why do birds pluck their feathers?

[ceeej31]

why do birds pluck their feathers?
yesterday i came home from work and there were feathers all over the bottom of my logan my quaker parrot's cage. i looked him over and i couldn't find and bald spots so i decided it wasn't a big deal. well today there were even more feathers so i decided to give him a very thorough exam. i found a pretty decent sized bald spot on his back just below where the tips of his wings touch and around his feet. why is he doing this?!
ive been working more than usual these past few weeks and i havent had as much time as i used too to play with him. also he recently broke his favorite toy, it was made of cotton rope and he loved to shread it, could these things be stressing him to the point of self mutilation?
i am going to try and find him a new rope toy, and i will be bringing him to the pet store i work at tommorow to see if they can help.
my mom will also be bringing him to the vet on monday to make sure it isnt beak and feather disease.
ive started misting him daily in case it is dry skin. is there anything else i can do to try and stop this. i love my little logan like a brother and i hate to see him like this. please help

 

[assortedsorts]

I'm not sure what to do but if he is really attached to you then the lack of "you time" is probably stressing him out.
My friend had a budgie she used to play with alllll the time and when she went away to school and left him at home her budgie plucked him self naked

 

[ceeej31]

thanks for the quick reply, im sure spending some time with me at work will help then.
and on top of this, i brought my tortoise to the vet today and it turns out he has an upper respiratory infection. two weeks of antibiotics

 

[assortedsorts]

I would still take him to the vet just incase...i'm not an expert on birds but have worked with/owned a few.

 

[Jaywing]

I had a quaker parrot who plucked all his feathers too. They probobly do it because they are bored or have a habit of doing it. You might want to put a collar on it so it can't reach the feathers.

 

[Otolith]

It is my understanding they do it much the same reason some dogs become obsessed with licking their feet or horses cribb their stalls. They become fixated on it due to lack of mental stimulation. Try picking him up some shreddable toys (Coconut fibers/paper etc) and or some toys that he can gradually recieve food thru manual manipulation with his beak. Also you could try varying his diet with things that are novel and require some problem solving to eat.

 

[Diskboy12]

More toys, more tos, more toys. If you can't spend a lot of time with him get him a huge amount of different toys. Shreadable, and mental stimulation toys work best. I have a Quaker named Piper and he does the same, but for the most part it's just him preening. You could also get a shower perch and when you take a shower take him with you. Parrots love baths, he may not be down with it for a few times, but he will get used to it and enjoy them. Also try a variety of foods. A good pellet for staple and then get some veggies, pasta, and whole weat bread and offer those to him as well, he may ignore them, but he may not and get used to it. This is some of what I have learned to deal with such behavior. Also a good time outside the cage when you get home or in a room that is same to explore during the day is good also. My Piper is aloud out of cage from the time I wake up till I got to bed, and if he isn't let out herscreams until I let him out, Parrots love to be out and in on what's going on, so involve him with what you are doing when you get home. If you watch TV, watch with him, if you read a book, read out loud. <-This will also help broaden his vocabulary and he might start to speak if he doesn't or speak more if he does. HTH.


Kevin

 

[Red Devil]

Think of it this way... you are his entire world..he is obsessed with you and you alone..when people buy a parrot they do not realize that thier bird will eventually have a bond so intense that they cannot function properly if your out of sight... you are in relative terms "their mate" and your their mate for life as far as they are concerned... so because they are not in the wild to choose a normal mate they become frustrated and upset if you are out of sight...

 

[logo]

Think of it this way... you are his entire world..he is obsessed with you and you alone..when people buy a parrot they do not realize that thier bird will eventually have a bond so intense that they cannot function properly if your out of sight... you are in relative terms "their mate" and your their mate for life as far as they are concerned... so because they are not in the wild to choose a normal mate they become frustrated and upset if you are out of sight...

100%
If you havent taken him to the vet yet one thing you can ask about is giardia this can cause plucking. But my guess is it isnt an illness but you still need to get him to the vet. And I wouldn't recommend the collar unless he is self mutilating these can be more harmful to the bird then the plucking is.

Some things I would try would give him several toys. Give him some to chew on, foraging toys, preening toys, noise making toys. And several of these you can make yourself pretty cheaply. Let me know if you want some ideas. It is also resomended to switch these out regularly to prevent boredom. Also give him a variety for his diet like already said pellets as the base, with fresh food and cooked foods as an addition with a few seeds. What are you feeding him now? Also as stated bathing is very important and I am glad you are doing that. The shower perch is a great idea because it will give you two time to be together as well.

 

[bullwinkle]

try giving him a bunch of plastic drinking straws. lots of quakers like weaving them through the cage bars and basically just making a mess with them. I used to have several pictures of this that I found online (because it looks funny seeing their cage all covered in straws) but that was on my old computer... you could also try craft sticks (popsicle sticks) and other nesting materials. that might keep him busy while you're away. cheaper than trying a bunch of new bird toys, too. Buy him a new rope toy, though, since you know he loves those!