Isaac Update: Feathers Coming Back

[Timbersmom]

Isaac is looking great! What a difference from the initial pics. Timber does not like being outside, so I depend on the avian light for his sunlight needs. No plucking so far, so I hope it is working!

[katana600]

Well Hello you handsome boy Isaac. He looks dapper and dashing. It's incredible how much progress and growth that has evolved. He is the most interesting guy. He could do the Dos Equis commercials. Soon this will be a dim memory. The photo of him peering down from the counter is my favorite. He is patient with your photos. Miss Gilbert must be in the witness protection program, she flies at me in a flurry if she sees a lens pointed at her. Isaac is a natural born entertainer. Thanks for the updates, you fellows are favored treats for us.

[Luvparrots]

We all know how much Issac means to you and how frustrating his plucking has been. I do believe he just reacted to your illness. So stay healthy so Issac can relax too. Issac is looking good.

[birdhouse]

He's getting there ") That face kills me though! He could care less what his feathers look like. He's adorable. He's loved. He knows it & it's written all over that cute little face!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Elvenking...Isaac is looking great! Hope you are doing well also. I would suggest NOT to upgrade cage at this time, as changing cages, no matter how beautiful the upgrade, is sometimes hard on a bird. They are very possessive of their cage. I would suggest getting a new cage to be outdoors, keep the original cage for now. Progress takes time as you know, but change takes even more time and sometimes can be a stressor. I agree natural sunlight is so important! Sophie has her own chair next to sliding glass window. She barks at the squirrels and birds. Has a GREAT time! I'm working on the courage to start harness training her.I really want to do it! We could do it together! LOL Nancy

[Elvenking]

Things seem to go good, then I wake up to a food bowl with feathers in it. The dork picked off feathers around the front of his neck again. How do I not resent him while he does such a senseless act to himself. He is happy...acts completely normal....and just has no desire to keep himself up. How is that smart? Now I have to work through this all over again and accept the fact that he just doesn't want to look like a bird.

Edited May 15, 2014 by Elvenking

[SRSeedBurners]

Elvenking - I'm not sure of the history of your bird as I haven't been here that long. Wondering - is he an 'only' bird? Also does he get lots of exercise? These are just two things I can think of that might make a difference. Here's my thoughts:

 

My boss got a baby Grey at nearly the same time as me. His bird is clipped and is alone during the day. His bird plucked herself bald on her backside at just over a year. His bird is alone all day and is also clipped so cannot fly. My bird has had a constant companion her whole life, either the Jardines we lost last year, or the Caique we got shortly after that or my wife. Greycie is never alone - ever. Also I am a stickler about vigorous exercise, for my bird and for myself as well. I train pretty hard 4-6x per week which helped bring me back from the brink of hell about 10 years ago and I pretty much practice the same, but much much less intensity with my Grey. She gets 10-20 tosses in the morning making a loop around our living room and then into the kitchen. I will immediately get her and send her off again not allowing much rest. Her beak and feet start to get warm up with some minor panting near the end. At one point I got lazy with her and stopped for about a month. Her flying started to resemble a flying pig and I actually started having behavior problems. My wife noticed too and asked if I would start flying her again. Two weeks after resuming her morning and evening flights, she's back to normal. She will actually prod me in the morning to 'go play' pterrordactyl. She loves it (until about the 10th interval).

 

I'm a firm believer in providing an outlet for their anxiety through exercise. It works for us. Some food for thought. I say all this and I may be posting next month about my Greycie has plucked herself bald....

[birdhouse]

Easy now!! You have had very few problems w/Isaac. Aside from the time he took off, which certainly counted for some big points, you guys have been everyone's envy. So, okay, maybe he's pissing you off. Or maybe, he's upsetting you to the point where that's how you're processing it at the moment. And that's okay so long as you get it out of your system & go back to being centered & rational about this. Because he feels your emotions & that's not helping. Remember?

 

It's a process that usually takes time. The fact that gaining ground takes so long & but you can lose it in a flash is granted heartbreaking. But it is what it is. Also, it's been barely any time since you were talking about aloe, sunshine & feather in. Assuming you've started doing those things regularly(?), it would be surprising for them to have had time to work already.

 

However this started, I have a feeling it's also being fueled by hormones now. If it is, they haven't run their course yet either. That could be part of what's causing recurring episodes. There is a reason for this.

