 7 sunflower seeds a day.
Or use for training treats.
Does your cockatoo receive enviromental enrichment, does he have toys , natural trees to climb in, time out of enclosure, this should be daily, time with you?
Is he bored?
If he is in his cage most of the time, his cage must be enormous, imagine if you were made to be in a room the size of a toilet cubicle for the next 80 yrs, life span of a sulphur cockatoo, this would make you crazy, therefore affect your well being, resulting in a very depressed bird
Does your bird get wormed every 3 months?
Do you provide cuttlefish for calcium?
Does he have vet checks?
Take him to the vet and get him to check him over, also get a faecal smear to see if there are any worms present.
I hope your bird calms down soon, but put in the hard work, they depend on us for everything, so please put in the effort.

Answer 6

It must be bored. Make sure you give the bird differnt toys and move them around. They also sell toys for small birds that are peacock feathers and sometimes that keeps them from messing with their own feathers

Answer 7

i have a goffin and he has never plucked.. from what i know about him.. he needs entertainment.. if he isn't happy he will scream..(and thank god he hasn't plucked or self mutilated himself) so i would get him/her alot of toys and let him/her out of their cages more often.. if that doesn't work then u have a problem.

Answer 8

Cuckatoos indulge in preening ( grooming ) of their feathers.This practice is common in the Avian family.

Answer 9

i've read aot of books usally they're in distress or unhappy so check it's surrondings or talk to it more good luck.

Answer 10

There is no explaining them. After all, they only have little bird brains.