Birds

GENERAL HUSBANDRY OF PET BIRDS

HOUSING CONSIDERATIONS

Pet birds may be caged or allowed to remain on perches while the owner is home to supervise their activity.  Birds should be confined to cages while their owners are away to avoid accidental injury and other misfortune.  Unsupervised pet birds allowed “the run of the house” often get into trouble.  Not only can they be terribly destructive to the home and its furnishings, but all homes also contain objects that can be harmful (directly or indirectly) to pet birds.  These include mirrors, windows, walls, house plants, electrical cords, and items containing harmful chemicals.

Birds resting on open perches are usually content to remain there, and usually take flight only when frightened by a sudden movement or loud noise.  Unfortunately, these “impromptu” flights are taken without a flight plan and birds usually wind up crashing into walls, doors, windows or mirrors because of their confusion and poor depth perception.

The major source of poisoning of pet birds is lead.  In the home, this is found in curtain (drapery) weights, curtain pulls, leaded and stained glass, fishing sinkers, paint, and ammunition carelessly discarded in ashtrays or dropped on the floor, costume jewelry, and in the lead wrapping around tops of wine bottles, to name the most common sources.  Most birds seem to have an affinity for this soft metal and love to chew on it.  Poisoning results from eating even a small amount of lead.  Lead poisoning can be successfully treated if diagnosed early enough.

Birds allowed unrestricted freedom in the home might eat houseplants or chew on electrical cords, resulting in illness and injury.  Some unsupervised pet birds chew on macramé, carpet and other similar fabrics, and often swallow these materials, resulting in crop and intestinal impactions.  Free-flying birds are also more vulnerable to injury from ceiling fans, hot stoves, and attacks by pet dogs, cats and ferrets sharing the same household.  It is wise not to underestimate the aggressiveness of our 4-legged friends, and to restrict contact between them and pet birds as much as possible.

Birds allowed unrestricted freedom of flight within the home might escape through open doors and windows.  Most owners have the mistaken notion that their bird would never fly away and leave them.  Unfortunately, birds that have escaped the owners’ home can easily become disoriented when outdoors.  This confusion makes return or capture of the escaped bird very unlikely. 

The location of the cage and/or perch in the home is important.  Some birds thrive in areas of heavy traffic where they receive lots of attention and are part of all “goings on.”

Others seem to prefer more privacy and solitude.  A pet bird should never be kept in the kitchen.  In addition to the obvious gas fumes and occasional smoke from cooking food, there is another, much more dangerous, threat to birds in the kitchen.  Super-heated Teflon and related brand-name non-stick pan coatings emit fumes that are deadly to all birds.  This “accident” happens most often when someone inadvertently leaves a pan, coated with a non-stick surface, on a lighted gas or electric range burner.  The pan becomes hot and the non-stick coating overheats, emitting toxic fumes.  Birds that inhale these fumes die quickly.  Newer appliances can also contain non-stick surfaces.  Be aware of your purchases of toaster ovens and self-cleaning ovens.  There are several other considerations when allowing birds unrestricted freedom and flight within the home.  Birds flying about may end up in the toilet bowl or in an uncovered pot or pan cooking on the stove.  Free-flying birds tend to assume a more dominant posture in the relationship with people and often become intolerably aggressive.

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BEAK AND CLAW (NAIL) CLIPPING

Domesticated birds live in a very “geometric” world, in contrast to their wild counterparts.  Most of the surfaces on which they perch (perches, cage bars, etc.) are very smooth and regular.  Consequently, the claws and beaks of pet birds tend to overgrow, and the surfaces of their beaks tend to become rough and irregular.

In a wild bird’s natural environment, this problem never arises because wild birds are very active and wear down their claws on tree bark, rocks, and other abrasive surfaces.  Most pet birds need their nails trimmed periodically in spite of gimmicks often employed to keep them shortened.  Sandpaper perch covers, for example, do not prevent nail overgrowth but they do cause irritation and excessive wear of the soles of the feet.  Sandpaper perch covers should not be used.

An emery board, nail clippers or cautery instruments can be used to shorten the nails of smaller birds.  A rapidly rotating grinding stone is used to trim the nail and to shorten, shape and smooth the nails and beaks of larger birds.  The results are very professional and satisfying.  If you do attempt to trim the nails, you must have something on hand with which to stop any bleeding.  These clotting aids are called styptics.  Recommended styptics include Kwik-stop, silver nitrate sticks, and ferric subsulfate (Monsel’s solution).