 

Feather picking doesn't make Isaac a "bad" bird. Nor does not being able to figure out the cause make you a bad parront. It isn't like Isaac's acting all mad at you for not being able to decode his issues. Maybe you should follow his lead?

 

Patience. Patience. Patience. Patience. That's not a platitude. It's the first ingredient for fixing just about every grey problem there is.

[Elvenking]

Elvenking - I'm not sure of the history of your bird as I haven't been here that long. Wondering - is he an 'only' bird? Also does he get lots of exercise? These are just two things I can think of that might make a difference. Here's my thoughts:

 

My boss got a baby Grey at nearly the same time as me. His bird is clipped and is alone during the day. His bird plucked herself bald on her backside at just over a year. His bird is alone all day and is also clipped so cannot fly. My bird has had a constant companion her whole life, either the Jardines we lost last year, or the Caique we got shortly after that or my wife. Greycie is never alone - ever. Also I am a stickler about vigorous exercise, for my bird and for myself as well. I train pretty hard 4-6x per week which helped bring me back from the brink of hell about 10 years ago and I pretty much practice the same, but much much less intensity with my Grey. She gets 10-20 tosses in the morning making a loop around our living room and then into the kitchen. I will immediately get her and send her off again not allowing much rest. Her beak and feet start to get warm up with some minor panting near the end. At one point I got lazy with her and stopped for about a month. Her flying started to resemble a flying pig and I actually started having behavior problems. My wife noticed too and asked if I would start flying her again. Two weeks after resuming her morning and evening flights, she's back to normal. She will actually prod me in the morning to 'go play' pterrordactyl. She loves it (until about the 10th interval).

 

I'm a firm believer in providing an outlet for their anxiety through exercise. It works for us. Some food for thought. I say all this and I may be posting next month about my Greycie has plucked herself bald....

 

Isaac gets as much attention as I can possibly give him. When I am home....he is out and about taking advantage of the full space of my home. He flys and flys very well. He can stop in mid air and change his direction...he can fly straight up vertically....he is pretty adept. I do have to work at least 8 hours a day so he is home with some music or TV on for him to listen to. There is nothing I can do about that. I keep his toys in circulation. He always seems to be in high spirits and flying around doing his thing.

 

One thing that I did when he started breaking feathers off was got him an Avian lamp. I placed this light at an angle towards the area he sits in. Well...feathers started coming back after a while....and they were coming back on the area that was most directly toward the light...so now I moved the light directly over head a few days back. I figured maybe the feathers were coming back on his left side because the light was shinning mostly on his left side. He goes days without messing with the feathers...then last night I see that he has spent some time removing about 6 or 7 feathers from around the front of his neck. Sucks the wind right out of my sails.

Edited May 15, 2014 by Elvenking

[Elvenking]

Easy now!! You have had very few problems w/Isaac. Aside from the time he took off, which certainly counted for some big points, you guys have been everyone's envy. So, okay, maybe he's pissing you off. Or maybe, he's upsetting you to the point where that's how you're processing it at the moment. And that's okay so long as you get it out of your system & go back to being centered & rational about this. Because he feels your emotions & that's not helping. Remember?

 

It's a process that usually takes time. The fact that gaining ground takes so long & but you can lose it in a flash is granted heartbreaking. But it is what it is. Also, it's been barely any time since you were talking about aloe, sunshine & feather in. Assuming you've started doing those things regularly(?), it would be surprising for them to have had time to work already.

 

However this started, I have a feeling it's also being fueled by hormones now. If it is, they haven't run their course yet either. That could be part of what's causing recurring episodes. There is a reason for this.

 

Feather picking doesn't make Isaac a "bad" bird. Nor does not being able to figure out the cause make you a bad parront. It isn't like Isaac's acting all mad at you for not being able to decode his issues. Maybe you should follow his lead?

 

Patience. Patience. Patience. Patience. That's not a platitude. It's the first ingredient for fixing just about every grey problem there is.

