Wolfspirit

Thanks, I will look for that spray next time I'm at a pet shop... This saturday, we have a bird show in town, I'm planning on going to it and getting a bunch of new stuff.

I give him ZuPreem Avian Maintenance Fruit Blend Flavor pellets, he seems to really like them. And yes, even though it is really difficult to get him to eat fruits and veggies, I won't give it up. I consider it a victory if he takes just a couple of nibbles from my lips! Funny, my kids were already picky eaters, now I have another one to worry about! I do spray him down every day with a water spray bottle, he kind of likes it, but it doesn't get him completely soaked. Once he is a little more settled in, I will take him in the shower and see how he reacts to it. I am still trying to figure him out, to see what kind of toys he likes. So far, he is pretty picky with his toys, too. I will keep offering him new ones, though. The kids do leave him alone, my oldest (10 year old boy) is making friends with him more than the others, and Max is a bit more relaxed around him than around the 6 year old and the baby. His cage is in our living room, away from the entrance (so foot traffic is limited). Is is near a window, but it doesn't seem drafty right now, I might move the cage in the winter. Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming if you have more.

Yes, I took Max to the local avian vet within one week of having him. To her, he seemed perfectly healthy. She mentioned that the diminishing feathers on his chest might be plucking, and that once he gets some stability, he will eventually stop that. She also mentioned that moulting could be a factor because when she clipped him, she noticed a couple of blood feathers in the wings. I just wanted to know if I can do anything else to help him adjust. Thank you to all for the suggestions...

Yeah, his chest had downy feathers only, with just a few real feathers. It did get a little worse since he came home with us. I figured he's had a couple of stressful weeks. I got him from a college student who only had him for a couple of weeks because he was trying to find a home for Max to help his sister out (that is the original owner since Max was a baby). So, I guessed that Max was showing signes of stress for being displaced. He has bonded with me very fast, so I'm hoping that his plucking will end soon. That's why I need to know what else I can do to make it easier for him to adjust.

Forget Batman, here is batbird to the rescue!!!

I need some advice on my TAG, Max. I think he may be plucking his chest. I have seen some feathers on the bottom of his cage, and some of them are half feathers. His tail and wings look great, but his chest is mostly downy fluff now. We've had him for about 4 weeks. He spends most of his time outside of his cage. He eats both seeds and pellets, but he doesn't like fruits and veggies. The only time he'll really try these is if I hold them between my lips. He seems like a really timid bird, my kids make him nervous, but they generally stay away from him and his cage. Any advice about his chest feathers? What else could I do to help him not pluck?

Hi all, Here is a photo of my TAG, Max, whom I've had for about 4 weeks now. Do you guys think he is plucking or just moulting? I do notice some feathers on the bottom of his cage occasionally, and some of them are actually half-feathers (like they are cut in half). His tail and wings look great, but his chest in now just downy fluff. If he is plucking, what can I do about it? He spends most of the day out of his cage, he eats both seed and pellets, he refuses to eat most fruits and veggies (he sometimes eats them if I hold the bits of food between my lips). He does seem like a timid bird, my kids make him nervous, but they generally stay away from him and his cage. Any advice on what I could do to help him not become a conpulsive plucker? Thanks, Missy <br><br>Post edited by: Wolfspirit, at: 2009/09/05 23:19

Yes, those are the ones I was asking about... Not too many feathers on the bottom of the cage, just the occasional one, and some down feathers. I will keep an eye on him, but he is acting pretty "normal", whatever that might be.

Can you guys comment on Max's chest feather condition? He now only has down on his chest, no bare spots, but no real feathers... Is he moulting or do you think he is plucking? I watched him groom several times a day, he doesn't seem too aggressive with it, and I haven't actually seen him pull and feathers, just some down sometimes. He seems like a pretty timid bird, and the kids do make him nervous, but I already expected that. I figure it will take him some time to get adjusted to his new home. What do you think? Should I worry about plucking, and if so, what should I do? I'd like to be proactive in this situation.

Here are a couple of pictures of Max on the day we brought him home (I hope this works...):

Hi All, I am new to this forum, and I thought I'd introduce myself and my new baby (avian baby, that is)... I've had Max for about 3 weeks now. He is a 4-yr old TAG that I've been waiting for for years. In fact, I purchased a large cage about 3 years ago and since then, it's been sitting empty and lonely in the garage. Finally, everything worked out just right (I had the funds, my husband finally OK'd the purchase, and I found Max available in my area). So, here he is, now. It was actually a close competition between him and a beautiful female eclectus, but she suddenly became unavailable, so Max came to live with us. He is a sweetheart, he mumbles a lot, some of it is identifiable, like "what?", "Come here, Chico" (his previous name), "Shut up!" "Hello? Helllooooo!" and quite a few more. He is always willing to step up, and he and I bonded very fast. My kids (ages 10, 6, and 1) don't ever try to touch him, and he is very wary of them. He did manage to bite my husband on the nose (of course! He is not the pet type), so now, my husband does not want to handle him either. I guess he will just become my bird (their loss, my gain) Anyway, as soon as I can decompress some image files I will upload a couple of pictures of him.