DJ'sMom Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hello all, this is not my first visit to this forum although it is my first time posting. My DJ is 7-1/2 years old and has suddenly started plucking. Nothing has changed around him. The only difference I have noticed in the past few months is a dominance issue. He has displayed behavior issues that he's never had before - he bit my husband badly quite a few times in the past few months and he stopped going into his cage at night when for the past 7 years a simple "It's time for bed DJ" would send him walking right into his cage to his sleep perch. This is no longer the case, we have been tricking him to go inside for months now. I noticed a small bare patch under his right wing a couple of weeks ago, last weekend I saw his legs had some bald spots. He hates being showered and when he wants one he lets me know by throwing water around, which is probably once a month. Last weekend when I noticed the legs I soaked him in the shower to get a better look at the situation. The spot under his wing was larger and there are a few spots on his chest and neck that he has moved to as well. He is pulling pin feathers out, there were tons at the bottom of his cage last week. I've been treating him with Avitech Feather-In twice a day since last Thursday. Since then I've found fewer pins - yesterday just 3. It is hard for me to tell if he is naturally preening or if he is pulling anything out, I'm also not sure if he is molting at this time, his last molt was August. I have an appointment with a vet for Saturday but am second guessing this decision as I know this visit will stress him immensely and not sure if I am doing more harm than good. He is very playful and vocal - except after he is sprayed - he turns into a stuffed animal for close to 2 hours, then he finally shakes if off but gets very violent with his toys at that time. When he is dry, he starts to preen and I watch him like a psycho. If I see him concentrating on one area too long I give him something to play with or I try to distract him but I'm not there all the time to do this. It's getting harder and harder for me to convince him to step up for me in the morning because now he is wise to the spraying, I don't want to lose his trust. I feel as if he thinks every time I go near him I am going to scoop him up and soak him down. This morning I decided to skip it because he was so stressed out, he wouldn't even come out of his cage for me at all and that's never the case in the morning. I hate knowing that I'm stressing him out and now wondering is this vet visit the right thing to do?? I desperately want to do the right thing and I have no idea what that is at this point. I appreciate any input or advice as I am totally lost and so upset that my baby is going through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolz7 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Mine is doing the same and just had a vet visit. It is good to have your bird checked yearly by an avian vet. Hormonal plucking could also be what is starting with yours. Mine is 8 1/2 years old and he started rubbing up on his toys also. Make sure to discourage that behaviour according to my vet. I am also doing the shots and have seen a great improvement with mine. Set of 3 shots over a 3 month period. Highly recommend especially if the plucking gets as bad as mine was. Hope this helps somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 His last vet visit was Sept 2009 and it was horrifying for both him and me. He was screaming so loud he popped a blood vessel in his face, DJ is not a screamer at all. His entire mood was off for almost a week after that visit and this is why I have not brought him back unless totally necessary and also why I am questioning my decision to bring him in this weekend - this will be a different vet. A medical center that is strictly for birds and exotics. Currently, he is very hormonal, he has been displaying lots of mating behavior towards me and his toys. I took his bell out of his cage because he kept banging on it over and over again - being demanding (the dominance thing) when I put it back he went CRAZY with puppy sounds and trying to climb and rub on it, that was about 2 weeks ago. What type of shots is your bird getting?? I am so insanely overprotective I think I would faint if they suggested shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolz7 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 My first question is how long have you had birds? Second is i have hand raised over 500 babies so i feel i have some experience or at least a little when it comes to my birds. I only have 2 now and they are my life. I would not take my bird to a regular vet ever. Always make sure it is an avian vet. My birds love going to the vet so if it is a good vet your bird should be fine. He or she should be able to handle them and make your visit pleasant. Hormonal issues are hard to deal with that is why i am taking mine for the shots. But at the end of the day you are the mommy and its up to you what you decide to do with your baby. Just like when we had our kids we can listen to others but the final decision on how you raise yours is entirely up to you. Whatever you decide your baby will