Tail plucking

[Mistyparrot]

Last year just after I moved home Misty plucked all his beautiful tail feathers. All his other feathers were fine. After a few months they grew back. Now he has just done the same thing. He has just plucked all his tail feathers again! Again all his other feathers are perfect and he seems just the same in every other respect. Could it be a seasonal hormonal thing? Any ideas?

:confused:

 

Steve n Misty

[judygram]

Gosh Steve I just don't know but maybe something is bothering him in his tail area, I would have him checked out by your avian vet if it were me, of course I don't know much about pluckers but it seems strange that he would only pluck them from his tail and not his body, maybe someone else can shed some light on this matter.

[Mistyparrot]

Thanks Judy. Yes I will pop him down to the vet but I took him last year when the same thing happened and he could find nothing wrong with him then. They came back without any further intervention. Fortunately it does not seem to affect his flying ability.

 

Steve n Misty

[Guest]

My Angel is a terrible plucker and scratcher! I have tried everything to stop it. Changed her diet, added humidity to her room, bathing more often, conditioning spray. She just won't quit. She has no feathers on her body under her wings, her whole under neck area and picks her legs. The only thing I can figure is all the trauma she's been through in the last few years. She seems very happy now... talks up a storm, sits with me, lets me take her to the bathtub for showers, ect. I have had her checked for mites, but my local vet doesn't know alot about birds. My problem is the closest avian vet is 120 + miles away and it's still winter here and very cold so I'm afraid to take her outside and get chilled. ( this morning it's 18 degrees out there!) Any suggestions why she would do this? I know they will from stress and then it can become habit but how do you stop it? She just looks so bad, and Africans are one of the pretties birds when they have all their feathers!!

[Ruby]

ruby is doing the same thing. she has chewed off her middle tail feathers. i called the vet and she recommended diet changes and decreasing her daylight hours. i'm taking her for a checkup in a few weeks.