Yikes!!! Sudden onset feather plucking

[jacquie]

Sunny came to me 3 months ago with some small bald patches under each wing. I've never seen feathers at the bottom of her cage, but in the last 24 hours she has suddenly picked her entire back from shoulder to tail completely bald. I woke up and was horrified at the mountain of feathers in the bottom of the cage.

Things to note: I've been sick so have been around her but not holding her much the past few days. I haven't spritzed her with water either during the past week. I have noticed she is dancing more and cheeping after me if I leave the room a lot more in the past week or 2, yet I have to chase her around the cage to get her out of it (could this be spring hormones kicking in?). Also, the lamp that I usually shine down in to her cage broke (I can't bring her outside yet since it is still below freezing outside and windy. I'm sure she hasn't seen natural daylight or fresh air since September (makes me cringe to think how she must feel). Because I've been ill, I've uncovered her late in the morning too. I realize now that some/all of these must have caused this sudden change in behaviour. I can't think of anything else that has changed unless it is something within her that I don't know of.

I've given her more one to one contact today, sprayed her several times with room temp camomile tea to help sooth her skin and fed her some extra scrambled egg with omega 3,6,9 and a bit of extra palm oil. I will continue to do tea baths, extra dietary bits, and attention. I'll get her back in to a normal light/dark cycle too. I didn't realize how sensitive birds can be. Any other suggestions would be very welcom. I'm feeling really worried for her.

Thanks,

Jacquie

[Michael]

Are you sure it's feather plucking and not a night fright where the feathers fell out?

[GlassOnion]

If she's Clipped, let her flights grow out. It's a huge bonus for mental stimulation and she'll be happier. It's a huge factor because birds often start plucking when they're clipped.

[jacquie]

Are you sure it's feather plucking and not a night fright where the feathers fell out?

Holy crap! Didn't know that could happen. No. My husband noticed her working on them in the evening and then I put her to bed and covered the cage and woke up to the rest of the feathers gone in the morning. She did "fall" off of the top of her cage that afternoon though. Although she has destroyed all but a couple of her flight feathers she did manage to flap rather than plumet to the floor. I scooped her up right away, but I'm sure it was a bit of a shock. She was trembling afterwards. I put a heater on her and gave her a nutirberry to distract her.

[jacquie]

If she's Clipped, let her flights grow out. It's a huge bonus for mental stimulation and she'll be happier. It's a huge factor because birds often start plucking when they're clipped.

Trying to grow those back. She keeps chomping them off as one comes in. I am pretty sure she has always been clipped for the 4 years before me. When she came to us the clipping looked like a hack job but I am not sure if it was her or the human who did it. I can't wait to get her outside for some natural surroundings and get some branches in her cage for her to chew on. She pretty much ignores all toys except cardboard for shredding.

[Andromeda]

I'm sorry to hear your Senegal is plucking. It can be really hard to identify the cause.

My brown-headed parrot started plucking out of the clear blue sky last October. There was absolutely no change in his environment or lifestyle. I just uncovered his cage one morning to discover that he'd apparently spent the entire night pulling his feathers out.

He did this 2 nights in a row and I was very concerned so I took him to the vet. Long story short he has been tested for any and all possible infections, illnesses, and health problems, I have tried a night light, moving the cage, a sleeping cage, less sleep, more sleep, AviCalm, Rescue Remedy, etc. and none of it has helped.

In fact when I tried a nightlight he actually ended up plucking about 10 times worse than he usually does.

He still plucks, and only at night. He never, ever plucks even a single feather during the day. The plucking has greatly (and mysteriously) improved since October but his legs and part of his belly are still plucked bare.

I would give anything to know what caused him to pluck. I have a full-spectrum light for him, and sometimes I take him outside to get some sunlight. I feed him organic pellets and fresh fruits and vegetables. He has lots of toys, several different perches in different areas of the house, and he only spends about 1 - 3 hours per day in his cage.

There was absolutely no change in his life at all; I just put him to bed one night and in the morning found a huge pile of feathers.

He actually had let the feathers on his belly grow back almost all the way (whereas he's been plucking them out when they are still pin feathers) and I got my hopes up thinking he might leave them alone. Then Daylight Savings Time started and he must have been really upset about his routine changing because in the morning all those pretty feathers were on the bottom of his cage.

I wish you better luck with your bird. Plucking can be hormonal (and if it is there is a drug that can stop it) but my vet said that usually if it's hormonal they'll pluck in-between their legs or around their vent.

If your bird continues to pluck you should bring it to the vet to rule out health problems first. Once you know it's not a health issue you can go from there.

[jacquie]

Thank you for sharing that about your bird. At least it helps me feel like I'm not a terrible pet guardian - that birds just do these things sometimes.

The good news is that she seems to have been leaving her feathers alone. I think they are starting to grow back. It still looks like a mess, but if feels rough and poky like feathers may be starting to grow.

There were a few warm days last week and I was able to take her outside for several days in a row. She really seemed to enjoy herself and I'm sure that did worlds of good psychologically and in terms of making some vitamin D.

I'll keep you all updated as things unfold.

Jacquie