african grey problem

[chellebell86]

my parrot keeps pulling his feathers out. he has new toys and while im at work he is out of his cage and has the radio on all day in the evening i take him upstairs and spend thime with him he cant be out all the time im home as i have a dog and dont trust them together what can i do to help him stop? why is he doing this im confused! michelle x

[myafricanqueen]

In my opinion they do this from stress either from lack of a good diet, not enough attention, being bored, etc.

 

what type of diet is you grey on, what is the normal daily events. . .?

[she]

It is always wise to have a vet check for any medical reasons for plucking,once this is ruled out the birds environment needs looking at.How long has he been plucking?if it is a sudden onset have a think about what has changed,new toys,new household furniture,decorations,pictures.It is surprising what a grey can find stressing,things we take for granted.Are your dogs upsetting the grey?Also look close at the diet and bathing options.How old is He?A phone book for him to chew up instead of his feathers can be a good distraction.Leave a tv on as a change from the radio,first though I would get a full health check from an avian vet.

[SamsDad]

Michelle:

 

Which feathers are he pulling out, grey ones or the white down tufts? Does it happen when he preens or does he appear to be grabbing and forcefully pulling them out.

 

Plucking can be caused by your bird being frustated. It could be a simple as being a tantrum of sorts because he wants to be with you. My Timneh Nelson started shredding his chest feathers when he got mad - mostly when he wanted out and I couldn't let him. I found the solution by accident when I bought him one of those rope perches. He'd get pissed and chew on the rope instead of his chest. After he wore through one perch I got another but then picked up one of those small knotted rope toys and stuck it through the bars of his cage on one end of his perch at his eye level. He'd growl under his breath and chew the rope until he blew off enough steam to calm down. I also hung a small toy with a bell on the end above his door. He'd sometime climb up there and beat the SNOT out of that bell. I'm pretty sure he pictured my face on the side of that bell!

 

Try to do your best to keep to a routine so he knows when he'll get time with you.

 

I re-read your post and I wonder about something. You said you leave him out of his cage while you are at work, then spend time with him in the evening. I wonder if he isn't spending too much time out, so when you put him back in his cage, he throws a tantrum because as far as he's concerned he belongs on the outside. If this is true having him inside his cage while you are at work might get him to thinking his personal "space" is inside the cage. Both of my greys stayed in thier cages while I was away at work and I let them out in the evenings. Very often I'd find that later in the evening they'd put themselves to bed on thier inside perch because this was "home" and it was where they felt most secure. You bird may feel most secure outside, and time spent inside might be the stressor.

 

Anyone else think this makes sense?

 

Tom

[Char]

I may get blasted for this but it is my opinion that if the bird owner is at home then the bird needs to be out and included in whatever is going on. Can you imagine being shut up in a cage somewhere while you can hear the rest of the family including the dog going about their business while you are not included. Greys need to be part of the family.They are more than a pet that can be brought out for a short time to interact with you. Would you cage the dog in order to let the bird out the whole time you are home. Probably not.

 

Have you tried to socialize the dog and the bird to get them used to each other? My husband and I separated and he took the dog when he left but when the dog was here there was not a problem between them. I always supervised them of course. Once I accidentally did not lock the cage and my bird got out and was out all day roaming around the house with the dog. My heart stopped beating for a moment when I got home and realized what happened but the dog obviously did not bother her.

 

Socialize the dog and the bird under supervision of course. You knew you already had a dog when you got the bird. What was your plan?

 

Also if you treat the bird as a pack member that is above the dog the dog will probably respect that and accept the bird as the superior. Ours did.

 

Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/05/16 16:27

 

Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/05/16 16:29<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/05/16 18:31

[Talon]

Char....no blasting here.....only agreement!

[lovethatgrey]

First and foremost I recommend taking your parrot to an Avian veterinarian in order to rule out any medical causes. This is imperative.

 

Is your parrot getting enough darkness and quiet undisturbed restful sleep? This means between 10 and 12 hours at night.

 

The other thing I'd like to suggest is to read these 4 articles. They are very informative and will give you a better understanding of what your african grey needs on a consistent basis from YOU. It will give you a chance to reflect on your current situation and make necessary changes to provide this for him/her.

 

http://www.africangreys.com/articles/greys/society.htm

 

http://www.africangreys.com/articles/overview/understanding.htm

 

http://www.africangreys.com/articles/nutrition/healthygrey.htm

 

 

For the below article - please pay special attention to the section about "Meaningful Time". It is very important for the emotional and psychological health of your parrot.

 

Good Reading!{Feel-good-00020114}

 

http://www.birdpulse.com/content/view/149/113/

 

Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/05/16 22:41<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/05/16 22:44

[Azzie]

That last article was wonderful. Very well written and so informative. Thank you for sharing.

[Char]

I agree, very good articles. Thanks for sharing.