The parrot plucks itself. Parrot plucks feathers

Everyone knows that sometimes birds have problems with their plumage. And when we see that our parrot is itching and pulling out feathers, we begin to worry and find out the reason. These may be normal physiological processes in the form of molting, or something that should really cause alarm - in which itching appears.

Why does a parrot constantly itch - reasons

Parrots love to preen and spend several hours a day tidying up their plumage. This is a completely normal phenomenon, like molting, accompanied by itching, with the exception of stressful situations, when the depressed state of the bird is added to the itching and fallen feathers.

What else makes parrots itch is low humidity, which leads to drying out of the skin. Water treatments are mandatory for our birds; in extreme cases, they are sprayed.

If causes such as humidity and stress are easily removable, then diseases that manifest themselves in itching cause a lot of trouble for bird owners.

When you don't know what to do if your parrot is itching, take a closer look at your bird and its feathers. If a parrot itches until it bleeds, traces of it will certainly remain on the feathers as a sign of illness, and if infected with down feather eaters, there will be holes.

Ticks can get into the parrot's cage from the external environment with various objects. Appearing on the wax, they provoke spongy growths. If the disease is not stopped in time, the beak suffers, then the area around the eyes, paws and cloaca. Therefore, when a parrot’s beak itches, this should definitely alert you.

When a tick is detected early, Vaseline oil is used for treatment, and in more complex cases, aversectin or novertine ointment is effective. An integral part of the treatment is disinfection of the cage and attention to the diet to strengthen the immunity of your feathered pet.

If you find it difficult to tell why your parrot is itching, consult a doctor, as this could cost your bird's life.

Many owners of feathered pets, seeing for the first time how they pluck themselves and go bald, are horrified. Of course, such self-torture is not a pleasant sight. But the bird behaves this way for a reason. What is not happening, and what are the reasons for this behavior? Let's find out in detail.

Wrong diet as the cause of the problem

The chaotic feeding of a flying friend most often causes itching, which begins to bother him so much that it leads to self-plucking. Some owners simply do not attach importance to the issues of properly preparing the bird’s diet; they believe that it can be fed from the owner’s table. But this is an irreparable mistake. After all, the digestive system of humans and birds is significantly different. So over time, finishing cutlets, salads, pecking bread and crumbs from the table can lead to skin problems in the bird. Yes, parrots get used to such a diet, it is very convenient for the owner, because there is no need to waste time and money on buying special food. He eats with the bird, and in the meantime the metabolism is disrupted, and one day the bird begins to pull out its own feathers. She does this so actively and zealously that soon the feathers may remain only on the head and neck, where they are inaccessible for plucking. Food from the master's table is taboo for birds. Problems will begin with a deficiency of calcium and vitamins, metabolic disorders, then the kidneys and liver will suffer. The pet will scratch intensely and experience itching. So he plucks out the feathers.

If the plumage of females suffers during the period of feeding their offspring, then perhaps there is not enough protein in their diet.

Stress as a risk factor

There are many reasons for emotional distress in birds. These include relocation to a smaller cage, a change of owner or the death of a partner, severe fright, or cat attacks. Sometimes physical punishment, which owners use when a bird misbehaves or does not learn to speak, leads to stress. Sometimes, due to inexperience, owners keep 2 birds of the same sex in one cage. Then one of them will infringe on the other, who is weaker in character. So he can start plucking himself.

And the owner himself, his indifference and inattention to the pet lead to the bird developing stress. She feels unwanted. After all, in nature, parrots are accustomed to living in flocks; loneliness is not typical for them. And if the owner leaves the bird alone for a long time and does not pay attention to it every day, then in this way the bird will try to attract him to itself.

Stress from loneliness is a feature most often characteristic of gray parrots. When buying such a bird, you need to take into account your employment.

Owners of birds should know that the thyroid gland is responsible for the growth of plumage in birds, producing hormones that affect metabolism and thermoregulation. When a parrot plucks itself from stress, the thyroid gland, as during the period of natural molting, begins to work in increased mode. The feathers grow back, and the bird plucks them out again. Then the thyroid gland intensively synthesizes hormones and works hard. She thus becomes exhausted. The main organ of the endocrine system stops producing hormones, and the feathered pet may remain almost bald. Large wing feathers, tail feathers and flight feathers will remain on the body. And to prevent this from happening to the ward, it is important to provide him with emotional comfort every day.

