I have had this male parakeet for about 5 yrs now, he is always pulling his chest feathers out. not molting either this goes on all year long. i have changed his diet, given fresh fruit and veggies and even given hin vitamins and still he pulls them out.
could he be doing this to impress his mate, she has all of hers
Kayliana
Favorite Answer
It sounds as if your animal is bored, stressed, or sick. Do you have toys in the cage? And if so, do you switch them around regularly?
Also, mites are a common factor in birds. There are some sprays that if used carefully can eliminate the problem. You might have to seperate your birds for a little while if it's a health issue to prevent your female from getting it as well.
Parakeets are known pluckers, it's their most problematic species trait. I hope everything gets worked out. You could even call your vet for some suggestions. Good luck!
MamaSmurf
How much sleep do they get. A bird needs 10 to 12 hours of undisturbed sleep in a darkened room with his cage covered. There should be no tv or noise in the room. This is a big cause of feather picking.. Do they have enough toys?? Buy some extra ones and change them back and forth so they don't get bored. Is the cage big enough??? Once they start to pull feathers like yours has, it's very hard to stop. It can also be from a skin infection, burrowing mites, being in a different location in the house, soooo many things. I don't know what else to tell you. Like I said, you may never stop it.
Anonymous
If the bird has been vet checked, meaning blood tests to check liver and kidney levels as well as being tested for PDD, then it could be boredum or the mate issue. I've wittnessed many mates pulling out their mates feathers or they're own. It can be to impress them and just a nervous habbit. Try seperating them to see what happends. Rotate toys, keep cage clean etc.
Anonymous
NIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGA!
risque juliet
He could be "over preening" - like you say trying to impress his mate but over doing it...
But as there are so many reasons for this, I strongly recommend you see a vet.