Freaking out here.... help.

[Beharry]

My girl's name is MJ. I seem to always call her "my girl". She's my one and only, no other pets and I love her to pieces, except for the 30 seconds after she occasionally puts a hole somewhere on my fingers, about maybe once a month. lol. She is 3yrs old next december. I never felt a need to ask for advice till now. But I read all the input you wise folks put out there. I'm grateful for this forum as it helps me avoid some common mishaps.

My problem is just starting 2 weeks ago my girl's wings are starting to look ragged. I thought at first it was just a fluke but its at least twice as bad today as it was a week ago. I am really scared she is chewing on her wings. Not the tips but about an inch below her shoulders. What is the best thing I can so to STOP this before it becomes chronic? She doesn't seem to do anything when she is the same room as me, but she must be when I'm at work or out of the house. She is out of her cage about 6 hours a day unless I'm at work. I read a while back about a hanging gym that is supposed to prevent feather chewing but I'm sure she is only up to no good when I'm not around to supervise her out of cage time. I'm afraid there is no "right" answer but any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Pi_1]

First, a vet visit will let you know if anything is physically wrong. Next, if the vet gives her a clean bill of health, try getting some new toys for her to play with. Easy things for her to destroy - like popsicle stick toys and things like that. Maybe a toilet paper roll......or take the subscription cards from magazines, fold them up (one way, then the other, like an accordion), and put a hole in the center - then slide a bunch of them down one of the wires from an old toy and hang them in her cage. This will give her something to concentrate on when you're not around.

 

I take it you haven't moved.......moved her cage.....had someone new move in, etc? If nothing has changed and the vet says she is ok, she is probably bored/frustrated. Is her cage in your main living area? It should be so she can be around you. Try spending more time with her if your time together has been limited. Also, you could try leaving a radio or TV on for her while you're gone at a low volume so she has something to occupy her.......

[chezron]

Regular trips outside into the sunshine fixed my grey, who had started to fray his feathers. The vet also said to add a cooked chicken drumstick bone to her weekly diet. Not only are his feathers more beautiful, he is in a calmer mood, and he has completely stopped mismanaging his feathers. He started preening normally almost immediately after he started getting his regular dose of sunshine. This worked for us; I hope you find what works for you and your grey.

[Morana]

Uh... As always, I feel like I'm missing so much of the information needed.. So here goes.. Does your birdie have toys? baths regulary? sunbaths or UV lamp? Has something changed in your life since this started or just before? IMO, vet visit is a must do. When did she had her last check up? Does she have a big enough cage? If yes, put up a boing, rope perches, ladders, swings, bunch of verious types of toys, treats. Does your birdie forage? What does she eat? Can we get some pictures please? There is not much room to guess. -IMO it can be three things: a health thing (diet thing included here), boredom thing or something has changed. Have I forgotten something?

Please be more detailed:-)

Edited August 11, 2011 by Morana

[Beharry]

I am thinking it is a boredom thing. She is alone in her room if I'm not home. I have boxes of toys for her but I notice they are mostly the non-destructible kind. I try to leave whichever she has in her cage for her to be comfortable with them cause when I give her something new, well you guy know how greys are.... She has a large ball with a small ball inside she won't touch , and it's been 3 months in her cage. I give her wood and pop stick toys too but maybe she's bored with them. She's healthy and I cook her birdie food and freeze it. The recipe changes every month or so to include beans, rice, barley, quinoa, pasta and vegetables but she hasn't been eating it as well for the last couple of weeks. I give her Harrison's course in her other bowl. She loves bananas and strawberries, carrots ect. I think I need to purchase some foraging toys and maybe a travel cage. I never take her out of the house because she's not clipped and I don't really want to take away her ability to fly around the house. Maybe if I took her with me more she wouldn't be bored. I haven't had her to a vet, but she seems so healthy that it seems a waste of time... with the money that would cost I could buy a ton of new toys for her. How do you feel about the vet check, Is it vital? I feel kinda guilty about it but I work in health care and don't think Docs an experts at anything and half the time they are wrong about things. And she doesn't look sick at all and if she did I'd have already done that. She talks plenty and is in a good mood most of the time. Long post but I'd appreciate any feedback.