Spectacular and bright plumage is one of the most attractive advantages of exotic birds. Sometimes parrot owners are faced with a serious problem: their beloved pet begins to pluck its feathers. If several pieces fall out per month, then this is not scary, but quite natural - the bird independently gets rid of unnecessary pieces. Sometimes a once beautiful feathered friend loses all its splendor and takes on a pitiful appearance, constantly plucking itself. There are several sources for this behavior. Some of them pose a danger not only to the appearance of the bird, but also to its health. Let us dwell on the main reasons for plucking feathers in parrots.

Feeding errors

As food for these exotics, it is better to purchase ready-made food for parrots in specialized stores. Additionally, you can enrich your diet with vegetables and fruits. The products are pre-washed, peeled, cut and pitted. You cannot use salty, sweet, fatty or fried foods. It is also necessary to diversify the menu with special vitamin complexes with mineral supplements.

If fed improperly, the parrot's body lacks useful microelements, and the bird compensates for this by plucking. Sometimes itching forces him to do this. It occurs due to allergies or metabolic disorders, if the pet is fed prohibited or harmful foods. For example, you should not give a lot of sunflower seeds because of their high fat content. The owner wants to please the pet with a tasty treat, but in the end the pet has problems. Problems in this case can be avoided by reconsidering the bird’s diet.

Sometimes self-plucking occurs during feeding of chicks, when the diet of adults lacks minerals and proteins.

Poor living conditions

A cramped and uncomfortable cage, too high or low air temperature, low or high humidity in the room, or insufficient daylight hours can cause a parrot to pluck feathers on its chest, butt, or other accessible place.

It is necessary to give the bird the opportunity to swim in warm water, especially in extreme heat and when the air in the room is very dry. In winter, when the days are very short, lamps are always turned on near this exotic for several hours to increase the length of the day. It is useful to let the bird fly around the apartment. The more often you do this, the better for your pet, because in nature he does not sit in one place for a long time.

Loneliness and boredom

In nature, parrots mostly spend time with their own kind. In the absence of such an opportunity, they may well engage in self-plucking. The likelihood of this behavior increases if the bird's sexual partner or cage mate has died. Sometimes a bird does this during puberty.

You can help the bird if you devote more time to your pet. You can buy new toys or get another feathered friend to reduce the feeling of loneliness.

Parrots plucking feathers photo

Lack of attention

The parrot needs to devote several hours of your free time every day. He is like a child who is constantly reaching out to adults. Developmental activities, stroking, and calm, long conversations will help your bright friend avoid problems with self-plucking.

Stress

There can be many reasons for overvoltage:

1. change in usual living conditions - new food, lack of sleep;
2. too noisy neighbors (children, animals);
3. new place of residence (or moving the cage to another place);
4. low place in the bird hierarchy if there are other birds in the house.

Stress can lead to frustration. This painful condition often begins with the parrot plucking feathers on its butt or other accessible areas. Then other symptoms develop. Depending on the individual, aggressiveness or depression manifests itself. Serious mental disorders are possible - depression, neurosis, etc. The problem can be avoided if its source is eliminated.

Ticks, various types of fungus, feather and feather eaters, and helminths cause serious discomfort to the parrot. The bird is carefully examined to exclude such a cause of plucking. If there are other birds in the house, when purchasing a new pet, a month-long quarantine is required, and the appearance of the newcomer is studied especially carefully.

Diseases

This is one of the most unpleasant reasons for plucking feathers in parrots. A variety of illnesses can lead to this behavior.

• Inflammation of feather follicles. Often with this disease, the parrot plucks the feathers under its wings.
• Pathologies of the thyroid gland. To prevent and stimulate the thyroid gland, the parrot’s diet includes lettuce, beets, carrots and cabbage. The consumption of walnuts, oats and oilseeds is limited.
• Dermatitis. There are many sources of its occurrence, but as a result, the parrot can pluck feathers until they bleed, and the resulting wounds easily become infected and worsen the bird’s condition.

