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Bonded pair over-grooming

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Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby Navre » Sat Sep 10, 2016 11:31 am

Is there anything that can be done about a bonded pair that over-groom each other? They are not hurting each other, at all, but there are bald spots on the heads.
Navre
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Re: Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby Wolf » Sat Sep 10, 2016 12:05 pm

Chase them around with a broom until they are too tired to pull feathers?? :lol: :lol:

Please don't do that it was meant as humor!!

I don't know other than separating them, but that could backfire and would increase both birds stress levels, you would have to find some way to distract their attention from each other and keep them interested in something else.
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Re: Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby liz » Sun Sep 11, 2016 6:36 am

Chasing them with a broom would be stressful for the bird and could cause more grooming. The idea is good though. Keep them busy so that they are too tired to preen for a while.
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Re: Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby Wolf » Sun Sep 11, 2016 9:04 am

This would be one of those circumstances that trick training might come in handy to keep them occupied with something other than preening each other. Flight recall training would also probably be useful for this pair. It seems to me that they do not have enough mental and physical stimulation so they spend the time preening. Perhaps you could get them interested in shredding toys, or foraging toys. I have also read that preening toys such as untreated feather dusters may be helpful in diverting their attention from preening themselves and each other. I hope this will be more helpful than my last reply.
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Re: Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby Navre » Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:12 am

This is a pair of macaws. A female Greenwing and a male Blue and gold. I'll try to make some more toys for them.

Ill try the feather duster idea, too.

its hard to get the big ones to fly. Even in the aviary, it's hard for a macaw. And the season for being outside is rapidly closing.
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African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Re: Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby Pajarita » Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:54 am

Give them a nest and lots of stuff to chew - different materials from rolled up magazines to wood passing through cardboard, dried yucca, etc. But, some of them will just keep on doing it. Mami plucks Naida all the time. She has just finished growing the feathers that Mami had pulled out from her head, neck and chest but they will soon be gone because Naida actually asks Mami to preen her and Mami doesn't know any other type of preening but overdoing it. Sometimes, you just have to accept what it is and not worry about looks, you know...
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Re: Bonded pair over-grooming

Postby liz » Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:52 am

I gave Myrtle a cocoa nut still in the husk. She chewed it to the nut it self. I did chip the husk in one place to draw her to it to pick.
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Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes


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