That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Feather plucking is one of the most serious and commonly encountered parrot care concerns. Failure to provide parrots with a stimulating and socially appropriate environment will lead to a host of problems, including feather plucking.

Medical Aspects

The first step when confronted by a self-mutilating parrot is to rule out a medical disorder. Digestive system parasites, Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease and other ailments can lead a parrot to pluck its feathers.

A poor diet may also be at the root of the problem. Be sure to provide your veterinarian with a detailed description of the food consumed by your pet.

Social and Environmental Aspects

Knowing your pet’s history is vital, as the events that triggered feather plucking may have occurred in the distant past.

It is important to bear in mind that treating feather plucking is somewhat unlike curing a disease. Even with the best of care, parrots that have acquired this behavior may not relinquish it, and may resume plucking for no apparent reason. The care of such a bird requires a great deal of dedication and the input of an experienced veterinarian.

Sleep and Light

A common problem is sleep duration and quality. Most parrots hail regions where nights typically average 12 hours in length, yet a sleep period of such length is often difficult to provide in captivity. Consider where and for how long your parrot sleeps, and whether it is disturbed by noise or lights.

The quality of daytime light is also vital to your parrot’s well-being. Be sure to use a UVA /UVB bulb over your pet’s cage.

Activity Levels

When I first began to observe parrots in the wild, I was struck by how active and engaged they remain throughout the day. Parrots suffer greatly when confined in bare cages, especially if a mate is not available. Foraging toys, large cages, or outdoor aviaries and a companion will help to prevent self-mutilation.

Hormones

Hormonal secretions, associated with seasonal changes and the onset of sexual maturity, may also stimulate feather plucking. This is especially likely if the bird is exposed to a light and temperature cycle that frequently changes, or is at odds with what the bird would experience in its natural habitat.

Parrots that are kept alone may also be stimulated to express mating behavior if stroked above the hips and under the wings by their owners. The stress of being unable to engage in normal mating behavior may bring on feather plucking.

Environmental Changes

Parrots are keenly attuned to their environments, and often respond negatively to change. New people, pets, noises, scents or similar factors may all play a role in your parrot’s behavior.

Parrots are noisy by nature…yelling at your bird when it feather plucks may actually encourage the behavior. Striking the cage or squirting water will only raise the bird’s stress level.

A Reader’s Experience

Blog reader Nicole was kind enough to write in recently concerning her Goffin’s cockatoo. A confirmed feather-plucker, the bird responded favorably when given the opportunity to bathe frequently. Nicole’s experience highlights the importance of experimentation and research when dealing with this troublesome issue.

Further Reading

A number of articles on our blog address parrot husbandry. For further information, please check out Providing the Proper Light to Pet Birds and Behavioral Enrichment for Parrots.

 

Feather clipping is a bit more complicated than, well…merely clipping feathers!  Timing, technique and other factors must be taken in to consideration if the procedure is to be successful.

First Step

You would be well advised to observe a veterinarian or experienced parrot keeper clip your bird’s feathers before attempting to do so yourself.  Being able to anticipate your pet’s reaction to the procedure is as important as learning how to carry it out.

Timing: Age and Season

Birds should not be clipped until they have learned how to fly…clipping too early may hamper the development of the powerful flight muscles.  Also, if a parrot does not learn basic flight skills when young, it will likely be injured later on should its flight feathers grow in.

Ideally, feathers should be trimmed just after the molt, which occurs yearly in most parrots.  Feathers that are still growing, recognizable by blood visible within the shaft, are known as blood feathers.  These will bleed, sometimes profusely, if cut, and often must be pulled (please see article below) in order to avoid an emergency situation.  Always keep a bird first aid kit  on hand, and clip your bird at a time when a veterinarian is readily available.

Clipping Primer

The feathers to be clipped in order to limit flying ability are known as the primaries, or primary flight feathers.  These are the 10 longest feathers on the outer edge of the parrot’s wing.  Clipping should begin at primary #1, which is the shortest feather and that furthest from the bird’s head.  How many primaries need be cut depends upon the species and the individual.  Begin by clipping 5 primaries.

The primaries should be trimmed until the cut ends are hidden beneath the next row of small feathers.  These feathers, known as the major coverlets, will shield the rough ends of the primaries, preventing them from irritating the skin.  If the primaries protrude from beneath the major coverlets, the parrot may pluck them.

A clipped bird should be able to get some lift and fly for a few feet.  If unable to do so, the parrot will be injured if it tries to fly from a high point, or if it leaps from a perch when startled.  Both wings should be trimmed…trimming one unbalances the bird, often causing stress and physical injuries.

Clipping Pros and Cons

Most parrot owners decide to clip their pets’ wings as a training aid – clipped birds tend to stay in one place during training.  There are, however, other situations where clipping might be recommended.  The decision will depend upon the nature of each bird and its captive environment.

For example, clipped birds cannot crash into mirrors or alight on hot stoves, and they are less likely to chew furniture or fly out open windows.  Birds of all kinds quickly sense outside air and locate escape routes.  I have seen this a great many times in zoo collections (where windows are always screened in bird holding areas).

If multiple parrots are housed together, feather clipping an aggressive individual will limit its ability to harass others.  This is particularly useful when new birds are introduced…by the time the aggressor’s feathers grow in, the birds may well have learned to co-exist.

Feather trimming may limit a male’s ability to mount and copulate with a female, especially in aviary situations.

Further Reading

You can learn more about dealing with cut and broken blood feathers at

http://qp-society.com/qpserc/bloodfeathers.html.

Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by snowmanradio.

Birds vary greatly in their reactions to car trips. Knowing your pet’s personality, and planning accordingly, will go a long way in ensuring that both of you enjoy a safe, stress-free journey. If at all possible, take your bird on a few short “practice trips” before embarking on long journeys.

Beyond that, there are a few general preparations that might be of some use as well. Spurred by a recent question from That Bird Blog reader Bonnie, I thought I’d cover some in this article.

Carriers

Although your bird’s usual cage might provide suitable quarters for short forays, airline-approved carriers are preferable on car trips of any length. A carrier tends to keep the bird a bit calmer, as the sides are largely opaque, but the ventilation panels allow for outside views as well. Their sturdy construction helps to minimize the effects of bumps and sharp turns…the Kennel Kab Fashion Carrier is even equipped with a seat belt slot for added security (all cages and carriers should be secured with seat belt, bungee cords or otherwise). Carriers must be fit with perches…securing them via screws (in the case of heavy duty carriers) is advisable.

The Take Me Home Travel Cage is a useful option for smaller birds. It has bars on all sides, allowing well-habituated birds to “enjoy the scenery”, and is designed to fit within the Come Along Bird Carrier for those times a dark environment is needed.

Leave only a bit of water in the bowl while moving, and make sure any toys that are in the cage are soft and positioned well away from perches so that they do not swing and hit the birds.

Although some extraordinarily well-habituated parrots sometimes do fine without a cage and will sit quietly on a perch within a car (please see photo), this is not a safe situation for either bird or bird-owner.

Other Supplies

As delays may arise, be sure to carry ample supplies of cage paper…L/M Animal Absorbent Cage Liners are ideal for use on the road. It is also very important to take along an adequate supply of your bird’s usual diet…introducing an unfamiliar food purchased on route will only add to your pet’s distress.

A small oscillating fan and a first aid kit  should be on hand for emergencies. Spray bottles are very useful in cooling birds, as they may not drink normally on route.

Health Checks

Monitor your pets carefully – some birds are very stressed by travelling, and such translates into a depressed immune system. In zoos, birds being moved to a new exhibit are always inoculated against Aspergillosus, as the stress of adjusting to a new environment leaves them open to attack by a fungi that, under normal circumstances, is not problematical.

Motels

Check ahead with motels concerning their pet policy. If you can safely do so, it is a good idea to allow your birds to walk around a bit once you are settled into your room. For birds confined to a single perch all day, the opportunity to flex the toes on other surfaces is very important.

