Cockatoo is plucking

[jeepsandblueskys]

I recently adopted an umbrella cockatoo, aprox. 5 yrs old. Owner depressed and stressed about a recent death in the family. Supposidly the vet has checked her and said is not ill. What can I do besides insure a healthy diet and positive surrounding, toys, interaction so forth? Any tricks?
Poor thing, she looks more like a duck than a cockatoo.
And how long for her adjustment? I am the second owner.

 

[Molcan2]

A Too on average takes about 1-3 years to fully settle into a new home. Give the bird at least 1 full year before determining whether its going to work or not. I have a similar post I responded to not to long ago about how to ease your new Toos transition:

http://www.parrotforums.com/cockatoos/18062-i-need-some-cockatoo-training-tips-please.html

As far as the plucking goes:

You can try to provide the perfect environment: lots of foraging toys, phone books (to tear apart), all different levels of destructive toys (mix of ones that take them forever to destroy and ones that can be finished in seconds). You want to challenge the bird mentally and mentally keep them stimulated ALL day. If you can, keep the bird as little caged as possible. Be EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS that you don't give your Too to much attention to distract from plucking. This can lead to a Too that becomes spoiled (spoiled Too = dangerous Too and very unpleasant to live with). Try to encourage independent behaviors. Stuff that requires thought and challenges them mentally. Sure you could physically hold your Too all day to prevent it but you will destroy your bird this way. It is so vital to encourage Toos to be independent.

Never ever expect the plucking to stop. It may go away once he is settled in but never expect it to really ever disappear. Go ahead and except that he may be this way for life (and more than likely will). No matter if you provide the perfect environment and do everything right, he may still pluck. There is no cure once they start, you can only try to redirect the behavior. Look at it this way, he is an addict. Addicts are addicts for LIFE, they will have stretches and runs of remissions but there will ALWAYS be relapses. He may get settled in and not pick for months (or years), then you come home one day to a pile of feathers on the floor for no apparent reason. You cant give any mind to it when he does it, pretend that it doesn't happen. If you give any attention to the fact that he plucks, it will make it much worse. Look at the situation like this: he has a problem within himself that makes him pluck, there is truly NOTHING you can do to fix it. Love him for him and forget the feathers. Its hard to live with a plucker/shredder as you will always have to feeling of 'if I did more he would stop', not true. You must remove your own emotions and detach yourself from the plucking behavior. You have to except this behavior.

Rome is a shredder (she barbs her feathers). In the beginning I foolishly thought I could stop it. I was hard on me to come home and see a pile of feathers, it bothered me because I felt that I was doing something wrong (sound familiar? This is how spouses feel when they live with an addict). It took a bit to move past that. I provide her with the best situation possible for her to live in and have excepted that this is who she is. Sometimes she goes a month or two and then decides to shred for no apparent reason. It just is who she is and forever will be.

This is all so long to read but unfortunately Toos are complex and they require more than a simple explanation.

 

[Molcan2]

Oh and welcome to the Forum! Congrats on your new family member. I LOVE Toos, they have become my bird of choice . We also all love pics on this site to

 

[Mare Miller]

I've always wondered what starts this behavior in the first place? Stress, huh? Are some cockatoos stronger genetically, emotionally than others? Molcan2, I know you have a handle on this, I'm just always curious about origins.

 

[Mare Miller]

Poor buggers..I sure don't know what the answer is but sure is perplexing, none the less. When I try and put myself in their shoes, so to speak, I would mutilate myself becaaaause... I was unhappy, #1 choice. #2 would have to be...boredom. #3,,,habit?, but, habit because I was bored and unhappy? Yikes! Not sure...just thoughts.

 

[RescueMe]

Also make sure that u do not overstimulate the bird by lots of touching to the back, under wings or the tail area, toos especially get over stimulated which can lead to further problems. A frustrated bird is much more likely to continue to pluck than a content one. Good luck, toos can be a wonderful addition.

