A week ago I rescued a Citron cockatoo from a sale. He didn’t go through the sale as the SPCA pulled him because he self plucks. I couldn’t see him return to where he came from so I made a private sale with the owner.
This isn’t our first cockatoo but it’s our first plucker. For lack of better term..
I asked a few simple question. Like age and name. They couldn’t tell me either. They bought him as a breeding male. He didn’t want to do as they wanted so he ended up at the sale.They were calling him Clyde..well he’s not a Clyde. We call him Rio..
We’ve had him a week and we’re in love.. he talks, everyday says something new. Loves rubs, and kisses. It’s his loss of feathers that were concerned about. Hubby and I are retired so we’re together a lot throughout the day. He sits on my chair back for all meals, and we sit outside on the veranda for our afternoon snack. Goes under the gazebo on hot days when moms looking after the other farm animals. With his log to debark..and his sister Jade to pester. Only in his cage when he decides. Except at night. He didn’t liked the tv remote to have as many buttons when he was left out at night..lol.
Now that you have some idea of his life here now there isn’t a real reason to pluck..
Spending so much time with him I did notice he takes his hard biscuit type food and breaks it open and proceeds to rub it on his skin. I think he’s itchy. We have talked to our vet. She says give him time to adjust to his new home. If he continues take him into the city 2 hours away and see an avian vet who can draw blood, and see if there’s other issues. Then we can follow up with her.
We just don’t want at this time add more stress for him.. he’s just settling in with our life.
He has no soars other than where his wing attaches to his body. He has an open sore there. I take a q tip with medicated cream and apply it. He doesn’t like that but I’ve managed so far without being bit.
I was thinking of trying a cream, or oil (coconut..olive,) (but there not natural to his body as I did read on this site) on some part of his body..hubby wants to try and bath him.
We raise peafowl. And heritage chickens. So we’re not totally new to birds and handling but are aware that he’s a totally different degree of bird. Stressing him to do something he’s not use to will set us back. We’re only a week into our lives together..
We’re not against the vet either but like others we feel the vet should be a visit after we try a few some simple things at home first. Just what to try we’re not sure..
thank you for taking the time to read this, any advise would be appreciated .. Shelley.