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Post by greyeagle1 on Nov 22, 2013 12:36:28 GMT 10
Have noticed a bald spot on the back my natural grey cockatiel's head and a stale odor on her, mimiking popcorn. It is late fall here and the heated air in the house is dry. Could it just be dry skin, a need for a bath, or some more urgent issue?
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Post by avinet on Nov 22, 2013 21:51:33 GMT 10
Have noticed a bald spot on the back my natural grey cockatiel's head and a stale odor on her, mimiking popcorn. It is late fall here and the heated air in the house is dry. Could it just be dry skin, a need for a bath, or some more urgent issue? From what I can remember you have more than one cockatiel? If so and the other is a male then I would suspect possible plucking by the male cockatiel. If that can't happen either because my memory is faulty (a common condition I blame on old age!!) or she has nothing to do with a male in the house, then perhaps she is rubbing it on a perch, quite likely because it is dry. Mites don't in themselves cause feather loss - and in a house situation you are very unlikely to get mites. I have had mites appear in my outside aviaries - coming from wild birds that land on the aviaries - but i have never had mites inside the house. And I am assuming the bald spot has only recently appeared? And I assume it is located on a part of the head where she cannot reach, and not on the back of the neck? I find cockatiels are rarely keen to bathe but they almost universally enjoy being sprayed, and a good misting spray a couple of times a week would be very beneficial for them, as well as other birds in your house - some conures from my faulty memory again? cheers, Mike |
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Post by greyeagle1 on Nov 23, 2013 13:23:45 GMT 10
No conures in the household, but, yes, I have four cockatiels and one is a male who is a feather plucker. I have to take him in for regular visits to the veteranarian for medicine. This seems to help control it.
The bald spot has never been there before this, the only time I've seen this was on a friend's male lutino. It's on the top of her head. Could the male be plucking her because of a possible bonded relationship relationship he has with her?
Also, have you ever had a peculiar odor on any of your birds before?
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Post by avinet on Nov 23, 2013 21:54:15 GMT 10
No conures in the household, but, yes, I have four cockatiels and one is a male who is a feather plucker. I have to take him in for regular visits to the veteranarian for medicine. This seems to help control it. The bald spot has never been there before this, the only time I've seen this was on a friend's male lutino. It's on the top of her head. Could the male be plucking her because of a possible bonded relationship relationship he has with her? Also, have you ever had a peculiar odor on any of your birds before? Sorry about the conures - I was pretty sure there were more cockatiels, but must have been thinking of another North American with conures. Should have checked back with your earlier posts! If the bare patch is on the top of the head, in a similar place to a lutino's bald patch, then it is almost certainly mate plucking, especially if he plucks himself as well. A sign of bonding since a female who is not bonded with a male would not allow him to pluck her. Unfortunately there is little that can be done to stop it apart from keeping them separate. I've had this problem occasionally wirh my cockatiels and separation is the only way I've been able to stop it. I have noticed some odors from some birds but never anything from cockatiels that I can remember, but then I don't have a good sense of smell! Can't really make any suggestion there - do you regularly spray them with water? cheers, Mike |
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Post by greyeagle1 on Nov 24, 2013 0:37:17 GMT 10
No, I do not spray her with water, but it sounds like a good idea. I notice she likes to bathe in a substitute water dish I put in her cage which was a heavy, glass unused ash tray I put in her cage. Since she has switched cages, I have not put it on top of the new flimsy one but could use it on one of the other two in the room. She is free to fly around in the room and will inhabit/sleep in whatever cage suits her fancy that day. I tried using a regular bird bath that fits into the door of her cage but she seems to be afraid of it. Will give spraying a try.
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Post by Laraine on Nov 28, 2013 10:23:44 GMT 10
I have cockatiels as well and on a hot day I give them a very gentle spray. They just love it and they are hilarious to watch, some of them even put their bottoms to the spray lol.
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Post by greyeagle1 on Nov 29, 2013 14:50:32 GMT 10
Yes, they are so cute. For some reason they feel the need to fly and perch on some high spot after they are done bathing.
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