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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
| Sound serious? |
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I've had my B & G macaw for 1 1/2 years now & got him when he was about a year old. He's been an altogether very good boy with no real problems, behavioral or health wise. He occasionally has plucked at himself, but nothing that I would call any kind of problem.
However, all of a sudden yesterday, he started plucking non-stop! In fact, there was a pile of what I call downy feathers on the floor beneath his free standing perch, along with little bits of the feather sheaths. He is still doing the same today, however not quite as bad.
He does not seem at all ill in any other way. I've scheduled an appt with the avian vet, but he will not be in until Monday.
Is anyone familiar at all with this kind of sudden & persistant behavior? |
Friday April 29, 2005 5:05 pm |
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LVMY2S
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 255
Location: Chicago,IL |
My Too's right now are going through a major molt. Are the feathers that are dropping on the bottom of the cage just downy feathers and do they look like they are being chewed? My Too's right now are dropping alot of down feathers but nothing is being split or shredded. Look under your macaws existing feathers and see if there are new feathers coming in. If he is going through a molt you will see bits of feather sheaths dropping off and he may even be a little itchy. Try bathing him more often. I use Georges aloe when they are going through a big molt. I think it is a good idea to have your B/G checked out by a vet but I bet he is just going through a molt. If he is not touching his other feathers or mutilating them in anyway I wouldn't worry too much. Try not to show your concern to your macaw. Sometimes if they sense your stress they stress out also. Please keep us posted on what the vet says. Karen |
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Friday April 29, 2005 5:18 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Oh, I hope that's the case with Manu! Actually, as I am a first time parrot owner, I thought it might just be a molting thing. No, his feathers all seem to really be fine. And the ones on the floor are just little white/grey fluffy ones. And yes, there are a lot of his feathers with sheaths on them, which I take it are new feathers coming in? I hope there's not a problem with his new feathers coming in properly.
I will try some of that Georges aloe you suggested.
Ugh, I probably have been acting a little too stressed to him, he's been looking at me like "so, what's your problem now??!!"
Thank-you! I will keep you up-dated! |
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Friday April 29, 2005 5:30 pm |
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LVMY2S
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 255
Location: Chicago,IL |
My M2 was just sitting on my desk and it is now covered in down and feathers sheath pieces. She has so many new feathers coming in. I had her for her yearly check up a few weeks ago and the vet commented on how many new feathers she had coming in. Its that time of year.Tell us what the vet says. Its always a good idea to take your birds in for an annual check-up once a year. Is Manu your only bird? I love the name. Karen |
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Friday April 29, 2005 5:43 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
No, actually, i've got a cockatiel that I've had for 12 yrs, but I've just never seen anything quite like this with her, although granted, she is a bit smaller!
Thank-you, Manu came with the name. You may, or may not know that Manu is the Hawaiian word for Parrot.
You've both made me feel much better about Manus feathers, I appreciate it very much! I have learned a lot about large parrots since I've had Manu & am still learning & experiencing & hope to always continue to learn. He's just so beautiful & absolutely amazing to me, but I also worry quite a bit about the proper care of him.
I shower him, & my tiel 3 times a week with a spray bottle, but with the warmer weather, perhaps I should start showering him daily. Although I do worry too about the hardness of our water here. I'm going to stop in to the pet shop this afternoon to see if there is anything I can add to the water for him. |
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Friday April 29, 2005 6:00 pm |
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LVMY2S
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 255
Location: Chicago,IL |
Cathy, we have very hard water too and we also have a water softener. I think the salt that we add to our water softener has been causing problems with my M2's feathers. The always seem a little dry. I started using bottled spring water and Georges liquid aloe. I get the Georges aloe on line from them directly. I put the georges and warm spring water in a spray bottle and spray them three times a week. It seems to be working. All of my Too's feathers are much softer.I also have been giving my birds spring water instead of tap water to drink. Karen |
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Friday April 29, 2005 6:47 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Hi Karen!
I just realized that I thanked both of you, but there is only 1 of you  !!
And where do you go on line to order that Georges? I did a quick search under "georges" on the internet, but didn't come up with anything. |
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Friday April 29, 2005 7:54 pm |
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LVMY2S
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 255
Location: Chicago,IL |
Cathy, try Warren Laboratories. Thats the distributor. I get the gallon size jug. The aloe is odorless and clear like water. 100% pure aloe. I have seen other brands of aloe in the health food stores but they always have additives in them and they smell awful. Georges can also be used as drinking water for you or or birds but I personally just use it in a spray bottle. I use about 70% Aloe and 30% warm spring water. This product was suggested by my rescue where I got two of my Too's. My M2 is a snapper(snaps her feathers in a V shape) and right now for the first time in almost three years she has chest feathers. I think its a combination of changing her water and the aloe because I have changed nothing else. The Aloe is a little expensive. About 30 dollars a gallon. I am still looking for a local distributor.Maybe you have one in your area and you could save some money. Karen |
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Friday April 29, 2005 8:45 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Thanks again, Karen, I will certainly look into it ! |
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Friday April 29, 2005 9:04 pm |
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danabird
Flier
Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 975
Location: Northwest Fla |
| My Amazons molting too |
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 gosh I think it's just that time of the year. My amazons are molting and here in the house it looks like snow all over the place. When I've opened the windows then it's really bad at times. My Newbe, both cockatiels and the canaries are ll molting. Out in the avairy it looks the same as there are feathers stuck on the sides all over the place.  |
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Saturday April 30, 2005 5:26 am |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Oh that's funny that it looks like it's snowing!
Manu has slowed down a little bit since Th afternoon when he started going at himself so bad, & I haven't had any "piles" of fluff since then, but he sure does seem like he's very itchy.
He's got one tail feather that is pretty long, but there's a sheaf still on it, that extends about half the length of it, it just seems odd to me.
When I took Manu in to the avian vet the first time, just for a general check up, the vet said he seemed in good heath, but seemed to have some problem molting. I should have asked more questions then, but he didn't seem too concerned.
Maybe I will try to get a picture of that one tail feather to try to post on here so you can see what I mean. |
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Saturday April 30, 2005 12:07 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10070
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| Re: Sound serious? |
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Cathy this must be terrible to experience.. I know what it must feel like as my Senegal started plucking some time ago.
He is fine now.
What areas is your macaw plucking? I ask this as this was critical for Iago too.. (Hormonal)
Please see an avian vet for this.. |
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Monday May 2, 2005 4:30 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
It's mostly his chest that he's plucking, but also his tail feathers & under his wings & generally all over. As of yet, I've not seen any signs of irritation. I have an appt with the avian vet late this afternoon. I'm also going to try to find & use some of that Georges liquid aloe someone else has mentioned, to use in the spray bottle for his showers, as he seems to be itching quite a bit.
It drives me nuts to see him doing that, I can only imagine how nuts he must feel! |
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Monday May 2, 2005 4:42 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10070
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I would say (I'm not an avian vet!!!) under the wings, vent area & chest can be hormonal. (My vet told me this about Iago's plucking)
Please keep us updated..
I hope nothing bad comes out of the appointment.. |
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Monday May 2, 2005 4:50 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Oh, me too! Thank-you, & I will keep you updated |
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Monday May 2, 2005 4:54 pm |
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