If bleeding occurs while trimming the nails, do not panic.  First, carefully restrain the bird.  Next, squeeze the toe just above the claw (tourniquet effect).  Then apply the styptic to the bleeding claw.  Alternate the last two steps until the bleeding stops.  Always seek veterinary care when your bird is bleeding or has been bleeding.  Cornstarch or flour are substances that can be applied to bleeding claws or other wounds to help with blood clotting and to stop bleeding.  The steps outlined above are first-aid procedures only and are not a substitute for veterinary assistance.

You should not attempt to trim the beak of your bird, as the beak only overgrows if there is a problem.  Common causes of beak overgrowth are nutritional disorders, previous trauma, and metabolic disturbances.  A veterinarian should initially evaluate beak overgrowth.

LEG BAND OR QUARANTINE RING REMOVAL

Leg band and quarantine rings are often applied to the legs of birds for regulatory purposes, or to help breeders identify individual birds.  Once the bird is sold, the band or ring is unnecessary and should be removed.  Most limb injuries (broken or sprained legs, etc.) in pet birds involve a banded leg.  A bird owner should not attempt band removal.  Only an experienced veterinarian or veterinary technician should perform this procedure.

WING TRIMMING

To be safe, all pet birds should have their wing feathers trimmed.  The decision to deny a caged bird free, unrestricted flight (as in the wild) is subconsciously made by each bird owner at the time the bird is made a captive pet in the home.  Wing trimming merely makes this confinement safer for the bird.

The flight feathers of both wings should be trimmed.  If the bird takes flight for any reason, its descent to the floor is balanced and relatively controlled.  Trimming the feathers on only one wing results in a precarious and unbalanced descent to the floor, often injuring the bird.  Another disadvantage is that many birds with only one wing trimmed can fly as soon as 1-2 flight feathers have grown out on the other side.

Some bird owners prefer not to trim the wings of their smaller pet birds (parakeets, cockatiels) because their flying brings the owner great enjoyment.  These small caged birds have a smaller turning radius in flights than larger ones.  Consequently, the smaller birds can usually safely fly about most homes and apartments.  One other advantage of not trimming the wings of these small birds is that it allows them to escape when threatened by any pet cat, ferret, or dog in the home.  However, generally it is best to keep your pet bird’s wings trimmed at all times, except for the specific circumstances detailed above.

Trimming the wings is like trimming your fingernails.  If performed properly, the bird will experience no bleeding or discomfort.  Trimming the wings makes taming the bird easier and usually shortens the time of taming.  Furthermore, this procedure changes the bird’s appearance very little.  Have an experienced veterinarian or technician perform this task and teach you how to do it properly.

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DRAFTS

Contrary to popular opinion, drafts are not harmful to healthy pet birds.  A draft really is nothing more than a slight movement of air, usually accompanied by a mild temperature drop.  A bird’s feathers provide insulation against temperature extremes far in excess of what a draft represents.  Drafts are, therefore, usually inconsequential to pet birds.

The notable exception to this is the cool and sometimes cold air produced by air conditioners.  Most pet birds cannot tolerate the rapid temperature extremes produced by thermostatically controlled air conditioners.  For this reason, cages and perches should not be positioned beside or beneath air conditioning, heating and ventilation outflows.  Furthermore, sick birds always should be removed from drafty circumstances to prevent heat loss.

BATHING

Many exotic pet birds originally lived in tropical climates where rainfall is a frequent occurrence.  Rainwater provides drinking water and an opportunity for bathing.  Birds typically take advantage of this moisture by “showering” during a rainstorm or bathing in puddles formed by the falling rainwater.  This keeps their feathers healthy, and restores and maintains a brilliant sheen to the plumage.

Pet birds should also be allowed to bathe periodically.  Some prefer to bathe in a small container, others tolerate being sprayed or misted with water.  Regular tap water and a spray bottle or plant mister should be used.  Commercial solutions available for this purpose offer no particular advantage and may be, in fact, harmful.  Many pet bird owners enjoy taking their bird into the shower with them on a regular basis.

Bathing activity can be undertaken once daily or as often as is convenient.  It is important to allow the bird to air dry in a warm room or in the warm sunshine.

COVERING THE CAGE AT NIGHT

Covering the cage at night is open to question.  Because of the tremendous insulating capacity of feathers, covering a bird’s cage at night may not be necessary to protect the occupant from the cool drafts during the night when the thermostat usually is turned down.

The one exception to this would be on cold nights in colder climates.

One benefit of covering your bird’s cage at night is that it provides a regular period of privacy not usually allowed during the day.  Furthermore, it tends to keep the bird quiet in the early morning.  This is a time when the bird would otherwise become active and vocal.  If you now cover your bird’s cage at night, continue to do so.  If you have not done so in the past and find that your pet bird panics or acts agitated with a cover on its cage, do not continue covering the cage.  An additional benefit of covering your bird’s cage at night is that it provides a period of darkness, which all animals, including humans, need.  Light of any kind (nightlight, TV, reading light) can stimulate the bird’s reproductive system and thus egg laying, which can lead to many further problems, including death. 

