Is she starting to pluck!?

[BirdyMomma]

Hi.
Knuckles is our one year old, female Citron Crested Cockatoo. Tonight as I was giving night night tickles, I noticed what appeared to be a small bald patch on her otherwise pristine little chest. I was panic stricken. I took her out of her cage, and petted her, and smoothed out her feathers there, and it was no longer noticeable, but I'm freaking out. This has never happened before, and if it is plucking, is there a way to stop it, especially if I've caught it early?

I should have photographed it, but even then, I don't know if I can post it.

Her diet consists of Roudybush, with fresh fruits & vegetables, seeds for training, and the occasional pizza crust treat. She and our other birds get daily out of cage time, and interaction with my boyfriend, my mother and I. She gets outdoor time in the aviary or on walks with us, almost every day. The only thing that has changed is that she hasn't been bathed in almost a week.

I'm very upset by the possibility that she could be plucking. We devote so much time and love and attention to our birds..... Please offer any suggestions you can. Thanks.

 

[Allee]

Let's hope it's not plucking. Very smart to be proactive though. Twice in the last year, my U2 has chewed a feather, both times it was a new feather that had a particularly tough casing. Once the casing softened and came loose he left it alone. It sounds like that may be what Knuckles is doing. Frequent warm baths seem to help with the painful pinnies.

 

[BirdyMomma]

Thanks Allee.
Today when we woke up, it didn't seem so bad, so we carried on with business as usual. Training, and plenty of treats. Then Knucky and I took a shower, and I inspected the area, and it seemed worse. I was so upset. I knew I had to take her back to the guy we got her from to have her nails done (she won't let me). So we rushed over there. She puked three times on the way..... Once we got there, the bald spot was almost non existent again. He told me there was nothing wrong, and to be honest, nothing looked wrong anymore.
I think maybe I'm feeding her / treating her too much, and I'm stretching her crop? Thats why the area looks like it's balding. She's fine now. Resting after her appointment. I will keep watching her.

If anyone knows about this. Please let me know.

 

[Allee]

Plucking is complicated and since cockatoos are so prone to it, it might be wise to schedule a visit with an Av Vet for Knuckles. Parrots can start plucking for so many reasons, but once they do start, it can become a very hard habit to break. You said puking, that makes me wonder if something is wrong with her crop, that could explain why she's picking at it, when it hurts on the inside, sometimes they will pick at the outside. It's always good to rule out any and all medical issues that could be the underlying cause of plucking. Good luck, I hope Knuckle's problem isn't serious.

 

[mth281]

This is kinda of an old thread but since i have a citron to i thought id reply. Ive noticed that two with corky, Hes scared me a few times because i see a bald spot in his chest. When i go to look its gone. I think they have a slight bald spot in the center of their chest. I cant see it very often but when i examine it doesnt look like theres ever been feathers there. Maybe its a citron thing.