be just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 (edited) Hello all' date=' this is not my first visit to this forum although it is my first time posting. My DJ is 7-1/2 years old and has suddenly started plucking. Nothing has changed around him. The only difference I have noticed in the past few months is a dominance issue. He has displayed behavior issues that he's never had before - he bit my husband badly quite a few times in the past few months and he stopped going into his cage at night when for the past 7 years a simple "It's time for bed DJ" would send him walking right into his cage to his sleep perch. This is no longer the case, we have been tricking him to go inside for months now. I noticed a small bare patch under his right wing a couple of weeks ago, last weekend I saw his legs had some bald spots. He hates being showered and when he wants one he lets me know by throwing water around, which is probably once a month. Last weekend when I noticed the legs I soaked him in the shower to get a better look at the situation. The spot under his wing was larger and there are a few spots on his chest and neck that he has moved to as well. He is pulling pin feathers out, there were tons at the bottom of his cage last week. I've been treating him with Avitech Feather-In twice a day since last Thursday. Since then I've found fewer pins - yesterday just 3. It is hard for me to tell if he is naturally preening or if he is pulling anything out, I'm also not sure if he is molting at this time, his last molt was August. I have an appointment with a vet for Saturday but am second guessing this decision as I know this visit will stress him immensely and not sure if I am doing more harm than good. He is very playful and vocal - except after he is sprayed - he turns into a stuffed animal for close to 2 hours, then he finally shakes if off but gets very violent with his toys at that time. When he is dry, he starts to preen and I watch him like a psycho. If I see him concentrating on one area too long I give him something to play with or I try to distract him but I'm not there all the time to do this. It's getting harder and harder for me to convince him to step up for me in the morning because now he is wise to the spraying, I don't want to lose his trust. I feel as if he thinks every time I go near him I am going to scoop him up and soak him down. This morning I decided to skip it because he was so stressed out, he wouldn't even come out of his cage for me at all and that's never the case in the morning. I hate knowing that I'm stressing him out and now wondering is this vet visit the right thing to do?? I desperately want to do the right thing and I have no idea what that is at this point. I appreciate any input or advice as I am totally lost and so upset that my baby is going through this.[/quote'] I can see that you're scared about what's happening but it's not as bad as you think. First off the product you're using is a good one. Many people use it for even more serious plucking problems. The product doesn't work over a short amount of time. No product does. When parrots get into a bad mood for a while, they'll be more aggressive and are quick to bite. Habits/rules that a parrot will obey often are put aside because of moodiness. The way he acts after a bath is good and productive. If you've really soaked the bird down, usually a bird will sit very quietly for a couple of hrs and the fluid works into the skin and softens that area making it less dry. It's also loosening up dead feathers. That's very important. Eventually, the bird will start preening all of the feathers that are dying so that new ones come in easily. That type of preening goes on for a long period of time. Usually a bird becomes oblivious to what's going on around him including people. That's the time to stay away from the bird so he can complete what he's doing. Watching him and getting ready to interupt him will make him/her nervous and interupt the preening process. Basically, you're interupting what nature is telling the bird to do. The bird will sense your nervousness. Some times bare spots will appear when a bird is intensely preening. It can happen periodically and if there's nothing wrong with the bird, feathers evntually grow back. ***He is pulling pin feathers out, there were tons at the bottom of his cage last week.** No, he's not. What you're seeing is very dry almost dead feathers which are coming out out. The bird is helping those feathers fall out. Whats left is the tiny pin/spike areas of which new feathers will grow back. Pulling the pin areas will result in areas in which feathers will never grow back. The spikes that are left are the pin areas. It happens all over the body where dead or dying feathers are coming out. Rubbing those areas against the direction they're in will cause a bird to bite. Those areas are very tender until new feathers grow back in. You may have to change your bathing habits. We have a section in the Health Room that deals with many ways to bathe a bird. This also will deal with his attitude towards spraying. I won't get into him biting your husband because that's a different subject altogether. There's many reasons why that could be happening. As far as visiting a vet,------You should