may be adding another bird.

[marie83]

Its just its becoming more thought of between vets that "at least 70% " of all plucking/overpreening/self mutilation behaviours are actually caused by a medical or nutritional issue- the hard part is finding out what, sometimes it can take extensive testing to find out what it is and occasionally even re-testing as tests can come back negative

OT but in response to Marie: So there're quite a few pluckers in the rescue group here and on an online Senegal group I occasionally visit and they just would not believe that the plucking was the result of anything but a psychological disorder. It made me feel bad for their little naked Senegals that there people weren't willing to even consider that. I personally would prefer it to be a medical problem as at least then there might be a concrete solution. I guess this knowledge is just not well known by vets... and it seems like sometimes people consider vets God when it comes to pet illness.

Yes sorry there is still alot of people and even vets that believe its all pyschological (my first bird vet for example), what I was saying as diagnostic testing and treatments are improving alot of vets are beginning to see a corrolation. It is still very early days of course and there are still psychological issues that can cause it (just less likely what people think) and there will always be habitual pluckers even after the "cause" is long gone.

no i wouldn't tell you to butt out medical would have been my suggestion too with the little info i gave . no she just laid 2 eggs and was sitting on them for a week it seemed like she was stressing that nothing was happening. i was sitting next to her while she was sitting on the eggs and heard her banging her beak on the eggs then saw scratches on her chest so i removed the eggs and put them in a drawer. she seemed relieved started playing and talking like normal then i saw her pulling on her chest til it bled. right now we are putting ointment on and we got scrunchies to put on her neck so she can't reach her chest. i'm hoping that will work.

Aw poor thing. She does sound distressed. Hopefully you can manage it through regulating her environment to stop her coming into breeding condition. I don't necessarily think getting a mate will be the solution anyway but yes do keep us updated. I completely understand how distressing this is for you too.

[spiral71]

does your bird like having other bird nioses played to her from you tube? just a thought.

[Eurycerus]

does your bird like having other bird nioses played to her from you tube? just a thought.

I think this is a good point. Although I like the idea that another cockatoo would solve all problems it may do nothing except add stress. You should see if your parrot even acknowledges cockatoo sounds or pictures. Nika doesn't even seen to realize that she's the same species as Diggy. Him being here has done nothing positive or negative. Neither seems to acknowledge the others existence. Probably because both were raised by people and think people are their buddies not a weird feathery creature.

Edit: auto correct...

[marie83]

does your bird like having other bird nioses played to her from you tube? just a thought.

I think this is a good point. Although I like the idea that another cockatoo would solve all problems it may do nothing except add stress. You should see if your parrot even acknowledges cockatoo sounds or pictures. Nika doesn't even seen to realize that she's the same species as Diggy. Him being here had done nothing positive or negative. Neither seems yip acknowledge the others existence. Probably because both were raised by people and think people are their buddies not a weird feathery creature.

Actually I do agree with this. Ollie (GCC) doesn't recognise his own refection in a mirror, he couldn't care less about it and he was co-parented. George my peach fronted conure we suspect was parent raised. If I walked into the bathroom with him on me he would immediately start greeting and then courting his own reflection.

[pennyandrocky]

she does like to hear cockatoo noises on the laptop other birds she doesn't seem to care about. if i were to get another cockatoo it would be a goffin they're about the same size. the scrunchies are working though so it doesn't look like a new bird is needed right now. i think she was thinking more about cuddles and preening when she said we might need to start thinking about another bird than the noise. thanks for all your input.