Is she plucking?? or is it something else???

[crimson]

I came home from school shopping today with my daughter Sarah. I went into the bedroom as usual to check on my birds. I let out Violet, my lovebird, and noticed a bare patch on her neck, which was not there yesterday.

I checked her over and found raw skin, missing feathers on both her lower legs, under her belly, and her neck area. she was in the cage with her mate Luna all day yesterday, tucked away in their sleepy hut for most of the day.
they were not perching nor playing, and really didn't think much of it.

I've never had a bird pluck before, ever. So I am not sure if she is doing this to her self, or if it's Luna doing it.
Yesterday I saw feathers in the bottom of her cage, and thought "oh, she's starting to moult too", as she is around 6-7 months of age, so the timing would be right, but obviously it is much more than just moulting.

I applied some Harrisons soothing cream to the affected areas, put her in a separate cage so I can watch her more closely.

could moulting do this to a bird?, I'm thinking it's either her doing it to her self, or it's Luna.

Considering the stress we have had here the past week, the birds flight time has been cut down considerably. could it possibly be due to stress, I'm thinking a vet visit may be looming on the horizon, but right now I just don't see how that will happen.
Num Num's vet visit cost a fortune, and the bills won't be stopping any time soon either....right now there is just no money.
please any suggestions???.....when will this stop?....uggggg!

IMG_3503_zpsd573be1f.jpg Photo by bmckellar735 | Photobucket

IMG_3501_zpsc758a875.jpg Photo by bmckellar735 | Photobucket

IMG_3496_zps4e08162b.jpg Photo by bmckellar735 | Photobucket

 

[Featheredsamurai]

It looks like plucking to me

 

[MikeyTN]

My goodness, it's one thing after another with you lately. I bet its killing you, I'm so sorry.....

 

[crimson]

My goodness, it's one thing after another with you lately. I bet its killing you, I'm so sorry.....

it is exasperating for sure!, but I run a clean aviary here, take good care of my birds, so I have no clue WHY she is plucking, I caught her pulling another feather out.

 

[crimson]

It looks like plucking to me

....but why? I am familiar with why birds pluck, so I am wondering if it is stress related. but regardless, how do I help her??

 

[MikeyTN]

There can be so many reason for that....sorry you had to keep on dealing with birdy drama....

 

[crimson]

There can be so many reason for that....sorry you had to keep on dealing with birdy drama....

well, that's just the half of it, I just checked on my gouldians, one chick hatched yesterday, and the parents haven't been in the nest since yesterday. I found one dead chick, and the other one was tossed and found it under my aviary...so now I have it on a heating pad warming it up, geez it's just a day or two old.
these parents are known tossers, but it's just there second clutch together.
I have a pair of society finches that are nesting on eggs, but they are useless as two &*^ on a bull.

 

[MikeyTN]

Birdy drama....they're plotting against you....

 

[crimson]

Birdy drama....they're plotting against you....

ha ha, it sure seems that way

 

[Mayden]

Sorry I can't really be much help. But HUGE hugs going out to you right now. It's one thing after the other and I know you care for your babies so much. Love to you and your flock during all this! X

 

[crimson]

Sorry I can't really be much help. But HUGE hugs going out to you right now. It's one thing after the other and I know you care for your babies so much. Love to you and your flock during all this! X

thank you Mayden, you're so sweet!

 

[Akraya]

I don't know if I can be much help but I had Nimbus starting to destroy feathers, not plucking yet, and I gave her a lot more out of cage time, more stuff to keep her busy in her cage and a lot more sunlight, also tried to stay calm as possible around her. I think she was picking up on our stress because me and my fiance were moving apart to do long distance for a million reasons and needless to say our house was pretty dreary for a while. I'm sorry your little guys being a plucking pest I know how distressed I was to watch her break feathers and not be able to stop it

 

[crimson]

I don't know if I can be much help but I had Nimbus starting to destroy feathers, not plucking yet, and I gave her a lot more out of cage time, more stuff to keep her busy in her cage and a lot more sunlight, also tried to stay calm as possible around her. I think she was picking up on our stress because me and my fiance were moving apart to do long distance for a million reasons and needless to say our house was pretty dreary for a while. I'm sorry your little guys being a plucking pest I know how distressed I was to watch her break feathers and not be able to stop it

thanks Akraya, I hope your right.

 

[Kalidasa]

I'm seeing emerging pins in those places unless I'm not seeing it right. Hope it's nothing.

 

[crimson]

I'm seeing emerging pins in those places unless I'm not seeing it right. Hope it's nothing.

.....me too!!, as far as I remember she has plucked her self in the past 2 days.
I've been so busy looking after num num and taking care of his needs, along with my other birds,etc.... the last time she was out was on the weekend, and she looked fine.

 

[Kalidasa]

Could she be trying to line a nest? Did you check the inside if the hut? Not sure how old she is...good lord you've been thru enough!

 

[crimson]

Could she be trying to line a nest? Did you check the inside if the hut? Not sure how old she is...good lord you've been thru enough!

yeah, well about that, the baby gouldian died tonight ... the one that was tossed out....as for Violet, what I did was I cut open the hut to get a really good look at it.
we even took some of the 'remnants' from the hut, and put it under a microscope, just to make sure there aren't any critters, we are critter free, but everything looked sooooo cool magnified!!,lol.
have you ever seen a feather under a microscope??? it's amazing!!
she's resting on her swing right now, with NO hut.

 

[Kalidasa]

Sorry to hear about the baby. I would imagine a feather under a microscope would look like pine branches lol! Or some forest if something...bamboo maybe? Now I gotta look it up.....

 

[DallyTsuka]

you must be pretty stressed yourself over all of these recent events i wonder, if she is picking up the stress from you and the other birds (Num Num with his jaw, he must be pretty stressed too with that and vet visits), it might be a trigger since it just started.

my munch is a hormonal plucker, she plucks when she's on eggs, but she has mutilated in the past. it's frustrating trying to find the cause, so i feel your pain. i'm so sorry

 

[crimson]

you must be pretty stressed yourself over all of these recent events i wonder, if she is picking up the stress from you and the other birds (Num Num with his jaw, he must be pretty stressed too with that and vet visits), it might be a trigger since it just started.

my munch is a hormonal plucker, she plucks when she's on eggs, but she has mutilated in the past. it's frustrating trying to find the cause, so i feel your pain. i'm so sorry

thanks Dally, I never thought about any of my birds picking up on my stress!, now I feel retarded :32:

with her in her cage more with Luna, He has been such a cling on with her and always has been. He never leaves her side ever, even when they are out, and I wondering if that is contributing to her plucking. she gave him such a nip the other day, she booted him out of the snuggy hut, he looked so dejected
In reality he is a very needy type of bird with her, he also feeds her which is great, but is a bit too clingy.

If that is true....now what? these two are very bonded, it was love at first sight for both, which I was really happy for both of them. not very often do you get two birds that run to each other with open (arms)wings, I mean I have never seen two birds really meant for each other as these two are.

the bonus for me as they are both tame, and lovely birds, and I don't want to separate them if I don't have to.
I guess time will tell, today I will be watching her closely to see what she is doing, and I'll be putting on more cream today.