|
||||||||
Cockatiel is plucking out/ destroying feathers. Advice needed, please! |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ♀Behind blue eyes.UK
Posts: 6,685
|
Cockatiel is plucking out/ destroying feathers. Advice needed, please!
Hi.
I've been looking after my neighbour's cockatiel while he's been on holiday. I have two budgies of my own which are free flying in my lounge. The cockatiel plucks out feathers from its chest and back. This appears to be a long-standing issue of at least a year. My neighbour took the bird to the vet who said there are no physical issues such as mites/illness. I'm assuming the bird is stressed (now has an 'OCD' habit of doing this) because: 1) It is lonely. My neighbour is out at work most of the time (8-9 hours) and sometimes works shifts. He expects the bird to be ready and willing to 'play' whenever he comes in, which can sometimes be late evening. He often forgets to leave the TV or the radio on for company during the day. I found out that the cockatiel used to have a budgie companion but it died so I think it may be grieving for it. 2) He has people who come to visit in some evenings who have very loud voices and who often shriek and, no doubt, stresses the poor bird. 3) The bird has no structured bedtime routine or a set number of hours' sleeep so it goes into breeding mode. 4) The bird's cage has three mirrors! You can't get it away from one of them and it's heartbreaking to see it try to communicate with the 'other bird', especially re: 'breeding mode' (above) ![]() 5) My neighbour does not know about a balanced diet for birds and so the poor bird is given 'treats' and seed only. 8) The bird is craving attention and would like more human and bird interaction to stop feeling so distressed and plucking. Can anyone please suggest a tactful way of broaching this subject? The man has 'inherited' the bird from his family and when we chatted before he was interested in getting some hints and tips. I just don't want to bombard him with them and make him feel I'm 'tellling him off' but I also don't want his bird to suffer through ignorance. I have offered for his bird to stay with my birds during the day when we are both out at work. We'll see what he thinks of this idea, but I think it's a fairly good part solution. I'm just a bit worried that moving the bird from one flat (just across the landing) to the other may unsettle it more. Any comments would be gratefully received.
|
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 12,775
|
This place is fantastic as a parrot rescue
Desford So I would be inclined to give them a ring and see what they can suggest. Seriously, visit there about once every three months. Have seen rescues brought in plucked naked go to fully feathered in under a year. Their web site might look rubbish, but there is good advice there. |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ♀Behind blue eyes.UK
Posts: 6,685
|
Quote:
This place is fantastic as a parrot rescue
Desford So I would be inclined to give them a ring and see what they can suggest. Seriously, visit there about once every three months. Have seen rescues brought in plucked naked go to fully feathered in under a year. Their web site might look rubbish, but there is good advice there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 394
|
Aww, we used to have a cockatiel and 2 lovebirds (the lovebirds in one cage and the cockatiel in its own next to it). When one lovebird died, the other lovebird didn't seem to care, but when the cockatiel died several years late, the remaining lovebird Nicky plucked herself raw. Someone who lived nearby had an outside aviary that had a flock of lovebirds so we gave Nicky to them and as soon as she was in there it was like she was young again, and her feathers eventually grew back.
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 22:49.


