Salty is in trouble with plucking

I am making an inquiry. The breeder and avian vet for my first CAG at different times told me this. Don't let him get in habit of playing/chewing on loose feathers. It could lead to compulsive and negative feather damaging behavior. I've followed that advice. Has this changed? (Let's say that was over 4 decade's ago.) Never saw any reason to investigate this.
 
We have always been very fastidious in removing any feathers that we find in his cage or play areas. Always.
 
GaleriaGila said:
I tried an "anti-plucking" toy that I got from MySafeBirdStore that's basically a big bouquet of feather (poultry, I presume). The Rb likes it but I notice no plucking change. Although it hasn't gotten worse...
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Ona has that same toy and LOVES it. It's one of her favorites. Can't say it ever helped with her plucking though.
 
DonnaBudgie said:
I didn't know the RB plucked.
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YESSSSS!
It coincided roughly with his having started heart and kidney meds... his blood tests say one thing (bad) but his activity and personality (fine)show no problems EXCEPT PLUCKING just around his "collar". Hey, he's almost 41. But I love him. Endlessly. Y'all know how it is..
 
We have had Bella since 2016 and she came to us as a plucker.
Every year she has plucked out her chest feathers but lets them grow back.
This year she’s not letting them grow back.

I don’t know what is different this year but I remain hopeful she will let them grow back soon.
 
Sound generator MAY be helping. The rate of plucking seems to have abated or at least slowed. What is mildly surprising is how easily Salty has taken to an adjusted diet. We know parrots hate change, especially with food. After a day or two of not eating much, he has shifted his main interest to his chop in the evenings. Salty used to waste a lot and would leave some in the bowl. Now, judging by whats on the bottom of his feeding station and what is left in the food bowl, he is eating a lot of it, which is good! And he has started to eat more of the pellets he has access to all day. Both were recommendations of the vet - not viz a vie the plucking but because he is a chunky boy.
 
wrench13 said:
Sound generator MAY be helping. The rate of plucking seems to have abated or at least slowed. What is mildly surprising is how easily Salty has taken to an adjusted diet. We know parrots hate change, especially with food. After a day or two of not eating much, he has shifted his main interest to his chop in the evenings. Salty used to waste a lot and would leave some in the bowl. Now, judging by whats on the bottom of his feeding station and what is left in the food bowl, he is eating a lot of it, which is good! And he has started to eat more of the pellets he has access to all day. Both were recommendations of the vet - not viz a vie the plucking but because he is a chunky boy.
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Awesome news, Master Wrench! Hope your boy has turned a corner and continues to improve from here!! 🙏 🙏 🙏
 
wrench13 said:
Sound generator MAY be helping. The rate of plucking seems to have abated or at least slowed. What is mildly surprising is how easily Salty has taken to an adjusted diet. We know parrots hate change, especially with food. After a day or two of not eating much, he has shifted his main interest to his chop in the evenings. Salty used to waste a lot and would leave some in the bowl. Now, judging by whats on the bottom of his feeding station and what is left in the food bowl, he is eating a lot of it, which is good! And he has started to eat more of the pellets he has access to all day. Both were recommendations of the vet - not viz a vie the plucking but because he is a chunky boy.
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I keep bringing it up but get no response from you. Have you tried extra protein or at least looked into the possibility of him eating his feathers is the result of protein deficiency?
 
wrench13 said:
Sound generator MAY be helping. The rate of plucking seems to have abated or at least slowed. What is mildly surprising is how easily Salty has taken to an adjusted diet. We know parrots hate change, especially with food. After a day or two of not eating much, he has shifted his main interest to his chop in the evenings. Salty used to waste a lot and would leave some in the bowl. Now, judging by whats on the bottom of his feeding station and what is left in the food bowl, he is eating a lot of it, which is good! And he has started to eat more of the pellets he has access to all day. Both were recommendations of the vet - not viz a vie the plucking but because he is a chunky boy.
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YAY! I hope it does help!!!
 
Oh sorry JjEjFjF, thank you for the suggestion. My Vet ran full tests, you name it she tested for it, and did not mention protein deficiencies at all. Salty gets a bit of chicken when we have it, like 1x a week, and thigh bones when they are available.
 
wrench13 said:
I've been reluctant to post this. Oddly, when your parrot starts to pluck, it makes the owner feel so inadequate, so much of a failure, I was quite overtaken with it and embarrassed!

About 2 months ago. we noticed a disturbance in his feathers on his upper breast. IT slowly progressed to the point where we knew there were feathers missing, and has now progressed to the point where there is bare skin showing. He has gone to his Avian vet 6 weeks ago and received a treatment for feather mites, even though the vet did not see any signs of them. Did not work and the condition continued. Then, 4 weeks ago, after discussion, the vet gave him the first of 2 Lupron shots, in the theory that his unusually strong mating season behavior this year was causing him to pluck. He got the second shot 1 week ago. It has not stopped the behavior so far and the bare spot continues to grow.

the vet did a full blood panel etc etc on the initial visit, everything is normal except his weight which is high and I've adjusted his diet to get him to trim down a bit.

What is really weird is - there are no feathers to be found, anywhere - not on the floor , not in his cage, nothing. Is It possible he is eating the feathers, totally, after he plucks them? Also weird is we never ever see him doing the plucking, only time possible could be when he is covered up for the night, which is 10PM to 10 AM.

Any ideas, anyone? Its so unusual for Amazons to pluck, but he is not the first Yellow Shoulder I have seen doing it. There is another one locally, and she is badly plucked. I've started to mist him every 2-3 days with water, but previously for the last 9 years its been more like 2-3 months, since his species is from an arid, dry environment.

Any thoughts, advice or comments? Trust me, for those of you whose parrots don't do this, if your parrot starts plucking , it is totally demoralizing!!
:cry:😢
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Jumping in to second the white noise machine along with a Himalayan salt lamp, both just at night. Be sure the room is plenty humid too. I also wanted to mention I think one of the most awesome environmental offerings we can give our parrots is natural sunlight. I went ahead and got two large outdoor aviaries a year ago and it’s been a game changer for my flock in many ways, but most notably in their feather quality and temperament! Due to the Ohio weather, I only get to use them 3 months out of the year but it is sooo worth it. If you could set up an outdoor enclosure for Salty and let him hang out in it for at least a few hours a day (weather permitting), it just might help him get over this. No harness, of course. Sending lots of support your and Salty's way!
 
Doesn't it get too hot in the summer for the birds outdoors? It easily gets into the 90s here in Maine and I can't stand the heat. Don't they get too hot? I would think May, June, September and October would all be nice for parrots outdoors in the north.
 
Auggie, the "makin' bacon pancakes" quaker on YouTube has been getting Lupron shots recently for repeated plucking/regrowing/ replucking episodes and she's starting to regrow her feathers but she's been through these cycles before so it will be months before they know if its a permanent solution. So frustrating. But she's still adorable even with bald patches, just as all our beloved birds are. We can't loose sight of that love we have for them.
 
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