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Feather plucking and how long to grow back?

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Feather plucking and how long to grow back?

Postby egenlauf » Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:39 pm

Hello all,
I have been lurking for a while but thought I would ask the bird community about a question I had. I recently purchased an 8 month old Rose Cockatoo. In the pet store she plucked like crazy and shredded alot of her tail and wing feathers. Her wing feathers look like she pretty much just plucked some out but the tail feathers seem like they are shredded on the shaft, the shaft is still intact but the feather itself is pretty mangled. Will those grow back? Do the old ones need to fall out first? I noticed she has a TON of pinfeathers on her head and I have gotten enough trust that she lets me preen those for her so she is getting new feathers. She also has a couple really long flight feathers that have grown back in. She has been home a little over a month now. When I get home I will try and post up some photos.
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egenlauf
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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1 Cockatiel - Spike
1 Black Cap Caique - Sammy
1 Gallah Cockatoo - Peanut
Flight: Yes

Re: Feather plucking and how long to grow back?

Postby donald1954 » Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:30 am

Hi, and a good morning to you too!

Well poor little soul. There is a lot to say about feather plucking. At first I would go and see an Avian Vet to check the birds health, sometimes they have a problem with the liver, sometime another desease, like PDD or whatever. Once checked, always make sure your bird has a lot to do in the cage and outside. Lots of branches, lots of enrichment, many toys. Spend at lot of time with the bird, give it a lot of freeflight, or at least time outside, lots of fresh air. does your bird take a bath? If not, it is rather important to spray and mist him as often as possible. And than of course I would start with training. Does he already step on to your hand? I am sure you will have an improvement to the birds health, mentally and physically. He trusts you already, that is a good sign. Look forward to hear from you, how things are! :gray:

rgds Karin + Don

Ps. We have got something here in Germany called " red Palmoil". I give it to my birds twice a week. I have read a lot about it, and it is good for the skin, takes away itch. Maybe worth trying.
donald1954
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Re: Feather plucking and how long to grow back?

Postby egenlauf » Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:57 pm

Yeah she is doing much better since she has been home and I have not seen her plucking since she has been with me. She went to the vet and had blood work done the second day she was home. Everything came out fine. The vet seemed to think the feathers would grow out and grow back, I would guess she would have mentioned if some of them needed clipped or pulled (yes she is an avian vet). I guess from not having dealt with a plucker before I was curious how long it typically takes for the feathers to grow out that are shredded up?

donald1954 wrote:Hi, and a good morning to you too!
Well poor little soul. There is a lot to say about feather plucking. At first I would go and see an Avian Vet to check the birds health, sometimes they have a problem with the liver, sometime another desease, like PDD or whatever. Once checked, always make sure your bird has a lot to do in the cage and outside. Lots of branches, lots of enrichment, many toys. Spend at lot of time with the bird, give it a lot of freeflight, or at least time outside, lots of fresh air. does your bird take a bath? If not, it is rather important to spray and mist him as often as possible. And than of course I would start with training. Does he already step on to your hand? I am sure you will have an improvement to the birds health, mentally and physically. He trusts you already, that is a good sign. Look forward to hear from you, how things are! :gray:
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egenlauf
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 16
Number of Birds Owned: 5
Types of Birds Owned: 2 Parakeets - Maddie and Geddy
1 Cockatiel - Spike
1 Black Cap Caique - Sammy
1 Gallah Cockatoo - Peanut
Flight: Yes

Re: Feather plucking and how long to grow back?

Postby Shelby » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:32 am

Birds molt once or twice a year. The mangled feathers will need to fall out before new ones will grow in, but new ones will be able to grow in now where there are currently no feathers. So it might take several months before your bird looks a little less scraggly, but as long as you have a clean bill of health from your avian vet, there's no need to worry! ;)

donald1954 wrote:Spend at lot of time with the bird, give it a lot of freeflight, or at least time outside, lots of fresh air.

You should NOT take your bird outside for freeflights unless you have a professional there to guide you along and help you, and by that time you should have worked extensively on flight recall training while inside. Otherwise, you should not take your bird outside unless they are harness-trained or in a carrier. Even clipped birds can fly with a tiny bit of wind. There are many risks with taking your uncaged bird outside - they could get spooked and fly away, they could be attacked by a hawk or other predatory bird, etc. Please stick to taking your bird outside in a carrier for now! Sunshine is great for birds, but please be very careful with your feathered friends!
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Re: Feather plucking and how long to grow back?

Postby egenlauf » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:54 pm

Shelby wrote:Birds molt once or twice a year. The mangled feathers will need to fall out before
You should NOT take your bird outside for freeflights unless you have a professional there to guide you along and help you, and by that time you should have worked extensively on flight recall training while inside. Otherwise, you should not take your bird outside unless they are harness-trained or in a carrier. Even clipped birds can fly with a tiny bit of wind. There are many risks with taking your uncaged bird outside - they could get spooked and fly away, they could be attacked by a hawk or other predatory bird, etc. Please stick to taking your bird outside in a carrier for now! Sunshine is great for birds, but please be very careful with your feathered friends!

Yeah I think even if my bird was completely recall trained I would be nervous about free flighting them outside. They are such an important part of the family I would be devastated if something happened to them. All my birds are flighted and can fly around in the house wherever they want, I setup window perches if they want to look outside, they go outside in their cages when the weather is nicer, right now I am in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and it's a bit chilly so they get to look out the windows :) Thanks for all the good info, it seems like her balance is getting better (with the bad tailfeathers I think that was really putting her off balance) and with no more plucking I have high hopes of her flying around the house soon.
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egenlauf
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 16
Number of Birds Owned: 5
Types of Birds Owned: 2 Parakeets - Maddie and Geddy
1 Cockatiel - Spike
1 Black Cap Caique - Sammy
1 Gallah Cockatoo - Peanut
Flight: Yes


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