 

[Echo]

After countless tries to help my CAG and her plucking, I am trying the Sock Buddy!!! WOW!!! After just 1 month, the feathers are growing! I haven't seen 1 feather on that bird's chest in over 2 years!!! I didn't think she would let me put it on her, but I managed. I thought that she would shred it in a minute, it took 1 day for the first sock. We are at sock 5 in 5 weeks, she is keeping it on longer every time! I f she shreds it too much, I just change it. I'm at my wits ends and will not give up...this is my last resort and it is working!!! Please consider it, the lady who invented this did it for her plucked Cockatoo...who is now feathered!

 

[Echo]

Different sock on her .....The before and after picture above is exactly 1 month!!!!

 

[Mare Miller]

Does the sock stay on your bird always? When you take it off for any length of time is he/she still good about not plucking? Don't mind me, just always looking for the cure.

 

[Molcan2]

There is NO cure. You can physically block them from doing it, sock buddy/e-collar (or chemically with sprays or psych medication) but thats more for the owner, makes us feel better when the bird has feathers, doesn't fix WHY the bird is doing it. The side effect of Rome having to wear an e-collar is that her feathers are growing back, once her collar is off she will more than likely go back to it. Now the hope is that you can break the habit by physically blocking and hope that the bird can find a different coping mechanism or you can make the bird's problem way worse by doing this. I would rather try environmental changes and emotional rehabilitation vs. physical restraining. It will take longer but will return the bird to a more stable state of mind. Rome is not herself with her collar on, I know her very well and I miss my bird, she sulks all day. I would rather have her collar off and her shred every feather she has if it meant having her personality back (for those that don't know she has a collar on because of a wound that isn't due to plucking/shredding). I want HER to be happy and if thats what makes HER happy then I'm fine with it. My bird's well being and psyche comes before my expectations of what she should be. Its just feathers. Don't get me wrong, its not that I don't try to get her to stop but it is a LONG process, overnight 'fixes' will get overnight 'relapses'. It will take YEARS to get her to stop. Even with my efforts exhausted she may never.

Mare: IMPO this behavior is because that particular bird is a little more unstable than others (just like people, some are fine, some are ridden with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders). The plucking/shredding is an outlet for their anxiety (whatever the initial cause, it doesn't matter). Some people can cope well and some have to be baker acted during emotional stress. I really think its a response to anxiety. Its not just seen in Toos but I think that Toos are more prone to it because Toos in general are a little more emotionally sensitive. If you really look at Rome's personality it really is no surprise that she shreds. The U2 that I used to have, never touched his feathers and he came from a HORRIBLE environment. Amigo reminds me of his personality. Very outgoing, king of the hill so to speak. He was very sure of himself. Rome is not, shes terrified of everything. She reminds me of the woman that you meet that has been physically beaten by her husband for years and still cooks him dinner. My plan for Rome is to provide the most stimulating environment possible and to help encourage her to become independent. I'm also trying to get her to become more self confident. I really think that once these are achieved she will stop shredding.

 

[Echo]

Molcan2- I don't agree with you. We are all entitled to our opinion. Some birds are indeed far too gone when the plucking is addressed and the damage can sometimes not be repaired. HOWEVER, some birds just started the behavior and can be helped.

No, it is not just for my well being and to make me feel better. I tried many many things to try and help her, and I say "help" because it isn't just about being naked. Without down feathers, she was always cold. If she played and lost her footing or misjudged her landing on something, she would scrape or bruise/cut her keel bone because no feathers were there to protect her. She is fully flighted. She was so consumed with plucking that she wouldn't have the time and will to play. I really believe that a plucking bird is not a happy bird. No wild free bird has ever been seen plucking. I know she is not free like a wild bird, however, I do my best to try and create a place where it can be an enjoyable life to be in. And plucking doesn't have a place in that life it it means to be lived fully.

When a bird plucks, it is not only a habit (like biting your nails), but it also tend to itch or be uncomfortable, like molting times 100. Molting is only a few feathers at a time and yet our birds get grumpy. Imagine having all the chest and legs feathers molting at the same time!

I am not saying that it will work for everybody, but it is not right to take hope away from someone trying anyway. The least I can do for the reason she started the behavior, is not to give up on her.