Plucking feathers is a serious reason to take a closer look at your pet. Sometimes there are several reasons for this behavior, and it is very difficult to detect them on your own. If within a couple of weeks it is not possible to understand and eliminate the problem, and the plumage is catastrophically lost, it is necessary to contact a veterinary clinic to provide assistance to the suffering bird.

Often parrot owners are faced with the problem of feather plucking. In order to avoid or cope with this problem, you need to know what such actions indicate and what should be taken immediately.

Features of parrot behavior

Parrots are one of the most fastidious and vulnerable bird species in the world. Almost every action they take indicates a change in mood and level of satisfaction, or vice versa, dissatisfaction with something in their life. Any strange movement, sound, or action of the bird may be a signal that the pet is unhappy with something. Unusual behavior may also indicate health problems. Therefore, uncharacteristic actions of a pet need to be identified in time and carefully monitored.

Typically, a parrot's behavior is determined by two types of factors:

1. External factors - living conditions, food, change of environment, appearance of new animals or people.
2. Biological factors - the influence of age, hormonal imbalances, illness or puberty (this is greatly influenced by the appearance of a partner).

The most common manifestations of the internal state of parrots are:

1. Trembling is a very common manifestation of behavior change; it indicates sparseness, agitation, or agitation.
2. Flying inside the cage is an indicator of good physical fitness.
3. Strange sounds or cries near people - the bird is scared and ready to defend itself (perhaps even attack).
4. Wings spread - the parrot feels uncomfortable in its surroundings, it is hot.
5. Lack of interest in food and water - most often this phenomenon is observed when buying a parrot, or moving, it is due to the fact that the bird is not yet accustomed to the new and retains safety measures for itself. Water may also be sufficient in your pet's diet, especially if there are fresh fruits and vegetables, then reluctance to drink is absolutely normal.

Did you know? Parrots give their offspring names! It will be very difficult for a person to hear the difference between the sounds, but for each chick it is individual.

Particular attention should be paid to biological factors. First of all, this is the period of hatching eggs and molting. During these periods, parrots can become extremely aggressive and can even bite their owner. This is completely normal as they are simply trying to protect their offspring and feel unsafe. During the molting period, birds experience unpleasant sensations - itching, mild pain, this leads to increased irritation.

Among the biological factors, there are hormonal periods: the parrot can feed the owner, or the mirror, because he sees another parrot in it, rub against the bars, coo, spread his wings, and begin to make a nest. During these periods, the bird may show aggression, so you should remove the irritants (mirror, toy) and wait out this period.

Why does a parrot itch and pluck its feathers: reasons

During the molting period, when the parrot feels itchy due to the growth of new feathers, he tries to pull out the old ones, in this case this is absolutely normal, but if the skin is damaged to the point of bleeding and the pet is constantly itching, you need to pay attention to this and begin treatment. A number of reasons can serve as factors for the emergence of such a process.

Violation of containment conditions

If the necessary living conditions are violated, the pet's skin can be severely damaged, which in turn leads to feathers being pulled out. Most often this is due to the wrong temperature and humidity for the parrot.

At very high temperatures and dry air, the bird's skin begins to peel off, becomes covered with scales, like dandruff, and begins to itch very much. The optimal temperature and humidity are +20-25⁰С and humidity 70-80%.

Important! Keeping the cage near a fireplace, heater, or radiator can greatly harm the health of the parrot!

Not regularly cleaning the cage can also lead to skin irritation and illness in your pet. Also, smoke and insufficient lighting can cause health problems for the bird.

Skin irritation

Improper nutrition can lead to diseases such as hepatitis, fatty hepatosis, liver and kidney tumors, liver rupture, nephritis. All these diseases occur quite unnoticed, their symptoms are: apathy, lack of appetite, bad bowel movements and skin problems.

Stress

Causes of stress for a parrot can be: moving to another place, traveling, changing owners, separation from another parrot or its death, sharing a cage with another parrot of the same sex (competition and tension arises), changing cages, having a dog or cat that is aggressive towards the parrot, physical pain. All such actions can plunge the bird into a state of stress. This leads to her plucking out her feathers.

