Feather Plucking

[jedsmum]

Hi Guys

I am new to the forum and needed to find some other cockatiel owners to talk to about my male Cockatiel Jed.

Bit of background, I have had Jed since he was a baby and he is now 16 years old. He had a mate (who we rescued) for a few years but he never particularly liked her. She died several years ago. Jed is in a med size cage about 60x45x40. He has toys and cuttlefish, different size perches, trill cockatiel seed, I add a vitamin to his water every few weeks and clean the cage as well as spray him with water spray bottle which he loves. A few years ago (his mate was deceased at the time) I went away for 4 days and he started feather plucking from stress. Vet informed me that Jed sees me as his mate and my leaving stressed him. This was the longest I had ever left him (he had the radio and someone came and checked feed and water)...until recently he wasnt so bad but now it has started again and he is red raw. He only plucks one side at the top under his wing on his neck.

He probably needs more sun but stresses outside, however I am considering perservering with this so he gets sun..he gets light but not sun, does he def need direct sun?

I do let him out but as he gets older he tends to crash a bit and the other day I think he winded himself quite badly. I am spraying him with stop pick but he is still doing it. I work on a computer near him and chat and whistle but he seems determined to pluck..

I am now considering a collar so that he can't pick and MAYBE a new mate...however I am not sure I want two birds, however I am also not sure how much longer Jed has? I am guessing he is in his 90's for a bird?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated, I have only ever had him at the vet once and he looks fantastic except for his yucky bald spot.

[avinet]

Hi and welcome to the Forum

AT 15 years old, Jed is about a 75 year old human equivalent - 12 to 15 is the normal age range to expect form a cockatiel. In frequency of occurrence a 20 year old cockatiel would be equivalent to a 100 year old human. So Jed is definitely well into old age.

You mentioned he had a crash when you had him out recently - did this coincide with the start of his renewed plucking? Sometimes plucking is a reaction to pain - as a result of an accident or from internal problems developing - tumours etc - so it might be if the timing is right that he hurt himself in the crash and some remaining pain is causing the plucking.

Of course ther emay be totally different reasons - plucking is terribly difficult to find a cause and I have 2 female cockatiels both around 16 years old that are pluckers, and have been for many years.

I would definitely NOT recommend a collar - that would really stress him and do more harm than good at his age. Neither would I recommend a mate - again at his age he probably wouldn't be thrilled at a new bird suddenly arriving in his life. If you did decide to get a mate then house them in separate cages - his cage is too small for 2 anyway.

Fresh air air is good as long as he isn't getting stressed by it, but no direct sunlight - he can easily overheat in a cage in direct summer sun. Again at his age if he is getting stressed then don't do it - maybe just have his cage near a window rather than outside, the stimulation from being able to see outside but still feel safe may be a good move.

Water spraying is good - Stop Pick I have found largely useless.

You don't mention that Jed gets any vegetables - seed alone is a very poor diet for a bird - very deficient in many vitamins and minerals. Giving him vitamins in his water every few weeks does absolutely no good at all. He should get vegetable every day - and if he won't eat them then a vitamin additive should be given at least 3 or 4 times a week. A lack of adequate vitamin intake is one of the causes of plucking.

So to sum up, make sure he isn't in pain (handle him and gently feel around his body for a pain reaction - he will probably bite), and feel for any unexpected lumps or swellings. Improve his diet with fresh food if he isn't getting any now (see the article at scas.org.au/html/pet_parrot_care.html for some dietary ideas). And perhaps place his cage so he can see outside for extra environmental stimulation.

In the end nothing may change the situation, and you will have to accept he will continue plucking - very frustrating bu there is often nothing that can be done

cheers,

Mike

[jedsmum]

Hey Mike

Thanks so much for replying...I am glad to know in a way that I am not alone with his behaviour and that you agree about not getting a mate or using a collar.

Ok so to answer your questions, Jeds crash didnt co-incide with plucking, he was already doing it. It wasnt a particularly hard crash, but seem to knock the wind our of him for the first time in his life. He has always been a poor flyer, normally somehow managing to negotiate a dodgy landing on a lounge or the floor or the top of his cage. Jed used to be in a much larger cage but also has a habit of slipping from his perch as he gets older so needed something smaller.

To the vegetable thing...he hasn't really like them in the past, I did add a cob of corn yesterday which he has had a little pick at. I will look at maybe taking away the seed every second day or so and just giving him the mixed vegetables?

