Can a macaw parrot stop plucking or is it a lifetime habit?
Someone is selling a macaw and I really want one but it has a plucking problem. The seller said she rescued it from someone who had neglected it severely. I want to know if you can get a parrot to stop plucking with TLC?
Tricky Question:
TLC helps but there is more to it than that. This habit is not unlike Anorexia, Bulimia, or Self-Harm (cutting), it is kind of a physical manifestation of what’s going on with them clinically or psychologically; some do it as a result of stress.
There are other causes as well:
Poor diet, not enough sleep, as well as bacterial infections, can all be the cause of plucking. The problem is that after it has begun, it goes from a symptom of something else, to a habit of its own.
There are several ways to attack the problem:
1. First of all get the Macaw to an Avian Vet, pronto.
2. Have a blood panel done. This will give you a picture of his overall health as well as bacterial counts and deficiencies he may have.
If you can attack the problem from a clinical standpoint, you might be able to stop it right there.
3. Richard King’s Company, “King’s Cages” has developed a topical and internal liquid that does seem to help: it’s called Pluck-No-More and I have seen good results from it as well as very little result. It depends on how well you follow the directions and how tenacious you are with the program. You have to follow the directions precisely to even have a hope for it to work. You need to keep them on it for many months.
4. Make sure he is getting a balanced diet. If he is on a seed-only diet, begin weaning him off of it now and get him on a well-rounded feeding program.
5. Make sure he is getting 10 to 12 hours of quiet, dark, uninterrupted sleep every single night.
6. Do what is called “packing the cage”. Make sure he has access to all kinds of chewable toys: raffia, wood, leather, paper, bottlebrush wood, and coconut husk, Etc. Go to a bird supply store and get anything that looks like it is enticing and chewable. You will then observe what he seems to like to play with and chew on. Keep in mind that every minute he spends chewing on something else is a minute where he is NOT chewing on his own feathers. You need to provide an alternate material for him that he will find just as interesting as his own body.
7. Completely ignore the behavior. Do not inadvertently reinforce his plucking by calling attention to it. Don’t correct him, don’t look at him when he does it and don’t comment on it.
There are many websites with information available to you: Google: “feather plucking” and you will see hundreds of results with information on the condition.
Nobody really knows what causes the issue in some cases, and it varies from bird to bird, whether the feathers will grow back even if you manage to stop them from plucking.
I have a rescued Grey who was taken out of the negative environment 8 months ago. She was almost completely bald. Today, the only part that is not covered with feathers and down is her chest. However, the feathers and down are beginning to close in, making the plucked area smaller and smaller.
So It can be done. I have a ringside seat in my living room and I see my Grey’s progress every day.
If the follicles are damaged, this may not happen. You will have to get used to his appearance and love him just as he is.
But the real issue is to attempt to find out what is causing it and correcting those issues.
If all negative issues are corrected, then you merely cope with the fact that you have a Plucker. But you will have a healthier bird as a result of attacking the problem from all angles.
On the flip side, if you get him into a stable, loving and healthy environment, he may just stop. My rescued Grey did.
Good Luck and I hope this has helped.
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