hormones or habbits?

[shalom]

Hello everyone It has been a while but I have been around reading all the forums, I need some experts advise for Apollo today, over the month I had Apollo he let his feather grow out beautiully, however, just few days ago he had started flucking his feathers again, and now I can see the skin around the chest area, he hangs upside down from one spot and start flucking so I move the rope he like it so well by hanging put a differernt toys at that spot, but now he tented to hang at his bowing doing it again, nothing has change the far as schudle and food wise I try to discurage him from flucking but he does it anyway, could it be possible that maybe his hormones causing him to do this? and if it is how can I help him to deal with it, I am trying to keep him busy by taking him outside (safe location) few hours a day if the wheather permits, what alse could I do easy him a little?

[Tycos_mom]

First thing you have todo is ignore him when he's Plucking if your giving him attention of any kind good or bad by trying to stop him you may be encouurageing him to do it more because its getting him attention. give him lots of baths and mabie try to spray him with some Aloevera juice this will stop any irritation.

[myafricanqueen]

Greys pluck feathers for a variety of reasons. Sometimes boredom or not enough human interaction causes an African Grey to pull out its feathers. I have also seen birds that pluck because they get too much attention -- with the owner running over every time the Grey pulls out a feather. Others pluck because of dietary imbalances, or environmental problems, such as people smoking or the air too dry. Greys should have regular baths and exposure to some kind of moist air on a regular basis. African Greys who are emotionally abused by someone who bangs on their cage or routinely squirts them in the face with a spray bottle for discipline may pluck. A single frightening experience has caused Greys to become feather pluckers.

 

Any bird that plucks should first see a veterinarian. If the veterinarian cannot find a physical reason for plucking, behavioral problems should be explored. There is no question that African Greys are among the most intelligent parrot species. This higher degree of intelligence, along with possible incorrect early socialization at the breeders and not understanding the bird’s intellectual needs when it becomes a companion parrot often leads to neurotic habits -- such as plucking.

[chimaysmommy]

I would definately get him to a vet just as a precaution....When we were doing our research before Chimay came home to us, I had read a thread here where a grey was plucking, no one could figure out why, and in the end it turned out to be an ear infection. If the vet can rule out any physical reasons for the plucking, then it's psychological. In the meantime though I definately agree with the others in that you should not acknowledge the behavior...fussing over the plucking might encourage him. Keep us posted!

[shalom]

Tycos mom thanks for the advise when you saying that give him alot of bath how many times do you mean.I am giving him bath every other days ever since I had him

[shalom]

thank you my africangrey queen i have humdifier at home it runs hipa air cleaner and i have been spraying him with aloe juice since i him I guess it has been long time when I posted my 1st Apollo has been to vet he is in good diet grain veggie sprout fruit and beans some time he eats his pallots if he feel like it, and he is not a caged bird and we are none smoking family.