Spoiler alert: This post and discussion illustrate how I reached my diagnosis:
Jan is plucking his feathers because his feet hurt.He’s using his food dish to sleep.This helps avoid pressure to the bottom of his feet which he feels when they grip the smooth dowel rod perch.That’s why he plucks in the sleeping cage – he wants the pain to ease.
Read moreSolving This Grey’s Feather Plucking With A New Nano Environment
Or
Are Mites Making Making My Macaw Miserable?
Hi Mitch,
Always look forward to your Sunday articles, thanks!
Madeleine is a (Blue & Gold Macaw) rescue from a home where she was malnourished, neglected and abused.
I was able to negotiate relinquishment but it’s been a year of learning for me, we bonded and I decided to adopt her instead of fostering.
We are trying something different today.
This is a video interview with Dr. Jenkins, a board certified avian veterinarian.
The video is sponsored by Chloe Sanctuary, a well known and highly regarded bird rescue.
The two major issues I have with Dr. Jenkins are
Read moreIs Using An Anti Psychotropic Drug A Good Feather Plucking Solution
Dear Mitch I wanted to ask for your advice.
My male cockatiel is pulling his feathers out from under his wings.
I brought him to one avian vet who did blood work.
That was a dead end.
The 2nd vet sent droppings to a lab and that was negative.
Read moreAnswers For A Cockatiel Pulling Out His Wing Feathers And A Cockatiel With Cataracts
Donna B writes on 9/9/2018
I have a 6-1/2 year old Jubilee Macaw (named Bijou) who seems to be having a very difficult molt.
I am concerned his constant picking might turn in to plucking.
Bijou has begun constantly picking on himself and pulls out not only larger feathers but also small to mid size feathers and gray fluff.
As of now, however, I don’t see any skin abrasions or blood.
Read moreWhy Is This Jubilee (Hybrid) Macaw Having A Difficult Molt?
Why is humankind so focused on lopping off body parts?
We “bob” dog’s ears and tails.
We castrate bulls.
We lop off the foreskin of infant males.
And now we wanna chop off the wings of animals that have been flying for 99 million years.
“Earn the right to fly”? Preposterous.
Flight is what birds are all about.
Flight was granted to birds long before, way long before humans could cook food with fire.
My husband and I have two 14-year-old African grey parrots.
We bought them from a pet store that sold only parrots when they were chicks.
They seem very healthy – have good appetites, play, scream, etc.
However, one of the birds has been losing her feathers and it is getting worse.
Read moreOne Of My African Greys Has Been Losing Feathers And It Is Getting Worse