Further Reading

Some of the information contained in the regulations governing the shipment of birds via airline is useful to pet owners travelling by car as well. Read more at http://www.birdmag.com/shipping.htm.

 

Please see Part I of this article for information on related health concerns.

Feather Cysts

Feather cysts form when feathers growing below the bird’s skin fail to emerge properly. They then curl back and continue to grow, forming elongated lumps at the base of one or several feathers. Secondary bacterial infection may set in, exacerbating the problem.

Feather cysts usually form at the base of the primary wing feathers, and are most commonly seen in budgerigars, canaries and macaws. They should be surgically removed by a veterinarian.

Swellings near the Cloaca

A swollen area just above the cloaca (the common opening for the digestive and respiratory systems in birds) is often indicative of a hernia. Usually related to stomach muscle atrophy, hernias are difficult to treat and require veterinary intervention.

Swellings below the cloaca may also indicate a hernia or, more commonly, a tumor. Egg-bound hen budgerigars and other birds will also appear swollen in this area, and may strain in an attempt to dispel the egg. Immediate veterinary attention is necessary.

Further Reading

Please check out the book Parakeets: a Complete Pet Owner’s Manuel for more information on parakeet care.

Image referenced from morguefile and originally posted by eviljeff.

Swollen eyes (Periorbital Abscess) are a frequently reported affliction of budgerigars, African gray, various Amazon and nearly all other parrots, but are also seen in canaries and other finches, mynas, toucans, bulbuls and a host of lesser-known pet species.  In most cases, a Vitamin A deficiency is at the root of the problem.  Less commonly, cysts, trapped foreign objects, trauma and bacterial infection may be implicated.

Initial Symptoms (Periobital Abscess)

Swellings usually develop slowly, beginning as puffy areas in front of and possibly above the eyes, and may be quite subtle.  This underlies the importance of knowing your bird well, and of performing a close daily inspection – especially for those who keep smaller birds, or any bird in a large, outdoor aviary.  Eventually, the swollen area will spread, encircling the eye and forcing it closed.  Treatment may involve surgery and/or Vitamin A injections, followed by dietary changes.

Origin of Vitamin A Deficiencies

Vitamin A deficiencies are typical of parrots fed upon a seed-only diet, and are especially common in species and individuals that tend to feed upon 1-2 types of seed to the exclusion of all others.  As always, sunflower seeds are the main culprit.  Parrots are notoriously troublesome in this regard, but other groups have their share of offenders as well.

In softbills and other non-seed eaters, this or other deficiencies can arise in birds that feed upon a few favored food items, such as the Pekin robin that takes only mealworms or the toucan that fills up on the bananas in its salad.

Aviary and Group-Housing Concerns

While working in large, mixed-species zoo exhibits, I began to notice that the dominant birds in the exhibit were often the individuals most likely to develop vitamin/mineral deficiencies.  While this at first did not make sense, upon reflection I came to realize that it is precisely these birds that arrived at the feeding stations first and filled up on crickets, grubs, blueberries, hard-boiled egg and other favorites.

Left with only prepared softbill diets and pellets upon which to subsist, the subordinate birds actually consumed a more healthful diet than did the exhibit tyrants.  Those keeping groups of birds in outdoor aviaries would do well to remain aware of this phenomenon.

Balancing the Diet: Pellets and Prepared Foods

For parrot keepers, the answer lies in switching your birds to a pellet-based diet …a task much easier said than done where many are concerned.  Lafeber Nutriberries can be an invaluable ally in your battle.  Nutriberries present pellets in a very well-accepted form, mixing in seeds and tasty treats and greatly simplifying the ordeal.

Likewise, pellets can be put to good use in finch diets, and softbill pellets  should form the basis of the food taken by toucans, barbets, mynas and similar birds.

Other Steps to Take

Please be sure also to take a look at our extensive selection of bird care books, as there are small details affecting the nutritional health of all species.  A high quality vitamin/mineral supplement should also be used as part of a balanced diet for your pets.

Further Reading

For more information on the role of pellets in bird diets, please see my article Avian Nutrition: Pellet-Based Diets.