Plucking

Hi Lisa! Sorry to hear that Chumley is plucking, What a bummer! But glad the vet has cleared him of any medical problems being the cause. Have you ever caught Chumley in the act of plucking? Do you know approximately what time of day he is most likely to preen or take a nap? That may be the time that he is plucking. If he is doing it around the same time every day, maybe you can take him out of his cage before it starts. Provide him with some fun activities to help keep his mind occupied with other things. The important thing is to do this BEFORE the plucking starts. Of course, the only drawback to this is if you are not around during the day. Then I would rearrange the inside of his cage frequently and keep him busy with new toys. They have foraging toys you can buy. Just make sure you check the measurements. Some are too big for our little guys. You can also try putting a bowl in his cage with crumpled paper and filling it with treats and fun little toys, etc. Pugsley loves digging for buttons. People use baby cams to watch their birds when they are away from home. That might give you some insight into what Chumley is doing when you are not around. You haven't changed his food or anything else lately, have you? You know how sensitive they are!

It makes sense that it could be hormones. Tis the season! (Unfortunately). The Spring is such a difficult time for a lot of our little guys! If you haven't already, try giving Chumley two extra hours of undisturbed sleep every night in complete darkness. Do this for a week or until he is no longer showing hormonal signs. Extra rest will help balance out the hormones, giving Chumley's body more time to wind down from all that pent up energy he is experiencing. I am hoping all this stops soon! I know it is not easy! Sending you a hug! You are a good mom!
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Good solid advise Anya. He is already sleeping from 6:30pm- ish to 8:30-9 am so I don't think I should make him sleep longer- if I could... I can hear him rumbling around in his sleep cage in the am and he shreds his paper towel by the time i get him into his day cage, he has a small bowl of food and water in that cage. I have him sleep in a sleep cage so he can be moved to a room where it is a little warmer since his day cage is in my art room where it has two sky lights and all windows with the thick blinds. It never gets completely dark. His sleep cage is in my bedroom where it is dark and quiet ( except when the dogs go up to bed. They make a small ruckus when the jump into their crates but Chumley is covered so he can't see them.
My vet noted that it was most likely it is hormonal but Chums could like his "Punk" look and it may become habit. He said as long as he is healthy. He also said that there were drugs that will slow him down but he will not advise it unless Chumley starts ruining himself - tearing into his skin. Then he would give the drugs. he said that the drugs would change is mood and personality. Its like how they used to give kids Ritalin for attention deficeit disorder in the old days. My sister was on it in the 3rd grade. it did change her mood. her school pictures she looked half asleep it was awful. The vet said he would just sit on his perch . That is so sad so I am hoping he stops the plucking. he looks really messed up like he got into a fight. Poor guy. I just have to be patient and wait it out and try to keep him busy. Here are some pics of before and after... Sorry I can't find the place to insert a picture from my computer.

I
I figured it out!
Plucked and ready for the oven.
My poor Chums.
BEFORE the pluck

I know this is not the same as what you guys are going through with your birds, but I thought I would share it. Pugsley got plucked by his parents when he was about 5 weeks old. This happens when the parents want to lay more eggs. They pluck the babies to get them to leave the nest. My breeder sent me the pic and I just looked at it one time, and did not want to look at it again. It made me feel so sad and awful. Even now, I find it hard to look at. Of course, all his feathers have grown back, but I have noticed whenever he stretches, I can see a bald spot on one of his legs. It’s just a reminder of what happened to him, but that's okay, I will always love those little green bloomers! 🥰