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Post by Tara on Feb 19, 2016 12:15:25 GMT -5
Hello all
I am reaching out for help!!!! Last year I adopted a 4 year old female Quaker parrot. When I adopted her she had a problem with plucking herself, I was told she was sexually frustrated by the person I adopted her from. I have taken her to the vets, exam and blood work came back normal. She will let her feathers grow in and as soon as her chest is full she plucks them all out. Can anyone suggest what to do? The person I got her from did have a male Quaker in the same room but different cages. I was told they were allowed out of the cages and played together but he wanted nothing to do with her. Every time she would go near him, he would run from her.
Please feel free to reach out to me via email. I am not sure how often I will be able to log on this this page.
Thanks in advance for all the suggestiions
Tara
tarala5587@aol.com
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Post by easttex on Feb 19, 2016 14:12:38 GMT -5
Hi Tara. I hope you get a chance to return to the forum. The problem with email is that no one can see what has already been said, and there is no one good response when you're talking about a plucking problem. Also, it robs future forum visitors from seeing something that might be of value to them. Once all the physical possibilities (illness and environmental) have been eliminated, it's very hard to pinpoint a cause for plucking. It becomes a best guess. At this point, it may not even matter, as it sounds like it has become a habit. We have one member of the forum who went through a whole lot with her bird before a physical cause was found. Jan will have valuable advice for you. If your vet was not a certified avian vet, you might want to consider taking her to one. A vet who sees birds regularly is a good one to have, but for complicated cases, that certification can make a difference. The best advice I have is to make sure you do not react with any drama to the plucking. Keep the frustration or aggravation or sorrow out of your voice. They pick up on our emotions so easily, and these will only add to her stress. I don't want to discourage you, but she might never stop. Keep reassuring her that she is beautiful and well-loved just the way she is. Give her plenty of activities. My African grey was plucking her breast when I first adopted her. She quit on her own after a couple of years, though she still tends to over-groom a little. I wish you the best of luck.  |
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Post by beccilouise on Feb 19, 2016 17:28:39 GMT -5
There are a couple of articles below about the causes of plucking, but I agree with easttex, it sounds like her plucking has become a habit, much like a human nail biting or picking scabs. Possibly she was frustrated that she wanted to play with the other quaker but he was uninterested, or she had a skin infection or other such condition that went away by itself eventually, but her plucking habit stayed. Easttex' advice is really good and she has far more experience that I do with all manner of bird behaviours. As long as the plucking behaviour does not get your bird extra attention of any kind, you will, at least, not be making the problem worse. Sometimes birds like this just need a new start. She will only be in heat once or twice a year. It's best to avoid giving her nesting opportunities (such as nest boxes or a happy hut) unless you intend to find her a suitable mate and allow her to breed. Give her plenty of shredding toys and pack them with some yummy nutritious treats, and provide plenty of foraging opportunities to try and encourage her to destroy things beyond her feathers. The site below also has some wonderful toys. Try not to worry about it too much, they are very adaptable birds and, although it's horrible to watch, your anxiety about it will only be causing tension that she will be feeding off. It is not your fault and some pluckers can, in fact, be perfectly happy birds who have just developed a bad habit due to illness or a period of stress. www.northernparrots.com/feather-plucking-environmental-factors-(part-1-of-2)-blog61/?c=ggczvudotlb106b103www.northernparrots.com/feather-plucking-psychological-factors-(part-2-of-2)-blog62/?c=ggczvudotlb106b103 |
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Post by Jan and Shah on Feb 19, 2016 22:21:59 GMT -5
I had a plucker and mutilator. He no longer does this. Firstly, I need to know exactly where your bird is plucking and what diet you are feeding her. I agree with the others - the moment you give the bird attention because it is plucking, she will continue to do it to gain attention. It is hard but you have to ignore this behaviour. You cannot get stressed when dealing with the bird so firstly take some deep breaths, drop your energy level and then have lots of laughter, singing, talking - keep everything up-beat. After dealing with my quaker for over 3 years with this problem, it turned out to be a dietary problem - even though it kept happening when he was hormonal. I know exactly what you are going through - the frustration you feel - the powerlessness you feel - but don't give up. Everyone here will help and support you through this.
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