try to put him in his carrying case quickly and ask your hubby to help. Be prepared for yelling and screeching. It's normal. When you get to the vet and he/she is ready to examine him, let the vet or tech become the *bad guy*. Let the vet do the touching. You'll only be guilty for taking him there and bringing him back but not for allowing the vet to do what he has to do. He won't associate you with what the vet has done. A vet expects that.. A bird who's been to a vet can come home and be moody and quiet for a coupe of hrs or a couple of days. It's normal. It's also normal that when a bird comes home from a vet and acts like nothing is wrong isn't unusual. It all depends upon the bird. You can't change his attitude. I will tell you to try and calm down because you're doing more worrying than the bird is even though you may think he's going through hell. Preening/hormonal changes can happen to a bird once, twice or even three times a year depending upon the amount of humidity in his area. The more humidity, the less the molting. During hormonal changes, the female has a lousier attitude than the male. PS---injections aren't given to any bird that's just temporrily hormonal. Edited January 16, 2013 by Dave007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 I've had him for 7 years. I value your opinion and thank you for it. I would like to know what type of shots they are so I am prepared if this suggestion comes up at our visit. DJ has only been to Avian Certified vets and the last 2 were horrible (for different reasons) which is why I gave up. The first wasn't traumatizing like the second was. The first was very shady and adjusted pricing according to how much you are willing to spend - which I did not like at all. He had the attitude that if your bird is your life then you will be willing to pay dearly for it. He saw I was a nervous wreck after losing a baby Grey that I bought without knowing he had respiratory issues. When the breeder/pet shop replaced the lost bird with my DJ, I wanted to be sure all was OK with a full physical and he suggested this particular Avian vet. I explained all of my concerns to him, he saw I was a nervous wreck and took advantage of the situation - disgusting. After the exam, while I was waiting to pay the receptionist she told me the bill wasn't ready yet. So I walked around with DJ and I actually heard the vet on the phone with the breeder asking him "How much do you think I can get her to spend?" with a chuckle. I pretty much went ballistic, he thought it was funny and insisted those were his prices and the phone conversation had nothing to do with the way I was billed. Of course I paid the bill, it was mine after all. Afterwards, I wrote him a nasty letter and put an appropriate review online - but that was in 2006 - water under the bridge, he will never see me again. The next Avian vet was just a joke and I wish I would have read the reviews online before taking DJ there...again lesson learned. I chose this new place because birds and exotics are the only animals they allow in and they have several Avian Certified Vets on the premises. It is also the closest to me that seems reputable and I also know someone with a Grey who swears by the place. I've had him for 7 years and do not have a specific "go to" Avian vet and that does not sit well with me, so this is an opportunity for me to start a relationship as well. I just don't know if I've chosen the wrong time to do this. DJ is generally not a nervous bird and is very well socialized. He is not afraid of new toys - he welcomes them and gets excited when he sees a new toy. He travels in the car with us all the time, he comes to crazy Sunday dinner at my mom's all the time. I have a bird sitter who stays at my home when we go away and DJ absolutely LOVES him. The only time he is fearful is when he hears the garbage truck outside - he can hear it from blocks away. Once he hears it, he starts pacing and waving his foot around to be picked up. Once he is near the dining room table where there are no windows and he can't hear the truck he is totally fine. The problem is - my bird is my life as well and as much as my gut told me to make the appointment I am now doubting myself. As I mentioned, I desperately want to do the right thing. Thanks for your input about your birds enjoying vet visits when done properly, I will take it into consideration while I chew my fingernails down at the thought of this entire thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 OMG...Dave, words cannot describe the huge sigh of relief I just got from reading your post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Leaving in one hour to the vet visit. I'm a bag of nerves. I will check in with details of our visit. Thank you all for your input, I really appreciate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolz7 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Yes great lets us no how it goes please good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 DJ did great at the vet! No screaming at all, I couldn't believe it and the vet repeated several times how impressive DJ's good behavior was. There was some growling during the physical exam while he was restrained but not one scream. The vet was AWESOME...he sat