How much scratching and feather preening is normal?

[Gos]

My parrot (lilac crowned male) seems to be a rather "itchy" fellow and does a lot of head scratching and preening.
How much feather loss is normal for this guy?
Thanks,
Gos

 

[Spiritbird]

Gos: You have a parrot that is doing what a parrot should do. The important thing here is to make sure he is getting the showers or bathing they so need. The bathing can be in the form of a spritz, shower or bowl that is not too deep with warm water.
If you think the itching is excess then a small amt. of aloe vera in the bathing water could help. Also it is important to feed the bird pellets and not the dry seed as a staple diet. Seeds just as a treat.

Sometimes parrots will itch more when molting. They will especially scratch their head where they cannot reach. You look for pin feathers and help them out by gently rolling the sheath between your fingers to try and break it off so the new feather can grow.
Hope this helps.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

SB hit it right on. If you start seeing bald spots that are plucked clean then it could be something to worry about, but a healthy parrot does spend quite a bit of time grooming.

 

[Gos]

Thanks all.
Showers are something of a pain for us. He hates water in a big way. Still working on that part of the domestic life for him.
Thanks again,
Gos

 

[ScottinVentura]

When I first got Boo, he wasn't a huge shower fan, either. I started putting him on the top of the shower door while I was in the shower and talked to him while he was there. After a while it was just another part of the house to him, and it didn't freak him out like it did at first.

 

[wackymagnet]

MISTING a really fine mist of warm water from a spray bottle WAY above the parrot so it rains down on him vry lightly, just a couple of spritzes no mre, will aquaint your bird with liking getting wet. Increase the number of spritzes over time as he starts opening his wings or turning his head to catch drops. Misting, if not showers, are important to parrots. Be sure to crank up the heat in the house or set up a heat lamp prior to spraying to prevent the bird getting chilled. A Parrot does not have to LOOK wet to feel damp and chilled and start shaking violetly.