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Originally Posted by Breny  Welp no breeding birds in my future LOL. He was 1 in Dec. I've had him since he was weaned. (I'm calling him "HIM" but I did not have him sexed)
Can you tell me more on this?
Also Misting. He HATES it! I have no clue why but I am trying to everyday now to get him used to it. I even tried him in the sink today and Oh my he had a fit! So I am going to mist once a day and hope he starts to enjoy. How does misting help with the feather distroying? |
From my two years working in the bird store for a breeder who bred and raised baby parrots: Onset of feather plucking can be as the bird is reaching puberty. As females pluck to line the nest, the hormonal change can bring it on. Breeding satisfies all that goes along with this time, comraderie with a partner, and the preparations to make a family.
It can also be caused by a host of other things, from parasites to diseases. A good place to start is by keeping a diary of when and where he's picking, and any foods that may trigger it, or if it's seasonal, etc. This site explains everything in detail: (Same link Cathy suggested)
The Basics of Feather Picking
I have two Congo African Greys, one is wild caught (to the best of my knowledge) and the other is a handfed baby, or was... it's much older now. The wildcaught is somewhat aggressive and a FP. The HF Baby I was able to hand feed from the time the owner brought it into the store till weened, when I took it home. She occassionally pulls all her red tail feathers out, but may be attributed to molting periods. She is very attached to her toys, especially the ones that she was first introduced to when she was a baby. (Plastic link chains). She gets very upset if I remove them from her cage, even just for cleaning.
Misting a bird helps to remove dust and junk from the feathers, and helps to moisturize the skin, which can tend to dry out and become itchy in the winter months with the heat inside that tends to dry everything out.
To accustom a bird to being sprayed/misted, start by using warm water (I boil cold water and add it to a bottle of cold water. Hot/warm tap water contains minerals and junk from the pipes) in a spray bottle that has a superfine mister on it. Newspaper in the bottom of the cage is best bc it's naturally antibacterial. Begin by spraying the paper evey morning, making it fairly damp. This will increase the humidity and help to keep the dander down. Every now and then, hide the bottle and gently mist over the top of the cage so the mist falls down on the bird like rain. This may be more accepting to some birds. I stand with my back to the cage, bottle in front of me, and aim to spray over my head onto the top of the cage. Just a couple squirts is fine as he acclimates to it.
You can also buy a shower perch for him. PVC pipe with big suction cups to stick to the shower walls. If he sees you getting wet, he may be more accepting of the idea....
Plastic Perches - Plastic Bird Perches