Advice for rehomed, feather plucking 15 y/o nanday conure

[Lake Desire]

Greetings! I got a nanday conure, Jade, many years ago, for my 12th birthday. I grew up, went to college, and left my bird in the care of my parents. I finally live somewhere where I can have a bird, and Jade, who is now 15, has recently come to live with me. She seems to be adjusting well in that she'll talk, play with her toys, cuddle, beg for treats, and come out of her cage for a quick bath. She's her old self! However, she has been a long time feather plucker, and I am wondering how I can break the habit because most of the guides I find online are to nip feather plucking as soon as it starts. Unfortunately, Jade started plucking while I was away at college, and thus has been doing so for many years. Her belly is bald, and I doubt those feathers are coming back. I am OK with her being bald, but I would like her stop plucking her remaining feathers because it pains me to see her destroy her beautiful plumage.

She also has a feathers on her wings (not the flight feathers) that she seems to have chewed up, although I haven't seen her destroying them since she came to live with me.

Since she came to live with me, I've been finding 3-4 feathers in the bottom of her cage each day. I thought these feathers were from molting, but just yesterday she pulled out a beautiful tail feather right in front of me! I tried to ignore the behavior, but it is hard to do so!

A bit more background on Jade: when she was about 5 or 6, one of our foster cats attacked her, and she lost an eye. Since then, she has been a very nervous bird. She won't fly unless something startles her, and even then she'll just end up on the ground. Although she asks to come out of her cage a few times a day, she almost immediately gets nervous and wants to go back in.

More about Jade's new living situation: We have no other pets except 3 chickens who live outside. Jade is in our living room, where there is lots of activity: I have housemates who come and go, and we all spend a lot of time in the living room. She can also see out the windows when we have the curtain opens.

Anyhow--does anyone have advice to help a middle-aged, disabled, anxious, long-time plucker give up the habit? Thank you!

[liz]

She started plucking when you left but now she is back with you. Once you have tightened your bond again she should keep busy enough to not pluck. It must be really itchy to have new feathers growing in. I would get a soothing spray for her. The more things she has to do the less time she has to think about plucking.

Good luck. I hope you can help her.

[Grey_Moon]

Ah the long-time plucker...

Been there, still doing it .

1st stop is as always, a full vet check. Bloodwork and x-rays as a baseline to establish organ function, immune status and possible inflammation or old injuries.

2nd is going to be my slightly unorthodox procedure. Security and a good whole food diet. What this means is you let the bird be a bird as much as is feasible. This means she gets the experience of a flock (sleeping near you in your bedroom, 'flying' to her stand for breakfast with you, then to the shower and finally to her cage for the day) and the security of one.
I'm not a pellet supporter, particularly for older feather plucking birds, and I think the less stress on her body from dealing with artificial ingredients, vitamins and allergy-inducing ingredients like wheat, corn n soy the better. Add a good probiotic and some whole food supplements like bee pollen and flax for healthy fats, b complex vitamins and etc.

3rd is baths, daily and keep a spray bottle handy. I find that if Jacko is spritzed throughout the day it keeps her from picking at herself as much.

4th is the tough one---lots of enrichment and acceptance. Toys, toys and more toys, lots of new people, experiences...get that mind working.
Accept that she may never stop. I learned a long time ago from being with a very sweet but very self-destructive ex-lover that you cannot drive yourself crazy trying to 'fix them' and that the harder you try to 'save' them often the harder they self-destruct. You must not take on that kind of frustration and sort of unhealthy energy---it poisons your love and your bond with the bird because all you begin to see is the problem to be fixed. Love them regardless, overlook her self-destructive behaviour and treat it like it isn't even happening. Just accept them as is, warts and all--distance yourself from their behaviour and don't let it get to you. Its just bashing your head into a wall. Often, when you do that--they begin plucking less because they sense your lack of stress and acceptance of them, and the lack of pressure from your visions of the 'ideal bird' that you're trying to get them to be. Sure, she could be fully feathered and etc etc---but you got her, not that bird.

[Lake Desire]

Thank you for the tips! I was planning on taking her to the vet shortly, but wanted to let her relax in her new home before taking her out on an adventure to the vet (she hadn't left my parents house in years, so the car-ride over to my house was a lot of excitement).

Any advice on how to help her be less nervous? She loves her bath, but jump in for one second and wants back out, without even getting all the way wet! She's also too scared and uncoordinated to fly very successfully. I'm sure it will just take time and trust.

Speaking of toys... do you all have a favorite online retailer? I was thinking of looking in to buying some of her favorite toys in bulk (she loves destroying small blocks and bells).

Down the road, I'd also be willing to adopt a second older conure so Jade can have a bird friend to talk to, but I was wondering if she'd teach plucking to other birds.