with us for over half an hour asking questions and taking lots of notes before the exam even started. DJ just sat on the examination table very calmly the entire time. One of the first things he commented on was how DJ's right wing is just about fully flighted and the left one is still clipped with the clipped feathers that have not fallen out yet. He didn't recommend clipping the right one to match, he preferred allowing the left one to molt and grow to match the right and keep him flighted for a while. Of course there could be 100's of reasons why he started plucking but he did mention that the wing imbalance could be a big part of it. Says that DJ knows his body better than all of us and if something is not right and causing him not to molt in sync, he may very well be trying to help it along by pulling old feathers out, but it becoming a habit is causing him to pull new blood feather out as well. He wants me to continue spraying him with the Avitech because he says it helps him remember how to preen in a healthy, normal way and when wet they are less likely to pluck. He says the plucking is a very mild case - so far - and he has not damaged his skin at all. He said DJ has excellent muscle form - nice and dense and everything else with the physical part was normal - eyes, nose, ears, vent, no sores on his feet etc... Also noticed that DJ is not a nervous and scared bird so he is most likely not neurotically plucking but something is obviously "off" or he wouldn't be doing it. He did recommend a humidifier and spectrum lighting (which I got rid of because it gave DJ a sunburn on his face) told me to use a lower voltage. More showers and try to keep his sleep schedule on point every night. He asked me if he's been displaying mating behavior more than usual and does he have a person that he views as a mate - yes, that would be cousin/bird sitter Eggie who has not been around as often anymore. The first time he came by since the summer was on Christmas Day, he was only here for 5 minutes and the minute DJ saw him he started regurgitating. After that he has been very sexual with his toy bell...sexual frustration could also be another reason. All things that I've already researched were discussed, although it was good to hear it coming from the vet. So once the blood work comes back we will know more. If that is normal, it is really just a process of elimination in trying to decipher what the problem is and no guarantees that we ever will - which of course I already know. Also, could just be a phase that he will suddenly snap out of or something he will continue - in his words...."we will never completely know completely goes on in bird brain world". The only time I got a little nuts was when they took him away to draw the blood. I felt like he was gone too long and was getting very nervous - are you shocked?? LOL. When he came back he was so happy to see me and wanted some cuddling. When we got home he took a nap. He has been very cuddly ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolz7 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I am so glad it all went well for you both. See having the right vet makes a huge difference. Good luck with your baby he said pretty much every thing my vet said so you are on the right track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 It sounds like you found a very good vet, I like one who takes the time to explain things in terms of the average person being able to understand what he says and DJ took it in stride too, I hope things get resolved soon and he gets all his feathers back in, you are doing great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Nice Vet, great results you should have some peace of mind now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Our wonderful new vet e-mailed me on Wednesday to check on DJ - love this vet! I received another e-mail from him this morning...preliminary blood work looks great and the test for Circovirus (PBFD) is negative. I responded to his e-mail asking if we are waiting on anything else to come back. So now to work on getting this plucking under control. DJ is getting too smart for me and it is getting more difficult for me to spray him with the Feather-In - this week he's only been sprayed 3 times On Wednesday he refused to come out of his cage knowing the shower was waiting. But after about an hour of hiding he went to his water bowl and started begging for a shower - problem is - it was 6:00 at night, not enough time for him to dry for bedtime. When I got home from work yesterday, he didn't give me a hard time and was even kissing me while I was spraying him Hopefully he is realizing that he likes it. The vet recommended Red Palm Oil...DJ had his first dose last night in his baby food bedtime treat, it went very well. Vet also recommended a humidifier and I'm getting that today - just wondering if a humidifier is safe for the electronics in my living room ?? Is that a stupid question?? LOL! Also spectrum lighting - although it makes me nervous because DJ did get a sunburn on his face a few years ago from one of these and I got rid of it. I thought about just getting a bulb and putting it in the high hat above his cage but I'm pretty sure that it won't be close enough to be beneficial. Thanks