Ask Lafeber

Question:

March 3, 2021

Feather plucking


Hello! I’d like to ask you: what do you think are the most common causes of feather plucking? Is it caused more often by an unhealthy diet or by another inappropriate care?


Answer:

Hi Marketa,

Feather plucking, now called Feather Destructive Behavior, is more often caused by a physical issue, however it becomes a habit which also has to be addressed. Causes can be poor nutrition, poor care overall, infections and some viruses. The best way to deal with this is to have the bird checked for all possible medical causes, unless there is an obvious change that was made that would have triggered the behavior. I know Dr. Tully went into all of this, so I think your question was basically answered during the webinar. It is still a very complicated disorder and is challenging to treat, but many birds have been successfully treated and allow their feathers to grow back in. Often once the medical cause is detected and treated, the bird is then collared to allow the feathers to regrow and to help the bird break the habit of plucking or damaging the feathers.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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