Hahns Macaw Trouble (Feather Plucking?)

Hi everyone, I'm back once again for my great advice from fellow bird geeks. I have a Hahns Macaw named Odin, he is about a year and a half old. He's always been a good boy, very playful and talkative. But something changed on Christmas Day...
I believe Odin started feather plucking, he is pretty much naked under his wings and on his belly. He has never done this before, I haven't changed out routine since I brought him home a year ago. He gets seed, pellets and fruit and veggies in his diet, I change his water 2-3 times a day to make sure he has fresh water. I give him a light bath everyday to keep his feather in top condition. I'm forever bringing him new toys and re organizing his cage so he won't get bored. It may help if you know a bit about Odins personality, he is super loving, talkative and friendly towards me and my husband. He will go up up with other people but not willingly. He is a "Spaz" as I call him, like any bird he gets totally freaked out my anything new, or even grocery bags that are left out. I always try to keep things exactly the same so he won't freak out. He seems to get stressed over every little thing. The only thing that is different in our little world is my husband recently got a 11 year old Orange Winged Amazon named Mickey, Mickey has been here since the start of December and Odin didn't seem to mind. They are forever talking to each other and Mickey was even trying to feed Odin a few days ago. I was thinking that it might be Mickey that made him start, but I also think he would have started right away if it was Mickey stressing him out. Christmas day was a busy one for us and we had to come back home to drop stuff off a few times and were in such a hurry to get to the next parents place I had no time to take him out for his usual mommy time. I would go check on him and say hello before we had to take off. It was that night when we had our personal time that I noticed he was missing A LOT of feathers on his belly and under his wings. I've been trying to spend extra time with him lately to let him know that I'm still his and no one else s. I thought he was doing better until this morning, he is missing two little patched of feathers on both wings. He has a clean bill of health from the vet, but no one is sure why he's doing this all of a sudden. His personality hasn't changed and the way he acts around me hasn't changed, neither has his diet. I personally think it was because of Christmas day and him being "stuck" in his cage longer then he wanted to. I'm hoping someone on here will have some advice on how to get him to stop, or how to prove that it may be Mickey stressing him out. Any advice you can give me will be appreciated. I'm worried about my beautiful boy and don't want him being so stressed that he's feather plucking. Thank you



P.S. I honestly don't have much to do with Mickey since I have my Odin bird. I'll talk to Mickey when he talks to me, but I don't take him out or play with him. That's hubbys job lol I have my parrot to worry about. I've made sure to show Odin that I'm still his mommy and he doesn't have to share with Mickey.

The picture of Odin and I is from a few months ago, that's how my pretty boy always looked until now. The other 2 pictures were taken yesterday, today there are feathers missing from the top of his wings too.

No advice... but he's cute! If I tried to lift my Hahn's wing I'd be left with stumps or at least be bleeding severely.

My vet and I discussed feather plucking at some length a few weeks ago. My Hahns tends to shred, not pluck his feathers.

Plucking starts when there is anxiety in the bird. They pluck a feather, experience pain, epinephrine is released which then calms the bird.

My vet likened it to people who cut themselves, or those who get serial tattoos. Stress, pain, release of epinephrine, calm. He also said that once a bird plucks it isnt likely they will stop.

I would not worry too much. I have a Hahn's Macaw as well who is now about 2 1/2 years old. She, Kalani is her name, will go through these stages as well which started at about the same time is of age as it did for your Odin. I sprayed her with mist constantly at this time, and the feathers come right back in. Think it's more associated with molting than anything else, IMHO Your photo of Odin is almost identical to how Kalani looked....

I worried as well, and asked my breeder about it. She explained that it could be molting which is a very 'itchy' experience for our birdies. Anyway, try spraying Odin down with a spray bottle and it should help. Our little Hahns are so very little, but if Odin is anything like my Kalani, they make up for it in attitude and personality!

Was the vet visit before or after the plucking started? Any possible changes in the diet since it's the holiday season? Or what about products used that normally don't get used? (i.e. a pan brought out for the holidays to cook in? or a new spray?) Maybe a present you received?

Sadly, it's hard to say, and it's pretty abnormal for a young parrot such as him to be plucking.


Could try to stimulate him via foraging and fresh branches. Feeding sprouted seeds instead of dried seeds. Providing full spectrum lighting. Encouraging him to fly. Spending a lot of time outside (harness or in a cage). Adding RPO/Sunshine Factor to diet, using Harrison's Rain or Soother Spray or Aloe Vera in the diet, doing an Aloe Detox or a multitude of other things. It's hard to say if any will help, and some might even make the problem worse.



Has anything been discussed with your a-vet?

Could it be something hormone related? Are you sure Odin is a boy? It seems like the type of plucking hens do for laying eggs.

Good luck. Looks like my Erin. Lots of fluffy feathers where the beautiful greens should be. We're on an allergy free diet, avian lighting, constant attention, frequent showers, lots of exercise, training, even tried the hormone shots. There is slight improvement. Now instead of patches of fluffy feathers, there are just scattered feathers thru out.WE temporarily tried feathered deterrents (they ended up making her taste just disgusting for about 5 months after we STOPPED using them) and we tried added vitamins, feather powders to put on her foods, using liquids to put in her water or spray her with- save your money and don't even bother with them.

The only slight improvement we saw was from the allergy free diet and the hormone, which showed drastic decrease in overpreening/shredding for both products for the first week or two and then went back up. She has stopped preening by about 50%, but it's still obvious and now that her hormone shot is pretty much out of her system she is starting to get worse again.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for your great advice. Thankfully Odin hasn't lost anymore feathers since Boxing day. Fingers crossed that he stops completely, I love even if he's naked lol But I do like having my pretty boy Again thank you everyone!!