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mwild4birds
Egg
Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Posts: 4
Location: California |
| Plucking 'Too |
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My Umbrella, Boo Boo, has been plucking for awhile. My avian vet told me it is unusual to find an Umbrella that doesn't. She recommended some foraging ideas. Nothing has worked. She is not even two years old, has a big nice cage, lots of other birds in the room, right in the living room where we talk to her every time we walk by, I put her on my glassed in porch when it's nice and mist her, I've tried a diet supplement added to her food, she has lots of toys which I rotate, I give her all the cereal etc. boxes I use, nothing has helped. She hasn't plucked any blood feathers lately but she looks horrible. No tail, just fuzz on her tummy and her poor wing feathers are completely gone, just fuzz.
Made her an appt. with another avian vet in town but I can only go on Sat. and they can't get her in until next Sat.
I'm concerned that she may need a neck cone. The room she's in, the only place I have for her, stays pretty cool and if she loses any more feathers she will be too cold in there. Has anyone used a neck cone on their 'too and how horrible was it?
Is my regular vet right, do most of you with Umbrella 'Toos have this problem?
Any advice would be appreciated! |
Friday February 29, 2008 7:28 pm |
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Birddaddy
Flutterer
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 143
Location: The Netherlands |
Hi mwild4birds,
As far as I know there are three reasons why cockatoos pluck them selfs.
The first reason is that they have some medical problem. That is for the avian vet.
The second is behavior. The cockatoo can be bored, insecure, afraid or something like that. In that case the plucking is a way for the cockatoo to handle the stress he/she is in. This is very difficult to fix. 
The last reason I know is that the cockatoo plucks to get your attention. The more he/she plucks the more attention he/she gets from you. Negative attention is better then no attention. This is also a very difficult problem. |
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Saturday March 1, 2008 8:45 pm |
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Sky Captain
Fledgeling
Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Posts: 222
Location: Woodstock, GA |
Try 50/50 aloe solution and water. Spray his feathers and he'll find them unpalatable.
He may be wanting something to chew up like a t-shirt with a print on the front.
This helped my Tikki bird more than anything. She'd destroy the t-shirt and leave her feathers alone. |
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Wednesday August 6, 2008 10:30 pm |
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All times are GMT. The time now is Sunday September 7, 2008 9:21 pm
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