As I type, she is contently perching at the highest branch 12 feet high up her play tree looking at the sky through the skylight. She hasn't looked up and enjoyed the view in a long time, since always having her head down in her chest while plucking. Plucking the sock doesn't seem to interest her very much, so she occupy herself otherwise. And guess what? She is much more active that she has ever been. For the first time, she seems to realize that other birds live in the house too. She hasn't made any friends with the others in the past 5 years, and yet she now interacts a bit with them. Granted, it's mostly to push them off a perch, but she isn't just sitting in a corner like she used to.

So the experience you have with 1 bird, doesn't mean you have to generalize to all of them. They are some happy ending sometimes. And even if sometimes it isn't a Forever Ever After, I will take the happiness of the moment. For my bird and I.

PS: I don't care what my bird looks like. But when I started noticing cuts on her and seeing her nipping her skin when the tiny bits of feathers left were too small to pluck, that's when I thought "being a nudiste is one thing, but mutilating yourself is another"!

 

[Echo]

Does the sock stay on your bird always? When you take it off for any length of time is he/she still good about not plucking? Don't mind me, just always looking for the cure.

Right now, the sock stays on always. I do replace it when needed, and will take it off for showers. Once she is dry, I put a new one on. I have been with her when the sock is off so she has not plucked. Is it a cure? Only time will tell and I will be sure to keep everyone posted.

 

[Molcan2]

Echo, I was posting my opinoin, I even stated IMPO. No where in there did I direct anything at you. Just because I have only owned four birds, doesnt mean that I havent worked with rehabing and re-homing several. So to make the statement that I have only had exp with one bird, when you clearly dont know anything about the extensive work that I have done is rediculous. I didnt make any jabs at you. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion WITHOUT being rideculed by other members.

 

[Mare Miller]

I'm in touch with someone close to my home, (discovered on craigslist), looking to re-home a female, 7yr. old, goffins cockatoo. Sounds like she is a bit of a plucker. The owner is coming out tomorrow to check out our home situation, just wants to make sure her bird is going to a good place. I'm very excited and am sure we will pass the "good place to send your cockatoo" test! I was honest about free flying Amigo and assured her that I would not free fly any bird smaller than he. I think she's most excited about seeing this Amigo bird flying about! Anyways, I haven't met the goffins, yet. She is supposedly a love with men and women, I hope we hit it off.

If she is a major plucker, I will be able to add my two cents, with authority. In the add that was placed, a re-home fee was being asked but after talking to the owner of "Sassy", she said that her biggest concern was to find a good home for her baby and she would charge no fee.

 

[Echo]

Molcan2- Didn't say you had experience with only 1 bird. You were talking about Rome and his plucking in your post. His example. I didn't feel you made a jab at me but I felt you were discouraging everyone to try and use physical ways to prevent plucking. Negative feelings about no cure and about trying to make the human feel better.
I did say everyone is entitled to their opinion. You have yours, I respect that. We are all trying to help our birds, we all agree on that.

Sorry if you felt ridiculed, it was not my intend.

 

[Molcan2]

Sorry, its hard sometimes to know how to take typed words. The 'no cure' isn't supposed to be meant as a negative thing. Its really meant to mean that there is no one solution to this problem (no actual 'cure') and that for some there may never be a solution. Its not meant to discourage people from trying to correct the behavior (everyone with a plucker/shredder should always try to correct it - humans owe at least that much to the bird). Plucking/shredding is a complex issue that requires multiple changes in a bird's life to help correct. Its an individualized process, each bird has to be evaluated differently (what works for one may not work for the other). The 'no cure' is more meant to be taken as even if you do everything possible and the issue never resolves, not to take it personal.

My issue with physical restraints is not what you have been trying. Its the people who use that method (and that method only) and expect it to fix the problem on its own. I cant stand it when a person puts on a collar (etc.) and thats the ONLY change made (not saying thats what you were doing) and they expect the problem to go away. Physical restraining is not always a bad thing (but caution when using them because some birds find other outlets for their anxiety - like lashing out and biting, creating a new issue), but what I was trying to convey is that its a small part of the rehabilitation process with the main focus on the emotional well being of the bird. If a bird is in an environment starts this behavior, collar put on and nothing else changed then the actual 'problem' hasn't been addressed.

There is always more than one solution to a problem, and this particular issue requires multiple solutions used in very many different ways.

 

[Echo]

Totally agree Molcan2.

And yes it is hard sometimes to convey our thoughts and feelings through words.