He had some outside time today too after the kids where given a strict lecture about not touching him, he was happy for a while but the got sulky so I brought him back in.

It is sad to think of him as an old man, initially when I got him I somehow thought they lived until 30 or so!

Thanks again...off to chop up veges and maybe get some vitamin drops for him.

Cheers
Lorrie

[vankarhi]

I have found my cockatiels seem not too interested in fruit and veges either.........and one of them was handraised by me and I made sure she got fresh stuff every day the same as my bigger guys who do LOVE their fresh stuff daily. What I find they do seem to nibble at is corn on the cob, a boiled egg in the shell, frozen mixed veges, silverbeet and maybe some apple. There probably is other stuff .......... but that seems to be mostly it.

[flossy]

Hi On the subject of feather plucking, I have a friend who has a 3 year old quaker who is plucking herself bald - chest area, down to legs, under wings etc. She puts it down to the first 3 months in her life being horrible but I keep trying to tell her that was 3 years ago! Recently she split with her partner and the plucking has become worse - again, I've told her she is suffering seperation anxiety. She wants to get another quaker for a friend - I'm not sure if this would be suitable or if this bird would see it as a threat, what are your opinions? She has a good diet, minimal seed, trying to introduce pellets but she isn't taking to them very well just yet. She has lots of fruit and vegies.........Ideas?? Thanks heaps

[vankarhi]

Does she have plenty of things like fresh branches and foraging toys for the bird to play with?? Toys the bird might like to shred.........before the plucking becomes a bad habit? Will the bird allow her to interact with it? As for pellets..........mix them with the seed and slowly add more pellets to the mix. Also try sprouts.

[jedsmum]

Hi again...

Just updating...ok so Jed now has multivitamin pellets, found it really hard to find a multivitamin that didnt go in the water. I mixed 50/50 with his seed and so far so good, he is eating it. I am sitting here now watching the cheeky man have a feed, I cant find pellets on the floor so hopefully they are being ingested, I also crushed them up into a powder a little so the seeds are coated.

I am letting him out for morning sun and spraying him daily. There is also a new toy with bells. He luvs bells.

Thanks for the ideas on veges to try for fussy birds, will be adding them as well. Boiled egg is interesting, how do you give that to them? Hang it somehow?

I am thinking and hoping that my stupity for not supplying minerals and too much seed might be the problem, I feel terrible for not knowing any better.

Will keep you updated on how this affects his feather plucking in a few days.
:-)

[vankarhi]

Well firstly.......is that Jed in your signature?? he looks ok to me in that pic.

I boil the eggs, then cut them in half for my bigger birds and chop them into smaller chunks for my 'tiels and alex's. The canary also love them too. I leave the shell on. I do not give it to them daily, but probably "fairly" regularly........maybe once a week or fortnight.......then I might not give them any for a while, unless I feel they need it.

[avinet]

Jan 10, 2012 9:41:16 GMT 10 flossy said:

Hi On the subject of feather plucking, I have a friend who has a 3 year old quaker who is plucking herself bald - chest area, down to legs, under wings etc. She puts it down to the first 3 months in her life being horrible but I keep trying to tell her that was 3 years ago! Recently she split with her partner and the plucking has become worse - again, I've told her she is suffering seperation anxiety. She wants to get another quaker for a friend - I'm not sure if this would be suitable or if this bird would see it as a threat, what are your opinions? She has a good diet, minimal seed, trying to introduce pellets but she isn't taking to them very well just yet. She has lots of fruit and vegies.........Ideas?? Thanks heaps

Adding another bird in a situation like this is always a bit uncertain. Quakers in general are pretty social birds, and generally a second bird will be welcome by the first, but not always!!! If the second bird is the opposite sex then there is a far better chance to them getting on - as one might expect

Regarding the cause of the plucking - if the plucking is relatively recent then the early babyhood is irrelevant. If it started when the partner left then you will be right about separation anxiety, a common cause of plucking.

In general I do like birds to be kept as pairs and I think it would be worth trying a mate for the plucking bird - usual comment about separate cages etc initially.

cheers,

Mike

[avinet]

Jan 10, 2012 16:57:57 GMT 10 jedsmum said:

Hi again...

Just updating...ok so Jed now has multivitamin pellets, found it really hard to find a multivitamin that didnt go in the water. I mixed 50/50 with his seed and so far so good, he is eating it.

All pellets have the range of vitamins needed by a parrot - some brands are better at providing them than other brands, but all are OK and which one is used usually depends on what is available.