 

Yeah...I wrote this the minute I saw he had feathers in his bowl. He is acting like a perfectly healthy bird...which is the most frustrating part. He is playful...super loving...never seen a grey more loving...he eats with me...we are buddies big time. He is getting baths, sunshine....I haven't gotten feather in yet because I wanted to step things up slowly. I will get some on order today though. I have no concept of a time table around this stuff. If someone told me a year....I'd be patient for a year...I haven't any idea what it all means.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Elvenking

[Elvenking]

Just ordered Feather-In ....on the way.

[birdhouse]

I [have] no concept of a time table around this stuff. If someone told me a year....I'd be patient for a year...I haven't any idea what it all means.

 

aayup, we have that in common. Unfortunately...

 

If it helps any, Kura is just starting to feather back in. She's about 3 weeks'ish behind Isaac. Hers is a) known hormones & b) living in New England where spring has finally started to kick in. We managed to get outside for the first time this week. Whoohoo!!!

[katana600]

Stephen, when Gilbert came home she was a dedicated stress plucker in general. Her handling on the day of pickup before I arrived was so traumatic she pulled flight feathers, follicles and all. I still want to cry thinking about the bloody frightened panicked little creature I met for the first time. In three years, she has gone from ripping out all the feathers and down from her neck to her feet at the slightest disruption of her expectations, to occasionally chewing her right chest in a spot the size of a quarter. This week has been one of those occasions and I think it is only due to the springtime hormonal surge. You are doing so many wonderful things with Isaac and he is also reaching maturity when he would be leaving his parents in the wild. I don't know about you, but about the time my kids were leaving our home for college they were tense and anxious. I had to keep telling myself, this is not about "us"' we are still okay, they just need to find their inner strength. All is well. When I awaken to a pile of feathers in the water dish, I change the water and go about my day now. Three years ago I spent a lot of energy trying to figure out what was wrong and what could I do to "fix" it. The answer was, wait a week. Isaac is "biting his nails" and that small bit of behavior is but a blip on the lifetime of companionship between you.

[Elvenking]

Yeah, it is okay...I just have to mount up for more patience when I least expect it sometimes. I see him get such momentum in the right direction and get excited. I just have to calm down and wait for him. Keep giving him all the good things I can give him. The little guy was so sweet last night. He was sitting on the back of my chair while I was at my desk...then I felt this little claw on my shoulder followed by him rubbing his head on my shoulder. He'll get the time and love he needs to get all his plumage back...I'm sure.

[Greywings]

Try to just relax and not stress it will help him a lot.

[Muse]

Things seem to go good, then I wake up to a food bowl with feathers in it. The dork picked off feathers around the front of his neck again. How do I not resent him while he does such a senseless act to himself. He is happy...acts completely normal....and just has no desire to keep himself up. How is that smart? Now I have to work through this all over again and accept the fact that he just doesn't want to look like a bird.

 

Try to be sure your attitude does not become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They read our emotions (and at times, I fear they read our thoughts) and are very in tune to what we are thinking and feeling. Try very hard to put this in perspective and understand that for some reason, he is suffering this as much as you are, but may be just as powerless to stop it.

 

Try to understand that he may not see this as "keeping himself up" but rather he might be trying to soothe an itch, distract himself from something that is bothering him, or a myriad of other reasons. Because we as humans do not fully understand what is going on, we have to often just cope with the behavior itself instead of going for the unknown cause. We can eliminate as many factors as we do know - dry skin, boredom, enough essential amino acids and the proper oils in diet, and so on - but for the factors we cannot discover like what goes on deep within their minds, we must apply our efforts directly to the behavior and observable symptoms.

 

Our vet has recommended Sunshine Factor or any other good Red Palm Oil, as this is extremely beneficial for their skin. I had no problems getting Mar to eat it off a spoon, but unfortunately Megan, the one who is plucking, is my picky eater. I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking trying to sneak it into her diet. I even coated her very favorite treat - pine nuts - in it, and she threw the whole dish on the floor.

