Ask Lafeber

Feather pluking

Whats the reason of feather plucking of chiks in african lovebirds

Hi Mohd,

If the parents are plucking the chicks in the nest, this happens sometimes. As long as they are not drawing blood, it’s OK. The feathers will grow back. Some parents just do it – but sometimes it can be that the birds have been over bred; they should only be allowed to breed twice a year with a 6 month rest in between. They might do it if their diet is not nutritious enough, such as a seed only diet. If the chicks are weaned, the parents are doing it because they want the chicks to leave, so it’s time to remove them from the cage.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda