Pure Parents

Question:

My Timneh  (12 yr old)  plucks somewhat in the spring.  The vet and several breeders are of the opinion that it is a response to breeding season frustrations.  My Congo ( 7 yr old) does not pluck at all.  He likes toys more than the Timneh.  Try to overwhelm your bird’s urge to pluck with many, many toys.  Introduce them slowly, however, because he may be frightened by new things in his cage or playpen.  Visit your vet and use good calcium and vitiman suppliments.  Good luck.

Response:

– If it’s about "birds" you must be talking to Lisa RLROSS   "Don’t mess with it get a larger hammer!" my congo african grey hasn’s started plucking yet either. she’s only 1 year old though. Lisa

Response:

>: Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck? >I must be lucky.  My almost 2 year old (21 months) female Timnah Grey >dosn’t pluck …. yet.  Buttons seems to be a happy bird who gets daily >attention from her flock leader (me) for an hour or 2 a day.  However, she >hasn’t learned to talk much.  She seems to pick up whisles and the exact >reproduction of our 4 year old Goffin. >I have noticed that Timnahs arn’t as prone to plucking as Congos.  Is >that the experience of other Grey owners here on the net?

I have a 1.5 yr old Congo who doesn’t pluck.  Hey, maybe she’s just too young to tell yet.  She plays with her toys (which we change monthly) very agressively is just starting to talk (human, cockatoo and macaw talk that is).   When do they typically start to pluck? When the grey gets around the other to birds, she’ll put her head down so the others will preen her.  She thinks she’s a queen and they are her servants. Well, hey they seem to think that also, because as soon as she does that they start preening her!  She on the other hand has never preened the other birds.  Actually the other birds don’t preen each other either.  Hmmm, it’s really interesting the way they react isn’t it? — Sue Daurio

Response:

>> Is there a cure for my African Grey’s feather plucking? >An interesting note here.  As we all know, and now Elizabeth does too, >Grey’s seem to be born pluckers.  I just returned from a trip to a >Jamaican resort that had the most beautiful 1/2 acre aviary I have ever >seen.  It was just full of the most beautiful birds flying around and >mingling with one another.  Everyone seemed very happy and were definitely >well taken care of.  I saw a Congo Grey and, yes, he had some signs of >chest plucking. I guess no matter what we do, a Grey is going to pluck. >Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck?

Maybe I’m just lucky so far; my Grey does sure have some bad habits, but at least so far he doesn’t pluck. Regards Tony

Response:

Ref feather plucking Greys. I have 4 CAGs none of them pick thier own fethers. One of the males did pick the feathers of the two females for awhile. He was actually very mean with them. After a year and a half and a lot of new cage building/deviding etc., he has finally quit it. At times I felt like wringing his neck. Looking back though I really believe it was a feeling of insecurity that caused him to behave like that. He picked on his mate to keep her away from the other birds. He picked on the other female to keep her out of what he felt was his territory. With 4 nest boxes in thier cage he claimed them all. — The Albuquerque ROS – (505) 296-3000

Response:

J. Naccarato) writes: Blue) writes: >In article

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->|> Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck? >Mine is 2 1/2 years old and has never plucked. I attribute this to my >excellent parenting skills and to a uniform level of attention. >My CAG, Gabby is also about 2 1/2 yrs old and has never plucked (boy >I’m knocking on wood all over the place right now).  Gabby’s at the >far end of our kitchen (we’re as careful as we can be re kitchen) right >next to Tiki, our Greenwing Macaw.  He sees and hears alot of action. >People going and coming, interacting with Tiki (he talke to her alot), >has plenty of toys, etc.  Maybe this has something to do with his not >plucking so far.  He will even talk in front of strangers now and I >always heard that most Greys are closet talkers.  The furnace guy was >leaving last week and Gabby told him "See ya later"; he almost dropped >his teeth.  Gabby is not our of his cage all the time but he gets >talked to almost constantly because of where he’s located.  Maybe >we’ve just been lucky as far as the plucking goes. >Susan

At age three, my TAG Jing has never plucked.  She also sees plenty of action, going back and forth to work, dentist, chiropractor, lunches out sometimes.  She, too, talks in public, often amusing my chiropractor or my students. She doesn’t bite and isn’t shy about new toys, etc. Perhaps, greys are like humans — the more socialized they are, the less neurotic they are. Jane

Response:

: > Is there a cure for my African Grey’s feather plucking? :     : An interesting note here.  As we all know, and now Elizabeth does too, : Grey’s seem to be born pluckers.  I just returned from a trip to a : Jamaican resort that had the most beautiful 1/2 acre aviary I have ever : seen.  It was just full of the most beautiful birds flying around and : mingling with one another.  Everyone seemed very happy and were definitely : well taken care of.  I saw a Congo Grey and, yes, he had some signs of : chest plucking. I guess no matter what we do, a Grey is going to pluck. : Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck? I must be lucky.  My almost 2 year old (21 months) female Timnah Grey dosn’t pluck …. yet.  Buttons seems to be a happy bird who gets daily attention from her flock leader (me) for an hour or 2 a day.  However, she hasn’t learned to talk much.  She seems to pick up whisles and the exact reproduction of our 4 year old Goffin. I have noticed that Timnahs arn’t as prone to plucking as Congos.  Is that the experience of other Grey owners here on the net? …Bob

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|> Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck? Mine is 2 1/2 years old and has never plucked. I attribute this to my excellent parenting skills and to a uniform level of attention.

Response:

>Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck?

Boy, do I feel lucky.  Banshee has *never* plucked, as far as I know…   Although she was a captured bird (a couple of houses before ours) in the six years we’ve been keeping her (and the 5 or so before that) she’s always been in beautiful feather.   It’s hard for us to introduce new toys, though, because she is terrified of them for weeks usually.  Other than that, she has a large cage with wheels and she is happy as long as she can be in the same room as us when we’re home. Michelle

Response:

In article Skolones) says… > Is there a cure for my African Grey’s feather plucking? >An interesting note here.  As we all know, and now Elizabeth does too, >Grey’s seem to be born pluckers.  I just returned from a trip to a >Jamaican resort that had the most beautiful 1/2 acre aviary I have ever >seen.  It was just full of the most beautiful birds flying around and >mingling with one another.  Everyone seemed very happy and were definitely >well taken care of.  I saw a Congo Grey and, yes, he had some signs of >chest plucking. I guess no matter what we do, a Grey is going to pluck. >Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck?

We have nine that don’t pluck, two of which are pets. Three that do. And actually one of the three isn’t a plucker, her mate plucks her head. Regards, Scott — Old World Aviaries Austin, TX

Response:

Is there a cure for my African Grey’s feather plucking?  

Response:

> Is there a cure for my African Grey’s feather plucking?

An interesting note here.  As we all know, and now Elizabeth does too, Grey’s seem to be born pluckers.  I just returned from a trip to a Jamaican resort that had the most beautiful 1/2 acre aviary I have ever seen.  It was just full of the most beautiful birds flying around and mingling with one another.  Everyone seemed very happy and were definitely well taken care of.  I saw a Congo Grey and, yes, he had some signs of chest plucking. I guess no matter what we do, a Grey is going to pluck. Does anyone out there have a Grey that doesn’t pluck?

Response: