bjm1982 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Hello, fellow avian lovers! I'm so glad I found this place. I'm still learning my way around, but all the folks here seem very friendly, and I'm pretty sure someone here is probably qualified to answer just about any question that doesn't require veterinary examination. (And perhaps tell me when I should definitely consult an avian vet.) My hubby & I were adopted by our CAG, Goose, when s/he was about 3 months old. (For the sake of convenience, I'll refer to Goose as a male.) We hand fed him for a couple months until he started eating Zupreem pellets. (I offer him pretty much anything and everything I eat, but the only foods he seems to eat in any quantity worth mentioning are spaghetti & scrambled eggs. He seems more interested in spaghetti than any fruit. ) We introduced him to the shower early on, and while he wasn't crazy about the idea in the beginning, he now calmly accepts his shower every other morning. My questions regard plucking. For the past few months, Goose has looked like he's wearing a fur scarf. His neck is nothing but soft, fluffy down all the way around. I assumed it was molting until I noticed a couple of broken tail feathers about a month ago. I tried sock buddies, but I couldn't keep up with the loose threads at the rate he was destroying them. (He actually pulled out a patch of feathers around his neck where the ankle of the sock was, exposing bare skin. :ohmy: They have now grown back as the same soft, fluffy down.:unsure: ) I've discovered the hard way that I need to provide him with MANY MANY more chew toys...and toys of all sorts, actually...than what he has been accustomed to. I honestly believe the source of his bad habit has been a lack of stimulation and sufficient material to chew. I feel like such a bad mommy:( , but I've been researching how to make toys myself and am determined Goose will never be bored again. Two questions: What size rope do you all recommend (particularly for constructing a climbing net)? Will chewed feathers (including tail feathers) grow back in their normal form? I'm worried that I may have to take Goose to an avian vet to have his broken tail feathers removed. I can post pics later if anyone needs to see the extent of the damage.<br><br>Post edited by: bjm1982, at: 2008/09/11 22:24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nims Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Hi and Welcome to the forum! As Goose is only 3 months he will not molt so I suspect that he is plucking. Dont worry they will grow back! However I think you should try encouraging Goose to eat more fruit and veg (they really need the vitamins and minerals)this will help. Also try aloe vera after bathing this will help keep his skin from being too irrated and dry. Makes sure his cage has a variety of toys (foraging, preening and chew toys). I would suggest you take goose an avian vet to a check up in any case for a wellness check and it will keep you mind at ease too. I took indy to the vet as soon as I got her. Your not a bad mommy your just learning! Good Luck! Nims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Hello BJM and welcome to the family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and Goose. How old is he now, you said you got him at age 3 months but how long ago was that? His feathers will come back in normal unless he has damaged the skin, some pluckers will mutiliate themselves and feathers won't grow back in those areas. We are no substitute for an avian vet but we can help you with a lot of issues and we will suggest seeing your vet if we come across anything we don't feel comfortable answering. We do have some very knowledgeable members who have had their greys for many years. Please take some time and read thru the many threads for lots of useful information and do ask any and all questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can. We would love to see some pictures of Goose and if you want to share some with us of the damage he has done we will take a look and see what we think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjm1982 Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 nims wrote: As Goose is only 3 months he will not molt so I suspect that he is plucking. Oops! :blush: I thought I had mentioned that he's about a year old now. Also try aloe vera after bathing this will help keep his skin from being too irrated and dry. Where can I get aloe vera appropriate for this use? (I'm assuming it's not the same gel I would apply after a sunburn.) Your not a bad mommy your just learning! Thanks for the encouragement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjm1982 Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 judygram wrote: His feathers will come back in normal unless he has damaged the skin, some pluckers will mutiliate themselves and feathers won't grow back in those areas. So are you saying that it's a reasonably safe assumption that the presence of any feathers at all - even if they are currently chewed or resemble down - indicates that he hasn't done any permanent damage? <needs a hopeful emoticon> We would love to see some pictures of Goose and if you want to share some with us of the damage he has done we will take a look and see what we think. I'll add some when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 quote"""So are you saying that it's a reasonably safe assumption that the presence