 

It could be that stress during your illness started the plucking or perhaps hormones, and now that the feathers are growing back in, itching is exacerbating it. At that point, the best course is to try to deal with any possible itching. I have turned our AC down (since it dries the air), opened the windows more (which does let unfiltered sunlight in), taken them out on the porch (which they seem to love), misted them (which she HATES), and showered her (she also hates but oddly enough, has tolerated the last few times, so maybe it does help the skin feel better so she is putting up with it). We also were prescribed Soother spray. I am not the craziest about the quaternary ammonium component but I do realize as a surfactant and disinfectant, it may help with the healing process. My vet assured me that she has treated some extreme pluckers with this and often has dramatic improvement and has never had a problem - though she DID caution me (and it is printed on the bottle) to give a warm water bath at least once a week to prevent build up. I have long been a big fan in humans of benzalkonium chloride, which is a compound of quaternary ammonium, as an alcohol-free hand sanitizer. Not only for the benefit of not drying out the skin but also for the fact that, unlike alcohol, it has a residual action. Once the alcohol sanitizer has dried, its work is done. And I have used the BC hand sanitizer safely for years, so that makes me feel a little bit better about using the QA on Megan for what is hopefully short term.

 

You also mentioned possibly longing for a mate. Hormones do ramp up at this time of year. Thankfully, we aren't experiencing much here inside but the outside birds are all courting and mating. They know it is the time of year for that. If that is the cause, you can at least be thankful that it will pass with the season.

 

Just try to keep in mind that he is not doing this on purpose, or to spite you. There is an underlying cause that you may or may not be able to find. Love him unconditionally, and make him feel secure in that love without doubts or resentment. Underneath it all, he's still the same sweet bird. I know I will love Megan just as much if she plucks herself completely bare. I am not upset with her as much as I feel sorry for whatever it is that is making her feel less than comfortable. As a nurse, my first thought is how to provide relief and comfort to my little patient.

 

I will keep you and Isaac in my prayers.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Muse
typos

[Greywings]

This quote from your post I find disturbing-resentment should have no place in your relationship with him, none at all. It can be a nervous habit when feeling stress from anything new furniture, behaviors or your body language , music who knows? No way to really get inside his head we can only guess. He feels the need to pluck a little that is a sign to you that he is a little unsettled by what ever-could be hormones, something scared him, a new thing or activity a toy a sound outside. Just let it flow past you and don't resent that will eat you up and create an anger he will feel neither of you will prosper that way. By the way he feels no need to keep up appearances or with the Jones's.

 

 

 

"How do I not resent him while he does such a senseless act to himself. He is happy...acts completely normal....and just has no desire to keep himself up."

[Elvenking]

This quote from your post I find disturbing-resentment should have no place in your relationship with him, none at all. It can be a nervous habit when feeling stress from anything new furniture, behaviors or your body language , music who knows? No way to really get inside his head we can only guess. He feels the need to pluck a little that is a sign to you that he is a little unsettled by what ever-could be hormones, something scared him, a new thing or activity a toy a sound outside. Just let it flow past you and don't resent that will eat you up and create an anger he will feel neither of you will prosper that way. By the way he feels no need to keep up appearances or with the Jones's.

 

 

 

"How do I not resent him while he does such a senseless act to himself. He is happy...acts completely normal....and just has no desire to keep himself up."

 

Now just hold on and don't worry. Isaac would never know I thought these things. He gets the same love 24/7 as if he can do no wrong. I know the reality of the situation.

[Elvenking]

Just try to keep in mind that he is not doing this on purpose, or to spite you. There is an underlying cause that you may or may not be able to find. Love him unconditionally, and make him feel secure in that love without doubts or resentment. Underneath it all, he's still the same sweet bird. I know I will love Megan just as much if she plucks herself completely bare. I am not upset with her as much as I feel sorry for whatever it is that is making her feel less than comfortable. As a nurse, my first thought is how to provide relief and comfort to my little patient.

 

I will keep you and Isaac in my prayers.

 

I can assure you that Isaac is more loved than many human children of this world. I give my life to Isaac in so many ways and quite joyfully. I would do most anything for him. In return. that bird gives me so much joy and love back. I guess some cannot identify with fleeting fits of frustration. That is okay....but I can tell you, that I am not perfect and they happen with me. Please give me instructions on how to never feel upset again and I will stop. If I had it my way...nothing would ever upset me with anything again. Why would I want it to. While irrational thoughts may not survive very long, I thought I would share to the world, my very first thoughts when seeing those feathers pulled out again. Life is very complex, and while it is easy to place black and white templates on situations and identify what is wrong and what is right...it is not always easy to live within them and embrace the 'correct' perspective immediately every time. Sorry if I made it seem like I was going to scold Isaac or anything...but he would never know anything was wrong. I pick him up...love him and talk about how beautiful he is every time no matter what. It is freaking daffy just how much love Isaac gets. I don't just mean selfish love of cuddling and loving him, I mean to make sure he has what he needs to be a happy and healthy bird. Do try not to worry about him too much. If you simply saw how we interact, any worry would dissolve pretty fast. He is pretty much like a miniature flying version of me. He is super weird, makes a lot of funny noises, and is playful as a toddler....and he is gentle too....until you think about trying to take a toy away. Yes...yes....much like his daddy.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Elvenking

