Coco is picking

[Coco Sr.]

Hello, my little guy Coco has started feather picking. I've taken him to an expert avian veteran and he saw enhancement of vessels on X-ray. All other test normal. He suggested a different diet of Harrisons pellets, red palm fruit oil and birds bread.

Coco will not have any of it. He won't eat anything healthy i.e. .vegetables but will sometimes eat on a banana apple or grapes. His diet consist of Katee food pellets, cashews, sunflower seeds.

Coco isn't just picking his feathers he's chewing them. Which makes me think it dietary. He's been picking all day long now for about 3 months. He picks at his leg feathers and under his wings the most.

Coco is 15 years young now and has full flight feathers and has freedom in the house to fly. He is mostly very well behaved. We feel we treated him very well over the years and we love him dearly.

Can anyone give us some advice with his feather picking?

Thanks,
Coco Sr.

[Mare]

Hi, Joe! Welcome to you and Coco! I know it's difficult getting them to eat healthy if they weren't started out that way. I'm going through that with my newest addition, although, he doesn't chew on himself. I have a goffins cockatoo that DOES chew on herself and she eats a very healthy diet, she loves her food. Our Sassy goffins only does this for a few months out of the year, the rest of the year she lets her feathers come in beautifully. I think her chewing/barbering stems from hormones.

Has Coco only just started this in the last few months or is it cyclic like my Sassy girl's?

[Dragonlady2]

Hi Joe and welcome to Precisely Parrots. I am sorry to hear about Coco and the feather picking. I would try to reduce the amount of sunflower seeds and cashews in his diet due to the fat content.
Does Coco have shreddable toys? Sometimes birds pick out of boredom.
Maybe you could try mashing the banana and spreading it on the birdy bread? It does take a while for a diet change and he may not like the Harrison's. You could try another brand like Zupreem Fruit Blend. It is colourful and he may take to it. The goal right now would be to get him on any pellet.
Have there been any changes in his environment in the last few months? A new cage, a move etc?

You could also try him on a product called Avicalm. It's used for situations like this.
Thanks for posting.

[Quakerella]

Hi Joe, welcome. :th_smile:

Sorry to hear about Coco. It is frustrating when they start to feather pluck and you are unable to figure out why. Some great advice from Mare and Helena.

I am also curious to know if there have been any changes that could have affected Coco without you realizing? Sometime even the slightest thing can throw a bird off. Is there any certain time or area of the house he does this?

I remember a story a long time ago about a bird that started feather plucking out of the blue. It took the owners a while to figure it out, but it happened to be the hand soap they changed to. The scent would stay on the bird after they were playing with him and he didn't like it.

Maybe some form of distraction for Coco may help.

[Coco Sr.]

Has Coco only just started this in the last few months or is it cyclic like my Sassy girl's? Only in the last few months

Is there any certain time or area of the house he does this? He does not like leaving his small area of the house. He has a open play pen on top of his cage and a sitting Pearch 10 feet away that he flies to. He will allow us to take him to the game room while sitting on his pearch and he will get carried to the shower room but other than that he doesn't like any other part of the house.

I am also curious to know if there have been any changes that could have affected Coco without you realizing? We are in a new home now a little less than two years. There isn't as much light coming in as our last home but there are lamps in ceiling. He sits next to large windows but he has always sat next to large open windows so I don't think he's troubled with the windows. Besides he will sit on corner of his playpen nearest to the window.

Does Coco have shreddable toys? Yes, but very picky/scared of most new toys. He really is just a scared bird. We don't treat him poorly, don't know why he has become so frighten of things. He's never been with other birds and it's only my wife and myself.

We appreciate the help

[Dragonlady2]

It sounds like Coco is very loved by you and your wife. Conures can have reputation for plucking when they are hormonal. Breeding season may have triggered this, although this is a little early.
Your vet is correct in getting Coco on a better diet. Keep trying the fresh vegetables and fruits. Try chopping, mashing, anyway to serve them and see if he is interested.
I hope you can find a solution. It can be so disheartening to see picking in your bird and not know how to help.

[kendrafitz]

Hi Joe and welcome.

I'm sorry to hear about Coco chewing his feathers. I don't have any advice but I wanted to let you know I am sending good thoughts your way.


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[Coco Sr.]

Thank you Kendra and Rosie, thanks to all.

[Lady]

Hi Joe,

:pp_welcome:

Although I have not experience this issue in birds that I have had, there are many articles about it on the web. I don't know how much you remember about when Coco started the plucking but think hard and discuss it with your wife and maybe you guys will come up with something. Meantime this is one article I think has some ideas you might find helpful.
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