of any feathers at all - even if they are currently chewed or resemble down - indicates that he hasn't done any permanent damage?""" Yes, if the skin is damaged there would be just bare skin, you know like oven ready:ohmy: :laugh: :pinch: Oh boy, more pictures of Goose:cheer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nims Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 If he's one then he could actually be molting.......keep doing what you're doing. Introduce new fruit and veg even if he doesnt eat it. You can buy aloe vera juice 100% from the supermarket. Mist it over him after his shower it will keep his feathers soft and shiny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abernathy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 I've had my TAG for less than a week and I have no experience with plucking or major molting (my conure does a slow, steady, constant molting), just wanted to say hey and welcome you and Goose to the forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjm1982 Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Thanks! I hope you never have any trouble with your new TAG. Is that him/her in your profile pic? I tried to snap some pics of Goose, but he's all over me tonight (This is one of his Daddy's nights away from home.) and I couldn't get any good ones. I'll try again tomorrow when his Daddy is here to be his perch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Hi bjm & Goose , Welcome to the forum. We look forward to hearing more from you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Welcome BJM and Goose!! It sounds like your Grey has been molting and is probably over preening due to those new pin feathers coming in. The area over preened you describe is one of the first areas they start losing all their down feathers in. He has probably experienced a lot of irritation in that area and keeps preening to alleviate the problem. To stop the irritation, you need to mist him until soaked with Aloe JUICE which you can purchase at Walgreens or a health food store in Gallon jugs. Fill a Spray bottle with it and soak him good atleast every other day. I would do it AFTER he takes a shower with you. Just straight water will dry out there skin and cause the new pin feathers to become even more irritating. Also, purchase Red Palm Oil. You can find it online at health sites. melt and drip a 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon into his scrambled eggs, oatmeal etc. once a day. This is a product of the natural Palm nuts they eat in the wild that contain the oils, fats and acids they need to maintain good health and supple skin. Hopes this helps get you Grey on track. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjm1982 Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Wow! Thanks for the pointers, danmcq. I'll definitely give that a try. I had no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyric Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Hello bjm and Goose, welcome to the forum. Everyone else has given you all the recommended suggestions but I just wanted to add that you don't need to pull the broken tail feathers, they will fall out on their own very soon as Goose preens. The only time a feather should be removed is if it is a blood feather and won't stop bleeding. Poor little Goose, he is probably just uncomfortable from his first major molt. He could also be chewing his feathers- has he experienced any major changes in routine or environment lately? Whatever you do, don't react if you see him pulling out feathers or chewing them. Don't give him attention for this or he will learn to associate it with getting attention (which greys truly love!). Try to ignore the behavior and when you see him sitting calmly not picking at feathers then praise him and give him lots of toys to distract him from further damage. I wish you the best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Well done in recognising the likely cause of the plucking. You are half way their in providing more stimulation. I would always recomend a vet check for plucking, just to rule out any physical problems, but you are correct in assuming the problem is most likely caused by boredom and frustration.Plucking can also be a sign of stress. My grey started to pluck slightly following a flood in my house and the resulting chaos, insurance men, work men, industrial dryers and so on.Once everything returned to normal,so did he. I did provide new toys. One I found very usefull was a toy box. This is on the cage base and I put different things in it daily, including food treats wrapped in paper so he works for the treats. Charlie now does not pluck touch wood,but I am constantley thinking of ways to amuse him. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjm1982 Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 Thanks to everyone for all of the helpful advice. My hubby isn't far from a Whole Foods store, so he's gonna check if they have Red Palm Oil so we don't have to wait for shipping from a site online. I've been so relieved by the posts about Goose's feathers that I just now realized nobody has commented on rope size. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hi, and welcome. As for the aloe vera, I buy mine at Wal-Mart because it's the best price here. It's the liquid, not the gel. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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