[Luvparrots]

Issac is very attuned to you, I believe. If the avian vet says Issac is healthy, how is your health and how are other things going? Perhaps he is seeing/feeling something attached to you. Just a thought. Check it out.

 

I don't think anyone thinks you have anything but good thoughts and great love for Issac and he for you. I have always been so touched by how devastated you were when he escaped once and how he came back looking for you, calling for you. I remember such a loving and unbelievable attachment. One frankly, I have always been quite jealous of.

[Elvenking]

Issac is very attuned to you, I believe. If the avian vet says Issac is healthy, how is your health and how are other things going? Perhaps he is seeing/feeling something attached to you. Just a thought. Check it out.

 

I don't think anyone thinks you have anything but good thoughts and great love for Issac and he for you. I have always been so touched by how devastated you were when he escaped once and how he came back looking for you, calling for you. I remember such a loving and unbelievable attachment. One frankly, I have always been quite jealous of.

 

 

Behavior-wise and health wise...Isaac checks out well except for the feathers. I am under the impression that Sunlight deficiency is probably one of the key contributors to this issue. So all I can do is try to understand the repair that needs to be done there and give him all he needs to get there. I am not so sure that my sickness took him down with me or not. I have been quite fine since two weeks after I had my appendicitis. I tested quite high in a Wellness exam and appear to be in tip-top shape at the moment. So I am doing fine and thanks for asking.

 

Isaac is actually one of the things in my life that can raise my spirits right out of the gutter. I just have to look at my boy and spend some time with him, and most everything else fades away for those moments. I love my bird like most folks love their wives. He is the one I say 'Hi' too when I get home, talk to about my day, and say goodnight and good morning to...etc.... He is my life companion. I am not suffering from any depression or waves of emotion that last for unreasonable amounts of time. I honestly believe that whatever Isaac is going through is of a physical nature and can be remedied with sunlight, baths, and good nutrition. He hasn't touched the feathers directly on his back or on his left wing...so whatever it is...seems better in those areas now...and that is where the Avian lamp was shinning on for the first few weeks. So I repositioned the lamp directly overhead about 10 days ago...hoping I see a similar miracle. I am also trying to get him out in the real sunlight as well. I love that bird.

[Luvparrots]

Well then, let the sunlight in!!!! I am a firm believer in our parrots getting oodles of sunlight. Mine love the outdoors and I see that they go out wherever possible. I live in Washington State, the Webfoot State, or so it is nicknamed.

 

 

 

*Issac is one of my favorite reads.

[Elvenking]

Well then, let the sunlight in!!!! I am a firm believer in our parrots getting oodles of sunlight. Mine love the outdoors and I see that they go out wherever possible. I live in Washington State, the Webfoot State, or so it is nicknamed.

 

 

 

*Issac is one of my favorite reads.

 

Yeah...I really want to get him a little outdoor play area to frolic in. Thank you for enjoying my little friend as well. I really have to post more videos of him....he is a pretty sweet little dude.

[Acappella]

Yes, I vote for more Issac videos!!!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Elvenking... You and Isaac have such a great relationship! Sophie LOVES her sunlight and has adopted one of my favorite chairs, that I moved next to sliding glass door. I'm going to harness her this year and get her outside. I was a bad parent ( naive), and took Sophie outside without a harness. She would always dig in the dirt, and LOVED being outside with me. I was lucky she never flew away during those summers when unable to fly, was outside always with me in the summer.I know she misses those times, but I became educated. I'm still unsure of the harness but I really hate her watching me garden without her thru the door. She is happy to see me and I always interact with her.

I'm concerned she will consider the harness as a form of " restraint". It worries me. I know very little about harness training. You can teach Sophie anything, if it benefits her, and allows her to be with us. Nancy