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SilverCry
Just hatched
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
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| Feather Picking? |
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I have a budgie named Merlin. I think he's about six months old and he's pretty much figured out how to fly. When we brought him home from the store back in January, I noticed that his tail feathers were bent and that he was missing a few. After his first molt, the taill feathers that were missing grew back (although he bent the two long ones running around on the floor).
I also noticed a small bare spot on his wing, as if a few feathers were missing from there too. Mum and I theorize that he might have had a previous owner with small children who unwittingly plucked him, or that other birds might have plucked him, but lately it seems that the bare spot has been getting larger, and another one has appeared on his other wing. He's already molted once, so the new feathers should have grown in.
The feathers that are missing appear to be the ones right above his primaries. It doesn't seem to affect his flying ability, but the bare patches have been getting a lot worse since we clipped him (We had to. He hurt himself flying into a wall.)
I don't think he's depressed, because he's talkative and active and plays with his toys (especially the bells). He gets plenty of attention. I go and talk to him every time I walk into the room, and I talk to him (loudly) when I hear him chirping and I'm in another room. I've tried to take him around with me, but he's much too easily distracted, so most of the time, I just leave the cage open and shut all bathroom doors, and Merlin gets free run of the house. (We don't have any other pets.)
I've never caught him in the act either, but I can't think of any other explanation. Could he be feather picking? Why? |
Sunday July 30, 2006 5:54 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10063
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| Re: Feather Picking? |
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That's sad to hear..  Could you take him to an avian vet for a check up? There could be quite some reasons! |
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Sunday July 30, 2006 6:47 pm |
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SilverCry
Just hatched
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
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I'd like to, but my Mum won't let me. (It's not that she doesn't think he's important as a member of our family, she's like this about the people doctor too.) |
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Sunday July 30, 2006 6:58 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
Until you can convince your mum about the check up, try to eliminate as many of the possible causes as possible. There are dozens of possible causes for plucking-- like inadequate diet, lack of sleep (causing anxiety), not enough humidity or baths (skin gets dry and itchy), or being handled with greasy hands (bird must pull out damaged feathers). But there are many serious causes, too-- like bacterial, viral, or fungal infections; parasites; heavy metal poisoning; allergies... That's why a visit to the avian vet is so important. |
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Monday July 31, 2006 2:35 am |
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SilverCry
Just hatched
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
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Well, I've been putting him in another room when it starts to get dark, in hopes that he'll go to sleep instead of listening to my mother make late-night bussiness calls. There's really nothing I can do about the humidity, but I let him run around in the sink and gave him a bath (not the best idea, but we don't have a spray bottle), and I still can't get him to eat anything other than seed.
He's been a lot noisier than usual, but I'm not sure if it's because he's feeling better or because he's sulking. |
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Friday August 4, 2006 3:49 pm |
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cheekie_birdy
Experienced flier
Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Posts: 1719
Location: Canada |
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I wrote something about this on my website.
Click[url=http://pic3.piczo.com/parrotlovers/?g=17137820&cr=3]here[/url=http://pic3.piczo.com/parrotlovers/?g=17137820&cr=3] to read about it.
Maybe your bird is just addicted to plucking? Some birds get like this. You could get an elizabethan collar for him.
About getting him to eat things other than seed, get some fruit/veggie or whatever and you eat it too, saying how good it is, and offer him some (make sure no saliva's on his piece.) If you have other birds, get them to eat the food too. Does your bird like corn bread? You could bake some corn bread muffins and grate carrot in it and add whatever you want him to eat. Try to offer new foods in a creative ways. Like skewer some veggies and fruit and hang it in his cage, or maybe cook the food so it's warm (like cooked carrots opposed to raw carrots). Just keep offering the food, I read that it took someone's amazon 7 yrs to eat carrots!
Here's a recipe for the corn bread: http://gccbc.org/Articles/Reci.....nBread.htm
Good luck! |
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Friday August 4, 2006 5:32 pm |
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cheekie_birdy
Experienced flier
Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Posts: 1719
Location: Canada |
ooops sorry the link to my site didn't work here's the right link:
http://pic3.piczo.com/parrotlo.....0&cr=3 |
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Friday August 4, 2006 5:33 pm |
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cheekie_birdy
Experienced flier
Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Posts: 1719
Location: Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by SilverCry
He's been a lot noisier than usual, but I'm not sure if it's because he's feeling better or because he's sulking.
Being noisey is good. Birds mostly vocalize when they're happy. Sometimes unessisary vocalization might mean they're sick, but really, a noisey bird's a happy bird. |
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Friday August 4, 2006 5:36 pm |
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SilverCry
Just hatched
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
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Thank you for your help. I'll look into plucking medicines and maybe visit the local Petco.
With Merlin, I usually offer him a bit of whatever I'm eating, but he just comes over and takes a nibble, then ignores it. I've come to assume that he just doesn't like the taste, but I can't find anything that he does like. |
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Friday August 4, 2006 5:39 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
Some birds pluck because they are bored and/or like the attention they get from having plucked. Plenty of toys, including ones that are meant to be chewed and destroyed might help. Rotate them so they always seem new.
Check through the other threads and forums for hints on changing your bird's diet. I hear that Budgies are especially prone to get tumors from a diet of seeds. Changing his diet now could prevent him from getting tumors and might stop his plucking.
I conldn't get to Cheekie's sites (computer had been funny today) but the cornbread is really a good idea and might be something your whole family would enjoy. Bet your mum would like having an extra cook around the house! |
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Saturday August 5, 2006 5:23 am |
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SilverCry
Just hatched
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
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Actually, I've offered him cornbread before. Same as usual, he just came over when he saw me eating it, and took a bite, then ignored it.
(And I already cook by the way. My Mum never learned how to bake.) |
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Sunday August 6, 2006 12:13 pm |
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A11ycat
Just hatched
Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 32
Location: N. Ireland |
Its possible that he has mites, does the skin look dry and raw?
My cockatiel always had a big bald patch all around her neck, fortunately it was in such a position that the chances of her being able to pluck it were pretty low. I've improved her diet, and been giving her regular anti-mite doses, and she's a lot better, not perfect, but the patch is 1/5 of the size it used to be...
So I recommend trying both improving the diet i.e. making sure the budgie's seed is supplemented in some way, you can buy bird vitamins, to put in the water or food... and you could also try the mite stuff which you can pick up at alot of pet stores... good luck! |
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Tuesday August 8, 2006 3:21 pm |
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SilverCry
Just hatched
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
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Hm..come to think of it, his skin does look rather red. I'll have to check that out. I'll try the sheet test on him. |
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Tuesday August 8, 2006 11:23 pm |
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