for all the advice and well wishes...we appreciate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 The avian light thing came up in another post recently. My advice is to carefully read the instructions with the light. There is a "burn in" time (number of hours on) during which the light is needs to be about a foot further away. After the burn in time is over, you move it closer. I did that and didn't have any problems with the light hanging over Timber's cage. Another forum member (sorry, I read all the posts and forget who said what) said to watch the voltage or wattage. Hopefully whoever that was will chime in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 So glad you found a great vet! Sophie has had a great avian expert vet since we adopted her. He has been amused by her antics from day one. ( what did I know!) He told me " I had an absolutely beautiful bird who would make a great addition to our family". We just needed to adjust. LOL! We have. She remains a beautiful bird with a fantastic sense of humour, and we all love her to death. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 Just checking in to let you all know that the plucking situation is still with us and on Monday I found A LOT of plucking evidence at the bottom of his cage. I I have been backing off on the spraying with the Avitech from twice a day to once every other day because he hates it so much, but that has proved itself to be a bad decision. Yesterday I was home all day with him and sprayed him with the Avitech twice and not one sign of plucking all day but he looked worse wet yesterday than he did on Saturday Also, now when he is dry there is an obvious bald spot on his chest...this is totally going to drive me insane. The humidifier arrived this morning, I am soooo hoping that it helps somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 All plucking problems won't go away quickly no matter what product you use. It took quite a while for the plucking to begin and it'll take a while to ease up. No product works overnight. I forget whether I mentioned it but I'll do so now. The huge majority of greys don't like spraying. They get angry, show signs of aggression and squawk and growl. It doesn't last long. There may be dead or damaged feathers that fell off last week. That's why bald spots are often seen. I did say that you're worrying more about this than your bird. Obviously, that's true. Humidifiers aren't going to give any quick results. Using them is for changing a room area into a moist area which will eventually be good for a bird's skin. It won't stop plucking immediately. Skin needs to be treated with different products. The vet told you to continue using avitech. You should follow the vet's advice and put aside your bird's attitude. Only when a bird is completely soaked will the bald, injured spots be much more obvious. Just to give you plucking classifications------ The chronic plucker is one that will never stop plucking no matter what is done. The bird plucks for it's lifetime. The bird needs to be treated because of skin mutilation. It doesn't stop the plucking. The acute plucker is one that has mild to serious plucking episodes periodically. Many greys go through this. The episodes usually stop if the problem is dealt with on a steady basis. You can't ease off if you wanna see improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Keep that humidifier scrupulously clean so it does not start adding bacteria or fungus into your air. I live with a few pluckers and they are still wonderful despite what ever they look like today, feather coat is subject to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Thanks again for the wise words. Very helpful info Dave and yes, I am a worrier by fault especially when it comes to my baby, sorry if I come across as neurotic but I most certainly am...LOL! DJ doesn't like the spraying but if he is perched on my hand while it's happening he is very calm, he even kisses me while I'm spraying but he's not enjoying it at all, I can tell he is nervous about it. No growling, no biting, never any screaming involved. The worst of it is when he's hiding in the corner of his cage so that I can't get him out to spray him. At that time he is aggressive and not obeying step up. Then I empty out the cage and spray him while he is in it...this makes him upset. He will run around away from the bottle and try to bite the nozzle, but still no growling or screaming. I do have to say that his attitude afterwards is getting much better. I think that as much as he hates it, he realized I would NEVER do anything to hurt him. Question....do I have to wait for a molt to see any changes in these bald spots or do feathers constantly grow?? At what point of plucking do the feathers no longer grow back again?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 As far as wounds/ bare spots.