All vitamin additives that I am aware of are either powder or drops that are added to the water - and that is fine. Apart from injectable vitamins that is. Giving vitamins via the water isn't a problem if a bird won't eat vegies or pellets, but as long as Jed eats his pellets and vegies he shouldn't need water vitamins. However I would suggest for the next fortnight to give him vitamins in the water daily as a "catch-up" since he is likely a bit low on them at present. After a fortnight then they can be stopped if his pellet and vegie eating is going OK.

cheers,

Mike

[jedsmum]

Jan 10, 2012 20:46:30 GMT 10 vankarhi said:

Well firstly.......is that Jed in your signature?? He looks ok to me in that pic.

quote]

Yep that is him, the baldy bit is on the other side of the neck and a bit under the wing...

Mike - Jed is loving the pellets, and today I will try a new vege and maybe an egg . His plucking seems to be less focused...meaning that he will preen come accross the plucked area and give a little screech. Will add to water too as suggested for 7 days.

Thanks everyone so much it is great to talk to such great group of people. x

[owszat]

Hi Jedsmum, How is Jed doing? This has been an interesting story, I'd love to know how he and you are doing, as a newbie to this forum I am grateful to learn. Regards

[greyeagle1]

I sympathize with you. I also have a cockatiel that is a feather-picker. It looks like you have a good toy in the cage that he could "pick at" instead of his feathers.

[ventry]

Mo picked himself bald.
No amount of chewable items or distractions or anti-pluck spray were enough to dissuade him.
He was pissed off that Jezza (rip) wouldn't breed with him.
I love him despite how funny he looks.
Cheers
Leon

[avinet]

Jul 31, 2013 13:43:43 GMT 10 ventry said:

Mo picked himself bald.
No amount of chewable items or distractions or anti-pluck spray were enough to dissuade him.
He was pissed off that Jezza (rip) wouldn't breed with him.
I love him despite how funny he looks.
Cheers
Leon

Sorry to hear that Mo continued plucking himself - it is one of the most frustrating things to deal with.  I remember he was plucking himself a while ago - did he finish the job off before Jezza died or was that the final straw?  And how is he behaving now - has his calling for Jezza ended. 

My experience with cockatiels is that they soon get over the loss of their mate - at least the males do!  I had a male that within 24 hours of losing his mate of 14 years was chasing the spare females  while the females who have lost their mate tend to not want anything do do with amorous males who chase after them.

I have 3 cockatiels who are pluckers currently - a tame female in the house who is approaching 20 and was plucking when she came to us about 5 years ago, and a male and a female in our aviary, again both well into their teens, who also arrived as pluckers.  And once they start it seems almost impossible to stop, certainly I have never had any success using Stop-Pick type sprays.

cheers,

Mike

[ventry]

Jul 31, 2013 16:05:37 GMT 10 avinet said:

Jul 31, 2013 13:43:43 GMT 10 ventry said:

Mo picked himself bald.
No amount of chewable items or distractions or anti-pluck spray were enough to dissuade him.
He was pissed off that Jezza (rip) wouldn't breed with him.
I love him despite how funny he looks.
Cheers
Leon

Sorry to hear that Mo continued plucking himself - it is one of the most frustrating things to deal with.  I remember he was plucking himself a while ago - did he finish the job off before Jezza died or was that the final straw?  And how is he behaving now - has his calling for Jezza ended. 

My experience with cockatiels is that they soon get over the loss of their mate - at least the males do!  I had a male that within 24 hours of losing his mate of 14 years was chasing the spare females  while the females who have lost their mate tend to not want anything do do with amorous males who chase after them.

I have 3 cockatiels who are pluckers currently - a tame female in the house who is approaching 20 and was plucking when she came to us about 5 years ago, and a male and a female in our aviary, again both well into their teens, who also arrived as pluckers.  And once they start it seems almost impossible to stop, certainly I have never had any success using Stop-Pick type sprays.

cheers,

Mike

Mo completed the job before Jezza's passing.
He is getting better however, the simplest things set him off.
I gave him a cooked strand of spaghetti the other night on top of the freezer as I usually do when we have spag bog.
It was something he normally does with Jezza so, I guess it highlighted her absence.

Wow!! A 20 year old female!!
I would have given almost anything to have Jezza & Mo (still going. fingers crossed) live that long.
My average is not good ATM.
Roxie (female 8 years) & Jezza (female almost 7 years)

Thanks for the info Mike and sorry to the OP for hijacking your thread.

Cheers
Leon

p.s
Here is Mo now.