Molting or Plucking?

[mdccxxvii]

Hey All,

My sister recently bought a year-old parrotlet (named Indigo) from a parrotlet breeder, who was very friendly, well taken care of, etc. Recently he has started to pull out small pieces of underfeathers (he is blue, but the feathers are white, and seem to come from underneath his blue feathers). He pulls them from his chest, under his wings, his back, etc. He looks fairly rumpled with tufts of feathers sticking up... We don't know whether to be worried that he might be starting to pluck, or if this perfectly natural molting. We've been a way a bit recently on a couple of week-long vacations, but we've made sure that he gets someone to come visit him...

All thoughts appreciated.

[chapala]

It is normal for them to lose their down feathers as part of molting. I'm guessing normal molt, especially since you're not seeing any bare patches. Bare patches usually mean plucking.

[LovelySydney]

Could you show us a picture if possible?? I can get a better idea with a photo. Does he have any pin feathers that you can see? Pin feathers are a definite sign of molting.

[chapala]

Sometimes they lose their down feathers separately from their colored feathers, so you might not necessarily see pin feathers. At least not until the colored feathers are being replaced.

[mdccxxvii]

It seems that he is preening, and then finds a feather he doesn't like, and either chews it off partway down the stem of the feather, or chews of most of the strands that stick out from it...

There are some pictures attached. I apologize for the poor quality with our bad camera, and making it more difficult Indigo is camera-shy.

Thank you all for your help.

[jodeg]

Even though I have a plucker (Kiwi), I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but this doesn't look like normal molting to me. With normal molting, you shouldn't see "patches" like in your pictures. She may be stressed out over something, or extra nervous about something.

Have you taken her to a good avian vet for a check up and testing to make sure she's healthy? That would be your first step -- rule out illness as being a possible cause.

I'm sure others will step in here with help and advice.

Keep us posted!

[chapala]

It's hard to tell from the photos since they're not real clear, but it does look like your bird might be plucking. You should not be able to see patches of gray down without the colored feathers. He may have come to you with a plucking habit already. If you search the old threads, there have been many on pluckers and different things to try. I agree with Jo Anne, the first step should be a vet check to make sure there's no illness. Good luck!

[mdccxxvii]

Thanks for the help. We contacted the breeder, and they said that they did not know of him plucking in the past (we are his second owner not including the breeder, and he is one year old). We think that this habit may have started from loneliness while we were away for parts of the summer. We give him a lot of attention when we are home, but during the day he is alone with just the radio and his toys, which he doesn't seem to take interest in.

When he sits on our shoulders he seems to almost always be preening/chewing up his feathers, and doesn't sit still and grind his beak as much as he used to. He seems healthy, but the bad habit obviously needs to change, and we need to figure out how to keep him entertained when we are gone...

[StephGee]

I would venture to say that he's plucking. Please take him in for a vet check. Sometimes plucking is caused by illness, so that's the first thing to rule out. Then you need to start looking at diet issues/lighting/cage size/interaction, etc.

[Mama2ManyMouths]

Here's an article I wrote on the subject of moulting. It's primarily about African Greys, but the same principles apply for all parrots.

http://www.anafricangrey.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62:moulting-molting&catid=34:health-and-nutrition&Itemid=57

[mdccxxvii]

Well an update is that he is definitely plucking. His chest is down only, and we're hoping that he doesn't remove the down.

He seems happy when we are around, and he loves to sit on our shoulders, and climbs around on our shirts, and hangs out in our hair. At times he sits by himself singing, and seems fairly content. When he plucks his feathers, it seems like he is preening, but then starts to nibble, and then down goes part of the feather, just leaving the down. He is nibbling at feathers on his back as well, and we hope he won't go any farther than his chest...

Our house is not super warm, and neither is Vancouver in general. Will his lack of chest feathers be a major problem for his body temperature, and what can be done to help with this?

He seems bored whenever he is in his cage. He either sits on the stationary perches, or climbs around the bars, and looks like he wants out. He sort of pecks at the bars, and he chews up the cardboard on top, but he doesn't really play with any of his toys (we change some and leave some, but he hasn't really taken interest in anything except for occasionally he chews up some old t-shirt strips).