Also, if ointments were previously used to treat the bird and they were poorly absorbed, this will be stressful for her and she will get rid of oily feathers. This can become a habit and even when the feathers are clean, she will still try to get rid of them.

Did you know? Parrots have been pets for 3,000 years! The Egyptians and Chinese were the first to domesticate them.

Failure to meet all needs can also cause your pet to shed feathers. This is often associated with loneliness. For example, Jaco parrots require communication, and if the owner leaves the house for the whole day, the bird begins to get bored. The same goes for the need for space, food and entertainment. When there are no toys in the cage at all, depression can be caused by boredom.

A full and sound sleep is very important for birds; if it is not there due to external irritants, constant noise, then the bird will be aggressive and may begin to get rid of feathers.

Important! Holistic care for a parrot is necessary; the absence of at least one element of care can lead to severe illness and stress for the bird.

What to do?

Once the cause is determined, action must be taken immediately to stop the loss of feathers.

Inspection and observation

If pulling out feathers leads to skin damage to the point of bleeding, and is also accompanied by such symptoms as apathy, lack of appetite, poor bowel movements, aggressiveness, peeling of the skin, the presence of black sticks (pereaters, lice eaters) on the body You should immediately contact your veterinarian.

But if this happens during molting and is not accompanied by the above symptoms, then this is normal, since new feathers cause itching and irritation. If the molting is prolonged, then this is also considered an alarming signal.

Veterinary assistance

First of all, a trip to the veterinarian will help determine the exact cause of feather loss, since some options (diseases of internal organs, fungal diseases, mites) are very difficult to determine on your own.

If the cause is stress, then most often a bitter spray is prescribed, which does not contain harmful substances and stops the bird from pulling out. Aloe vera spray is also prescribed as it is a natural antiseptic that helps soften and moisturize the skin and stop bleeding. Calcium pangamate and vitamin B 15 are often used. The doctor will be able to determine the optimal treatment option individually for each pet.

Help and treatment at home

If it is not possible to go to the veterinarian, you can resort to home treatment. First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of the phenomenon.

Parrots, like no other birds, are prone to self-plucking; it’s sad to watch your beloved pet pluck out its feathers one after another. What is the reason for this behavior and what to do about it? - let's figure it out.

Long-term shedding

Active molting occurs twice a year - in spring and autumn, but there should not be completely bare areas on the parrot's skin. The only exception is young individuals who are molting for the first time; it is more difficult and may be accompanied by bald spots. New growing feathers, breaking through the skin, can itch and itch, so the bird tends to pluck out old ones that prevent the growth of new feathers. If the bird does not peck itself until it bleeds and does not tear out healthy feathers, this is a completely normal process.

Another thing is nibbled and broken feathers, as well as erupting “stumps” that do not open for a long time. This indicates a metabolic disorder or disease of the bird; you need to show it to an ornithologist and do the necessary tests.

Banal boredom

Yes, yes, boredom is the main reason that a parrot plucks or chews its feathers. Parrots are emotional creatures, and stressful conditions are not uncommon for them. There are many reasons why parrots self-pluck:

• Lack of sleep, being near irritants (children or other pets;
• Separation from former owners;
• Unsuitable partner or loss of a previous couple;
• Lack of attention from the owner;
• Lack of toys in the cage;
• Change of location or relocation;
• Puberty.

A bird can show aggression not only towards itself, but also begin to pluck feathers from its relatives. The bird needs to be provided with comfortable conditions: the cage should have toys, perches, mirrors, beads and other interesting little things. Try to exercise your bird regularly and find time to pet and feed it.

Dry air

Parrots in an apartment with dry air may have dry skin (which is surprising, since birds are tropical), and scales similar to dandruff form on the skin, which are very itchy. You cannot place the cage near heating appliances and radiators - they dry the bird’s skin and mucous membranes; it is recommended to use humidifiers to increase humidity; avoid drafts. There should always be clean water and a bath in the cage. Against the background of dry air, bronchitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and other diseases can also develop.

Dermatitis