We made it 2 weeks!

[SafeChoice]

I rescued Merlin (green wing) 2 weeks ago and we are starting to settle in.
He came from a dirty home with no attention and a cheap seed diet.
His body was 90% plucked... He seemed to be chewing on his feet, body and feathers almost no-stop.

I managed to get him in the bath tub and he has had a few Feather Glo bird spray baths too. The chewing and picking at himself really slowed down!


I was able to get him off the seeds and on pellets, veggies, and fruits by day 5.

He gets a lot of attention and I'm in the same room with him 8 to 12 hours per day.

From day 5 to day 12 he seemed to be getting some new feathers coming in, but the last 2 days he has plucked back to the way he was


He doesn't appear stressed. His personality has been slowly coming out. Playing whistling games with me and getting quite demanding to taste whatever I am eating!


I'm really disappointed on losing the small gains we were making with the feathers.
Any suggestions?



I've attached 2 pictures, one taken today (right after a spray bath) and the other taken 3 days ago.

 

[Squeekmouse]

I'm sorry I don't have any experience or advice regarding plucking... all I can say is that it sounds like you truly are making progress all the way around. Don't be discouraged, you can't expect everything to just turn around and be better and better every day. Around here we have some days where my boys are just perfect angels and lovely. Then the next day the boys are fighting and pooping all over and causing havok... and then the next day they are angels again. That's just life I guess.

Btw... Merlin is SUCH a cutie! I'm so glad he's in a good, happy home now.

 

[texsize]

I think you have made great progress.
You may never get him to stop plucking altogether. I have read they get something like a runners high from plucking.

I have been working with Bella my CAG for 2 years and she still plucks but she looks better than when I got her and she is happy and well adjusted on a good diet.

be sure to get him a full workup with a Certified Avian Vet to make sure there is no medical reason for the plucking.

texsize

 

[SafeChoice]

Thank Tex! He had a simple physical at the Vet the day I got him. That checked out. Planning on a full workup in a couple of months.

 

[Scott]

You've made great overall progress with Merlin. Plucking can be quite independent from well met needs and a close bond. I too recommend a full workup as able from a certified avian vet, or equivalent.

Plucking is one of the most vexing behaviors with no easy solutions. This thread is a great resource: http://www.parrotforums.com/behavioral/52217-plucking-search-answers.html

Good luck, and keep us advised. Merlin is a great looking bird with so much potential!

 

[ChristaNL]

Breathe in, breathe out...

as long as feathers are still coming in there is hope.

Pluckers (and toetappers) are the worst on the owners nerves- great one day, things go wrong the next.

Did you have fireworks where you live?
(Sunny really was not having a good time with those going of even in the distance!)

Anyway- you already did so much and Merlin is reacting to all the changes in a positive way! Do not let a little plucking be a setback.
It is like every other bad habbit-- not easy to stop all at once.

(LOL< I am kind a stressed myself about Sunnies feathers- she finally managed to grow a few back in and I do not want her to loose those over some idiots having a blasting session outside)


A better diet will give Merlin a better quality of feathers to work with, so maybe it is a blessing in disguise.

Get him a full evaluation (do not forget calciumlevels, even if he is not a girl).

 

[SilleIN]

Hi,

I've had great success with pluckers and I recently made this post: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/78761-solutions-pluckers.html

I would start to give him sepia shells/cuttlebones, hemp seed (of you can find it) and this product from Holland: https://www.vogelartikelenwebshop.nl/en/anti-picking-flakes-1-kg.html
That's what all pluckers gets here and that takes care of a lot of them (along with a healthy diet and lots of love).

If he still plucks after about 6 months, you should consider a protector for his body. I am not a fan of the hard plastic collars, as they usually don't work on the long run. As soon as you remove the collar, they start plucking again.

I have made protectors from really stretchy socks, where the birds gets to go through the motions of plucking, but as they can't reach the feathers, they don't get the reward of endorphins. Most of them stop, once they are no longer deficient in calcium, protein and beta-keratin and don't get the reward of plucking.