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Feather Picking in Birds One of the most common and surely one of the most perplexing problems facing the avian veterinarian today is the condition known as feather picking or feather chewing. Historically, the feather picker was a caged bird that began picking as a response to nervousness, boredom or changes in his environment. This was a very understandable conclusion, knowing the social behavior of the exotic bird. They are very social animals, are vocal, and frequently imprint on their owners, leading them to believe they are one of the family. When we become nervous or tense, we might chew our nails. The bird chews or picks at his feathers. The normal healthy bird grooms and preens his feathers daily over a long part of the day. When caged with a friendly cagemate, they will frequently groom each other as well as themselves. Excess grooming of one’s own feathers or a mate’s feathers can lead to a rough appearing feather coat, shredding of feathers, and skin visible through the coat. The normal bird may pluck abdominal feathers seasonally (brood patch), as a reproductive behavior, but excess picking or destruction of the coat could lead to poor insulation and possibly the inability to fly. This animal in the wild would be susceptible to weather changes and may not be able to escape its predators. Picking, therefore, is a condition of captivity. Some birds are removed from the nest before the parents can teach them how to preen their feathers properly. Many times, putting this bird with an older bird is a satisfactory way to have it learn proper grooming. Recently, there have been numerous other factors besides environmental stresses identified in the picking complex. These newly discovered causes of feather picking can be elaborated as follows: 1. Nutritional--high fat, low calcium diets (the classic "all seed" diet traditionally fed to the pet bird) 2. Sexual picking--brood patch; dominance of one mate over the other; frustration 3. Feather and skin disease--bacteria, fungi, or yeast in the feather follicles 4. Skin parasites--scaly leg mites, feather mites, lice (especially in pigeons, waterfowl, and some large parrots) 5. Viruses--skin viruses can lead to mutilation and picking (especially in lovebirds, amazons, and cockatoos) 6. Intestinal parasites--Giardia sp. (especially in cockatiels) These medical and nutritional causes must first be eliminated before it is assumed that the bird has a psychological problem. A reasonable diagnostic approach is recommended to rule out these factors. Once the bird is found to be medically healthy or is treated appropriately for one of the above conditions, if picking persists, then attention must be switched to the mental condition of the bird. As mentioned before, the bird’s response to his environment may lead to excessive picking: type and location of cage; too noisy or too quiet an environment; large temperature fluctuations; decreased humidity leading to drier skin and flaking, which is itchy; presence of other animals--cats, dogs, etc.--which the bird may perceive as a threat; other birds in the same cage or same room competing for space or owner’s attention; changes in the owner’s habits. When it has been determined that the bird is suffering from psychological stress, some of the possible environmental changes that the pet bird owner can make that have shown positive results in a variety of cases are: 1. Owner should increase the attention given to the bird, which can keep the bird otherwise occupied, thus lessening the time available to pick. Attention should be increased by giving small bits of positive reinforcement throughout the day. Whenever one goes by the cage, give an encouraging word or treat or scratch on the head. Numerous small bits of reinforcement throughout the day work more effectively than one or two large play periods, casing the pet to wait all day for one or two bouts of attention. 2. Change environmental stimuli by adding new sounds, radio, television, or tape recorders which can hold the bird’s interest and divert the bird’s attention away from the feathers. 3. Offer toys such as swings, balls, mirrors, rawhide, chains, paper towels to shred, soft wood (pine is good) 4. Change cage location from a quiet corner to a noisy one or vice-versa. Change to a brighter or darker location. Change cage size or shape and location of the perches. 5. Cover a portion of the cage to provide a hiding place in the cage, an area of peace and security. 6. Offer more sleep hours. Some birds don’t receive adequate rest. This may require covering the cage with a dark towel or blanket for a minium of 8 hours a day if the owners tend to stay up late at night. 7. Increase the number of spray baths (plain water) to stimulate normal grooming behavior. Spraying daily or every other day may help. 8. Change types of perches. Natural branches, ropes, PVC pipe, and flat pieces of wood have been used without problems. 9. Allow time outside of the cage to explore and experience a little freedom. This activity should be closely monitored, as birds are normally curious creatures and will tend to get into things they shouldn’t. 10. Decrease possible stress caused by other animals in the house or unfriendly humans (children) by removing them from the immediate surrounding area of the affected bird. 11. Change feeding habits. Try putting food in fresh in the morning and removing it in the evening. Try a wide variety of different foods, especially those that require more time and effort to eat. Try feeding the bird outside the cage. Try getting the bird hungry by leaving only a portion of the daily ration in the cage at one time. This might improve your chances of changing the quality of the bird’s diets, making him more interested in eating, and less interested in feather picking. 12. Apply a collar only in those cases where skin is affected. Realize that the collar only prevents the bird from reaching the feathers, but doesn’t address the reasons the bird is picking. Collars can add to the stress the bird is already under. 13. When punishing the bird for picking, never use your voice to discipline the bird. Your vocalization will serve as positive reinforcement to keep picking, as the picking may become an attention seeking device. If the bird is picking excessively and aggressively, and you wish to try to break the cycle, at least for the moment, then cover the cage completely for 10-15 minutes. Avoid all eye contact or talking when doing this. Birds look upon social isolation as a form of punishment, and therefore this act will truly be a negative reinforcement. After 10-15 minutes, uncover the cage, still avoiding eye contact and talking, and walk away from the cage for a couple of minutes. Then return to the cage and give the bird a small bit of positive reinforcement and continue with small bits of positive reinforcement throughout the day. By the way, this method of punishment also works effectively on the chronically screaming bird! Feather picking is a complex problem facing the avian clinician and pet bird owner. Although feather picking in the home is not usually life threatening, it is truly unsightly. It must be pointed out that despite the best efforts of the veterinarian and the owner, many birds remain refractory to treatment, and may always look like plucked chickens. Provided by: Midwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital, 1923 So. Mannheim Rd. Westchester, IL 60153 |
