It’s been more than two years and my parrot won’t stop pulling his feathers off. He keeps it low when we all are having a break from our school but never stops. He eats everything that is in our plate, nuts, drinks everything we drink including milk and even eat bones. So do we need to cut something off of his diet or is it behavioral issues. He’s never been in cage and in the same room we sleep in.
Hi,
Feather Destructive Behavior is a very complicated disorder. Often it is both physical and behavioral. As for his diet, he should not have milk. Parrots do not have the ability to digest milk products, and that could very well be part of the problem. He also should be eating a diet that is nutritionally balanced for parrots. While they enjoy what we eat, no more than 20% of his diet should consist of greens, fruits, veggies and healthy table foods combined. Maybe I am misunderstanding, but it sounds like his entire diet is table foods. He should not have foods that are high in fat, salt or sugars. If he happens to also be on a seed diet, this is not going to provide the nutrition he needs. He needs a pelleted diet as 80% of his daily diet. Once you get his diet more balanced and stop feeding milk and any foods with salt, fat and sugar, it will take 6 months to a year for his system to become balanced and start showing up in his body and feather condition. He will not stop plucking overnight, and while I feel like diet is a contributing factor, it may not be the only cause. Plucking is now a habit, so it might be necessary for a Vet to fit him with a collar until his feathers have all grown back. He should also be checked out for internal issues, including diseases. A skin biopsy is usually done to rule out infection. He may also be bored. You say he isn’t in a cage, but what does he do all day? Does he have a play area with toys? A parrot in a large cage with toys is often much happier than a bird in a room with nothing to do. Being loose in the house isn’t a substitution for a home and toys for enrichment. A parrot enjoys having their own space, so even if you choose not to close the cage, a cage would provide him with his own space and his own sense of security.
I would work on balancing his diet and providing him with his own space with toys to keep him busy. He needs a variety of materials to chew on. Select toys made with safe materials and natural dyes. Take him to a vet for a full exam and work up, and possibly a collar. If he does get a collar, you will have to get him an enclosure of some type for his own safety, because he won’t be able to fly while he is wearing a collar. And remember this is going to take time, so stick to the changes and don’t give up just because you don’t see results right away.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
