ILMAG Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 This thread discusses the Content article: Help please! I have a 15 month old Congo who is a plucker. Stopped for a while then started again. Pulls feathers out even when I leave the room for short periods of time. Pulls feathers out and throws them over his shoulder. Have tried everything, new toys, games, shredded paper. If anyone has worked with a plucker and has any suggestions, they would be GREATLY appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I don't have a plucker, but I can sympathize with you in your problem. The first thing you need to do is take your grey to the vet, preferabley an avian vet, to get a complete workup to rule out a physical problem. Then after he is declared healthy, we can work on solving the problem. I would like to know a little more about this grey of yours, so why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and give us a little more information so we will be better able to help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaM Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 This post is in the Blogs Comments section. You might want to repost in the general African Grey section...more people will probably see it there! Good luck to you! Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILMAG Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 Thank you for responding. I have taken him to an avian vet who is also the owner of a 40 year old macaw who used to be a plucker. He seems to love what he does. Examination did not reveal any problems except that he is bored. I failed to mention that he is adopted. The plucking started before I adopoted him. When I first brought him home he was close to bald and the feathers started coming back. The vet suggested I take him out of his cage for sleeping and put him into a smaller cage at night. When I tried this he began acting very strange and I had to literally pry him out of the upper corner of the cage. He was clinging to the corner and gnawing on his round swing with rope on it. He has NOT acted the same since. He has another vet appointment this Wednesday. The vet gave an injection to calm him down and he said that I would notice that he was better behaved within a few days. He is more loving towards me HOWEVER, I can't leave the room even briefly without him becoming angry and tearing his feathers out. I have had him for just over one month and feel that I am failing him. I get up at 4AM every morning before work and fix him breakfast, then we eat together. I put him back into his cage at 7AM when I leave. I'm very sorry to say that he is in his cage during the day while I'm at work. My husband comes home early during the day and lets him out of his cage. I sit at the table next to him from the time I come home from work until I go to bed around 9PM. I eat dinner with him and play with him before I put him to bed. I sing to him, he loves to be cuddled (the vet said not to do this anymore). I give him a shower every other day and spray him with a spray that promises to stop feather plucking (this was given to me by the vet). He is out of his cage all day on the weekends from sun up until around 9PM and he still gets furious when it is time to go to bed. He does NOT like to have his cage covered so I have started to just cover the corner where he sleeps which still allows him to see in front. I also keep a night light on for him at night. He does still bite me and I have suffered some pretty nasty bites since I adopted him - he is still learning to trust me. He seems to have a problem with my hands. One hand in sight is fine but when he sees both hands he bites. He also bites me HARD whenever my husband is in sight. Don't know what that is all about. My husband has tried to make friends with him but to no avail. What in the world am I doing wrong?? I want him to be happy and beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I am guessing you have not had him that long and you don't know what his treatment was with his previous owner so that may have something to do with the hands thing. Maybe you are spending too much time with him and he is dependent on you for his entertainment, he needs to be able to amuse himself for periods of time. I have Josey out of her cage when I get home from work but I don't have her by my side all the time until she goes to bed. There is such a thing as spending too much time with them. Maybe some of the other members have some other ideas that will help you with your problem, I hope so, you sound like you really need help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaM Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I don't have a plucker either (just one who "barbs" his feathers and I'm trying to stop that before it turns into plucking!) but have read on this forum several threads about it (plus on a few other sites)...here are some things I would try... Search the forums here for "aloe vera juice" or "aloe juice". I haven't used it but it sounds like several people on this site do and have been very successful. One of the other things I have seen mentioned on this site is giving multiple showers each day...that keeps them preening, vs. plucking, and may be distracting. The aloe juice when sprayed until "soaking wet" (which is not easy with a grey but worth the effort) softens the skin, has anti-itch properties and softens the feathers. People here haven't had luck with the sprays made for "anti-plucking" (like pluck-no-more). Also, you don't HAVE to cover the cage, particularly if he doesn't like it. It may have been used as a punishment at his previous home. None of mine are covered at night but they are in a room with windows and the lights go out around 8 or 9 and the sun wakes them up (I keep the blinds closed so it's a little later than sunrise - I don't hear any morning contact calls until 7 or so). They seem to be doing just fine. It sounds like your little guy is only getting about 7 hours of sleep each night...I completely understand wanting to spend more time with him, but from what I read, they really need much more sleep than that. I've heard 10-12 hours each night and that anything less can create behavioral problems. Is it possible for you to extend his sleep time? I'm sure others will have ideas. I'm really happy that your little guy has someone who wants so much to help him! Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaM Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 If you go to MrSpock's profile page, he has a link to an article he wrote about 100% aloe vera juice. There's also info on it at www.landofvos.com. Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrap Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hello ILMAG... use the aloe vera juice spray that will help to stop the dry skin iching, let the birds sleep 10-12 hrs per day and change out there toys every 3-4 days. Your bird may not be comfortable as of yet new home, people and or cage. In time he/she will come around who knows what he/she went through at his last home. Your doing fine, perhaps with the biting let the bird come out of the cage instead of going into his/her cage to get the bird, he/she may feel threaten when you go in the cage. Good luck hope this helps. Benny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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