---No, you won't have to wait for a molt but it may be a while before the bare spot has feathers. You need to know that each parrot is different than the next. Many changes happen either faster or slower than the next bird. No one can tell you how long or how serious the bare spot has been like that. You only saw it when your bird was wet. If you're thinking about photos, the same thing applies ---so birds are slow, some are faster. Answers are simply guesswork or opinions. Those things are fine but don't be shocked or upset if things don't happen on schedule. Also, no one knows if follicles have been pulled out. If so, feathers may not grow back. I personally don't think that happened. (JUST AN OPINION, OPINION). As far as bathing, I've just told you about everything that can be said. If you don't do it right, the right type of bath won't happen. It'll be useless. Your bird definitely has you wrapped around his claw so I'll put one more thing in which will require erious reading. I'm absolutely sure that your bird fits into these thread. There's solutions. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189753-Bathing-possible-method-1 http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189752-Bathing-possible-method-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Just thought I would pop in to update on my DJ. I am still treating with Feather-In every day, red palm oil 3x a week and humidifier going 24/7. The good news is...we have nice feather re-growth on his back in between his wings where it was bare and he has finally molted 4 clipped feathers from the wing that didn't molt at the same time as the other - hopefully him getting balance will help this plucking as well. He actually enjoyed ONE shower last week...he was loving it. Flapping and fluffing up and really going nuts with the water. Even when he's not enjoying it I notice when I stream (thanks to the advice from about links) under his wings, he actually lifts them up ever so slightly for me to get under there and his face almost looks like he's saying aaahhhhhh...even though he then starts to bite at the spray bottle. His chest, legs and under his wing are still having bald spot issues. His chest may even look a bit worse to me, hoping it's part of the molt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 That does sound like good news. Progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 We are worried for you, but know there are many here that can help! Keep us updated.Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ'sMom Posted April 24, 2013 Author Share Posted April 24, 2013 Another DJ update....He and I have just learned that he can fly again! He has been in a great mood, showering like a champ, very affectionate afterwards. Has been singing and talking to the squirrels while looking out the window, totally acting like his old self again. I've been playing loud music all week, he has been singing and dancing. He has not plucked a single feather or pin in a week since I went back to showering twice a day - we had a set back 2 weeks ago, I gave him a break from showering one Sunday and then we went to my mom's for about 6 hours and I came home to lots of plucking evidence so I've been now been spraying him with the anti pluck solution in the morning then a fresh water shower in the afternoon when I get home from work -which is less stressful for him and a lot quicker soaking action. Hubby was in bed, it was past 11PM, DJ was very vocal and calling me over to scratch his head every 10 minutes, of course I oblige but one time I got up and went into the kitchen and next thing I know, he flew about 20 feet from his cage past the kitchen and landed directly on his play stand in the dark dinette area, outside the kitchen. I am shocked that he was able to land on his target without a problem....when I heard the "helicopter sound" I was whispering DJ what are you doing??? Looking on the floor for him but he wasn't there. I then see him standing tall, and prancing around his play stand all proud of himself wagging his tail, singing, talking and making wild bird calls past 11PM!! Of course, at this point he was king and was refusing to step up to go back to his cage so I walked to his cage and was trying to coax him into flying back but he was flapping vigorously like he wanted to but didn't have the nerve. So then I walked back to him and he gladly stepped up and continued to flap for the entire walk back to his cage (I even got wing slapped in the face OUCH!) so since he was flapping, I gave it a shot and when we were about a foot away from his cage I let him go and he landed very nicely on his cage. I'm very happy but also very nervous at the same time. Yesterday while I was spraying him, he was at the roof of his cage enjoying it (yaaayyyy!) but when he decided he had enough he flew over my head and back to the same location of the play stand but that time he hit it without landing on it, and the crash nearly gave me a heart attack. When he is clipped, his cage is open all day and he can go in and out and use his play gym next to his cage. I do not like to keep it open when he can fly, so I'm not sure how that will affect him - the vet says he doesn't think it will make a difference because "he really can't go anywhere anyway when he is clipped and may need the confidence of flying to stop plucking" - I just desperately want to do the right thing and am taking the vet's advice on this one. So we are now officially back to flighted and DJ now knows it...the king of the house is back. Wish me luck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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