He also has never wanted to bathe, although we have ''steamed'' him a few times...

He also hasn't molted yet, so we don't know what that will do for him.

All suggestions are welcome, and we are hoping for a return of his feathers, or at least no more range of plucking.

Thanks.

[Mama2ManyMouths]

He also hasn't molted yet, so we don't know what that will do for him.

All suggestions are welcome, and we are hoping for a return of his feathers, or at least no more range of plucking.

Thanks.

I suggest taking your p'let to your avian vet to rule out the possibility that he's chewing his feathers off in response to a medical condition. My first p'let, Skyler has a chronic liver condition which prompts him to pluck and chew his body feathers (he leaves his wings and tail alone.)

If you haven't got an avian vet yet, then Dr. Anne MacDonald in Vancouver (at 1956 West Broadway, just a couples of blocks west of Granville) would be a good choice. Her clinic only treats birds and is called Night Owl Bird Hospital: 604-734-5100

[StephGee]

Take him to the vet now before you do anything else. Good luck!

[mdccxxvii]

I suggest taking your p'let to your avian vet to rule out the possibility that he's chewing his feathers off in response to a medical condition. My first p'let, Skyler has a chronic liver condition which prompts him to pluck and chew his body feathers (he leaves his wings and tail alone.)

If you haven't got an avian vet yet, then Dr. Anne MacDonald in Vancouver (at 1956 West Broadway, just a couples of blocks west of Granville) would be a good choice. Her clinic only treats birds and is called Night Owl Bird Hospital: 604-734-5100

We talked to this vet over the phone, and described Indigo's behaviour to her. She thought he sounded healthy, and told us that she thought he was plucking due to the stress of us being away for that time in the summer, and that it had become habitual after that...

Does anyone have any ideas or strategies for preventing future plucking? He mostly leaves his chest alone now that it is down to the down, but he's doing a little bit of plucking on his back between his wings...

Thanks all.

[StephGee]

He needs to see a vet. I cannot believe a vet would diagnose over the phone. Amazingly irresponsible! There are several illnesses that the bird should be tested for that can contribute to plucking and are treatable. Once illness is ruled out then other things like diet, lighting, bathing, humidity, handling should be addressed.

I hope you can sort it out, but if it's a habit, then you may just have to love him in a downy coat. Good luck.

[mdccxxvii]

I don't think it was so much a diagnosis as much as her preliminary thoughts from the behaviour that we described. I think that we should take him to the vet, but my parents are reluctant to spend the money... I am trying to convince them, but so far haven't gotten anywhere.

[StephGee]

I understand your parent's concerns about the money. Perhaps you could show them this post so they could see how many people believe it to be best that he go? Many people don't understand that parrots require vet visits at least once a year and can oftentimes be just as expensive to keep as dogs!

If they won't take him, then search in the search box for plucking. You'll get a weath of information.

My Herbie plucked this spring during his first molt. I gave him a bath twice daily (once in the morning and once in the afternoon). If your bird won't bathe, you can try misting him with water with a very fine spray bottle (buy a new bottle, don't use one that has had hair products or anything like that in it). I also added this to his food at the direction of my vet:

http://www.birdsupplies.com/AVIx-Sunshine-Factor-For-Parrots-p/avsf1.htm

Finally, I used this spray, sprayed it on my fingers and then wiped it on the bare spots on Herbie following his bath. This was also at the direction of the vet.

http://www.avianlove.com/item/AVIX_SOOTHER_SPRAY/681/c122

I am not a vet and this is not medical advice. Good luck with your bird. I hope you can figure it out.

[mdccxxvii]

Well Indigo went to the vet today (I guilt-tripped my mom into taking him), and he was deemed to be in good health besides some sort of yeast/bacterial infection that he now has medication for. He's not flying as well, as he's been plucking at his wings and tail a bit, but hopefully this will stop his plucking, and more importantly improve his health...

Thanks for the pressure to visit the vet, as it's the most logical way to solve this issue.

[StephGee]

I'm so glad that you took him! That infection could well be the cause of the plucking. Hopefully it'll be sorted out with the medicine and the plucking hasn't come habitual. Give your mom an extra hug, she did a good thing by taking you and your little Indigo! I'm sure you feel better now, right?