Plucking or molting?

[PenguinAndPickles]

My sun conure/green cheek conure hybrid is currently a bare stomached little bird. He went through this last year at about the same time. He starts molting, and he freaks out and pulls all of his feathers out! Like last time,they are growing back again, but what can I do to prevent this from happening again? He is a little over one year old and is a complete sweet heart. I just want to help him! Any suggestions?

Flickr: MrPicklesIsMyBaby's Photostream

Pictures ^^^

Also, I have a few other questions. I would like to get a larger cage for Pickles. This is his current cage

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-Hammertone-3151BLK/dp/B000FRV3M2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1391113657&sr=8-3&keywords=bird+cage]Amazon.com: Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Select Bird Cage Black Hammertone 3151BLK: Pet Supplies[/ame]

Any cheap, larger options that would work for him?

Another question. I have a 7 year old quaker as well(Penguin). Pickles and Penguin really dont get along. Penguin has no problem with Pickles, but Pickles attacks and flies at Penguin. Is there any way to get them to tolerate each other? Thanks

 

[Peeko]

I don't have experience with pluckers, so I cant give advice for that, but this is the cage my little guy has and its perfect.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/"]Amazon.com: Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage, 31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch: Pet Supplies[/ame]

 

[alcmene]

Peeko- i have that exact cage! We love it. Easy to clean. Easy to manuever. Lots of space.

PenguinandPickles- the cage you listed has bar spacing that is too wide for a conure. From what i've read, 5/8- 1/2in is ideal. 3/4in is big enough for a head to get stuck

 

[riddick07]

I have a cage with 3/4 for my two green cheeks it's a little big for a small gcc but for the bigger ones it can work. A sun would do fine in one with 3/4. I really like the 5/8 spacing that my sun is in right now though! I would say 5/8 is better but 3/4 can work...

Oh and my female gcc can poke her head out right under her dish in my cage but no where else. But she is half the size of my other gcc... I'm not worried about it since it's the only spot and she doesn't get stuck. The space right there is slightly bigger than the rest of the cage. I do understand the worries though with the bigger spacing.

I have the three tiered bird cage from a & e. The bigger one with 3/4 spacing. Can't remember who made my 5/8 cage but it's a two tiered cage with a play top.

 

[riddick07]

Oh and do you live somewhere cold where you have the heater on a lot? It could be because you do not have enough Humidity in the house if this is the case and need to buy a humidifier. My bird did this in winter two times and I figured it out this year and he has stopped plucking so far. We will see how next year goes of course.

 

[Frumpydumple]

Your bird is plucking. You should take him to a Avian Vet. Since he is a hybrid between a Aratinga Conure and a Pyrrhura Conure he could have internal genetic problems causing him to pluck his feathers out due to discomfort.

Sun/Green Cheek hybrids often have genetic problems such as foot deformities and even cancer. Not trying to scare you, I was just pointing that out.


As for the cage I have heard 1/2 in or 5/8 bar spacing is good for Green Cheeks and 3/4 for a Sun. Not sure about the bar spacing for hybrids though.

 

[riddick07]

Frumpy I was actually wondering if it could be something wrong because he was a cross!

 

[Birdbrain91]

I have a Green Check and a Sun Conure sharing the same cage with 3/4 bar spacing. I've never had a problem wih the GC putting his head through it or even trying. With a GC and Sun hybrid you should be good wih the 3/4. If he is an escape artist then I would go with the 5/8.