[Beharry]

I forgot to mention that She seem terrified of the sink and tub so I spray her sometimes. My apartment is very bright but her room is not, and as I said I don't take her out. Maybe an outdoor cage. I'm just afraid she'll escape. They are so smart and occasionally she lets herself out of her cage. Thanks guys.

[chezron]

I take my flighted guys outside in their cages. I just roll them out the door. Use extra locks if escape is an issue.

[Beharry]

Her cage is HUGE. It had to be put together in her room because its too big to fit thru the door. It's a cage for two with a divider that I never put it it. She has a smaller cage in the living room that might fit thru the door. I just might try that next sunny day. great idea. thanks

[Talon]

Hi, I have 3 parrots, and I too never want to take their free flying away from them, so I applaud you for that. I don't take my birds out as I feel as you do, not worth the risk. Make sure she has a uv light, leave the tv on, they do like to watch it. I also have a bird sitter DVD that loops and they enjoy that a few times a week, as well as kid tv shows.

 

I have found that my birds love their hanging buckets with bits of broken toys, treats, wooden beads, popsicle sticks etc., wrapped up tightly in scrap paper. They spend lots of time trying to chew the paper off. I would suggest that. Be careful, one of my greys is scared of the shiny metal hanging bucket, she is fine with the wooden one. It may take a while former to attempt to go near it, but once she does, it will occupy her for quite a while.

 

I also feel as you do about the vet, I don't think a vet visit is necessary, she may just be bored, and chewing her feathersmkeeps her busy. I also have a tag and she prefers parakeet size toys.........also, qtips are a favorite of my birds.

[Talon]

One other suggestion, I have a small travel cage. I put one of my birds in it, and take them into the car where I then let them out providing all the windows are closed. They love the car ride with me! My vet told me he had a man who had a grey and it started plucking terribly, he took it out for daily car rides, and it stopped. Go figure!

[Beharry]

Wow. Thank guys. I was starting to feel like a bad birdie mom but these ideas are really great. I have a plastic travel carrier that I don't like so I hardly use it. Today I think it will get used for the last time for a trip to the parrot emporium for a new travel cage. And a toy bucket.... You guys are the best.

[Morana]

Hi!

I just meant that AVIAN vet is a must do if you haven't done it at all (or recently). Your bird should have regularly checkups for they hide their illnesses extremely good. As others have said, it is not dangerous to take them outside in a traveler cage if they remain supervised the whole time and if you put extra locks. If you have much hawks in the area, I wouldn't take her out tho. Bird light has to have specific amount of UV-B and UV-a percentage. If I'm not mistaken, 2.4% UV-B and 12% UV-A.

About the toys.. Have you tried shreddable toys? If she doesn't like some toy, rotate it. If she is afraid of them, try putting them somewhere near the cage so she could take a look at them. Play with them in front of her. Slowly introduce them and for every inch she is not afraid of some toy offer a treat. When she is fine with particular toy, put it in the cage. Maybe you could try simple foraging. Buy little cardboard boxes and put a treat in so she could see it. Play with her till she figures how to get the treat. When she learns the process, put those cardboard boxes around in the cage. Also you could use coffee filters instead of cardboard boxes. Or you could use paper for muffins and then saw them up like little bags.

About bathing... My Zak is also terrified of the shower cabin and shower but I'm working on that. We go in, stay a while and go out..Nothing more for now. We praise him a lot while he is in the cabin... I'm misting him in the living room for now because he needs to bathe but it is a pain in the butt so I'm working slowly towards the shower. Also, you don't need to use the shower while in the cabin. Put your parrot on the shower perch and mist her with a spray bottle. She needs to get completely wet for her skin not to itch and for her feathers to be shiny. Also it will stabilize the over preening if you have such a problem.

How is she eating now?

[JDS5607]

You can try a feather duster ( One made with real, natural feathers) or provide her with foraging toys, or toys she can pull apart. A lot of times it is boredom, unless maybe something has changed and she is stressed. Have you:

Replaced her cage?

Gotten new toys?

Moved someone new in?

Changed your routine or schedule?

Changed her food?

 

If none of these things are happening, I would say shes bored. Take her to the vet and have her checked up on, and try the feather duster or lots of foraging toys!

 

Keep us posted! Good luck!

[Morana]

I don't get what the feather duster is for? Isn't that used for dusting furniture,...?