Feather Picking

Non-medical or behavioral causes of feather picking are considered only after medical causes have been ruled out.

 

Nesting

Birds preparing to clutch will sometimes pick feathers to line their nest.  This is obviously a normal behavior that only happens during the breeding season.  Between clutches, the feathers appear normal.

 

Sexual Frustration

A convenient and overly blamed reason for plucked birds, feather picking as a result of sexual frustration would only occur seasonally in sexually mature birds.

Inappropriate Preening

Preening in birds is both instinctual and learned.  The parents teach the babies the proper way to preen.  Most birds we now see are either incubator hatched and hand fed, or hand fed after 3-4 weeks with the parents.  So domestic birds may never learn how to preen properly and may inadvertently damage feathers by overpreening, or leave new feathers encased in their keratin sheath (underpreening).  Most of these hand-raised domestic babies are in the company of a variety of species of birds at varying ages.  It is possible that these young birds actually learn incorrect preening for their own type of feather.

 

Boredom

This is a real problem, especially for the more intelligent species such as African Greys and Cockatoos.  Parrots that are left alone for hours at a time should be provided with 4 toys, one toy from each of the following categories:

These toys should be exchanged and rotated regularly to maintain interest.

 

Stress

This certainly must be a factor causing some feather picking in caged birds, even though it is impossible to measure or prove.  We can only imagine what may be stressful to a bird.  A too quiet environment can be imagined to be stressful, because in the wild this could mean a predator is nearby.  Television or radios set to turn on and off at various times may be helpful.  Nature shows should be avoided.  Predatory birds on the big screen can be imagined to be stressful.

 

Attention-Getting Devices

Many owners inadvertently reward their birds for feather picking, making a huge fuss and paying the most attention when they catch their birds feather picking.  A history that the bird picks only when the owner is present is a clue.

 

Control  Devices

Birds are very intelligent creatures, certainly smart enough to use feather picking to get what they want.  Whenever blocked from what they want, they simply pick their feathers until the owners give in.  This behavior plays on the owner's guilt and is then rewarded when the owner gives in.

 

Neuroses

Neurotic

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

Neurotic behavior, including feather picking, is best treated with training programs.  Since the learning of survival skills and social interaction is lacking in domestic birds, a program for the bird to learn and follow simple commands often works.  The owners, the family, become the "flock", and by making a domestic bird consistently follow commands, the owners become the flock leader.  If rules are clear and consistent, the bird's confusion is resolved.  The bird feels secure.  Stress is removed.

A well known bird behaviorist, Sally Blanchard, established nurturing dominance training.  It simply consists of four commands:

These commands should be taught during short sessions conducted daily at a neutral territory (not in or around the bird's cage).  All the humans handling the bird must use the same commands.

 

CONCLUSION

Some types of behavioral picking don't need to be treated, e.g. nesting and sexual frustration.  Boredom can be dealt with.  Stress and insecurity are best treated with nurturing dominance training.  Attention and control devices require the owners changing their response to the behavior.  Use of psychoactive drugs, such as haloperidol, rarely need to be used and only for the most destructive behavior, and then only used in conjunction with behavior modification.