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HYGIENE

Good hygiene is an important part of husbandry because most pet birds are confined to a relatively small living space.  Consequently, droppings often accumulate on cage parts and perches, and tend to contaminate food and water cups, resulting in bacterial proliferation and mold growth.  Perches should be kept scrupulously clean at all times.  Soap and water, cleansers and sandpaper may be used to clean them if necessary.  Cage-bottom coverings should be cleaned daily.  Cages should be given a thorough scrubbing and cleaning at least once a month.  Sanitizing products work best if the cage and perches are first given a thorough soap-and-water scrubbing to remove all major contamination.  Diluted chlorine bleach can be used if thoroughly rinsed off afterwards.  You can take 1 part bleach to 9 parts water to make a diluted bleach solution.  Food and water containers should be thoroughly cleaned once or twice daily before they are refilled.  Bottle brushes work best for cleaning water tubes and bottles.

The corners of the food and water containers are the most common areas for bacterial buildup.  Therefore, concentrate on those troubled spots while cleaning these containers.

Several sets of food and water cups should be maintained and used interchangeably.  One set not in use can be soaking in a disinfectant solution.  When possible, use a dishwasher for the final cleaning of these food and water containers because their extremely hot temperatures aid disinfection.

Rigid standards of hygiene must be maintained at all times.  Disease-causing bacteria grow freely in most water containers.  Small numbers of these bacteria from food, saliva, or droppings can quickly multiply into millions of organisms in a water container, yet the water appears normal to the human eye.  Allow the water tap to run for about 3 minutes before filling the water container. Bottled water dispensers should be allowed to run for about 5 seconds before filling the drinking containers.  These bacteria do not affect most people, but if allowed to multiply, can have devastating consequences for birds. 

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DIET SUPPLEMENTATION

Birds, like people, “are what they eat.”  Therefore, to be healthy, they must consume all of the necessary nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water) in the proper proportions.  Unfortunately, the exact nutritional requirements for all of the various pet birds have never been determined.

Therefore, commercial birds’ diets advertised as “complete” or “balanced are not truly scientifically formulated.  These diets are the result of breeding successes or have been derived from poultry diets.  Birds should be given vitamin supplements under direction of your veterinarian (LaFeber-Vivi 13).

Because birds do not have teeth, they do not chew their food.  The gizzard functions to break up seeds and other food items so that they can be digested.  Wild birds consume sand or time pebbles (“grit”) which passes into their gizzards and remain within this muscular organ to assist in the mechanical breakdown of seeds and other firm foodstuffs.

Grit is apparently not necessary for proper digestion among hook-billed birds (parakeets, cockatiels, parrots).  Hook-billed birds that have been denied grit for extended periods do not pass whole, undigested seeds in their droppings.  In fact, use of grit for these caged birds is controversial among aviculturists.  Avian veterinary experts, however, are unanimous in their opinion that grit for hook-billed birds is unnecessary and may, in fact, create serious problems (grit impaction and intestinal blockage) when consumed in large amounts.  This is most likely to occur during periods of illness.  For this reason, grit need not be given to hook-billed caged birds, but is should be provided for passerine-type caged birds (finches, canaries).  Owners of finches and canaries, however, should be vigilant and remove the grit from the cage at once if illness is suspected.  For passerines, offer 2-4 pieces of grit once a week to avoid impaction.

A bird has diarrhea when the fecal portion of the droppings lack form (“pea soup”) or has bubbles.  Diarrhea is not very common in birds.  A dropping with a normal fecal portion but a large amount of urine around it represents a watery dropping (polyuria), not diarrhea!  All diarrheic droppings apprear loose, but not all loose or watery droppings constitute diarrhea.  This is a very important distinction.

The color, consistency and amount of each component of the droppings of normal pet birds frequently change, depending on the type of food consumed, amount of water consumed, amount of stress experienced, mood changes and other factors.  Abnormal droppings typically remain abnormal in appearance during the entire course of a bird’s illness.

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SUNLIGHT

Pet birds rarely receive enough sunlight and, therefore, rarely benefit from its ultraviolet radiation.  Ultraviolet (UV) light is necessary to facilitate certain chemical absorption of calcium (necessary for healthy muscles and bones) by the intestinal tract.  There is no UV light benefit when sunlight is received through window glass.  Consequently, you should take your bird outside on warm sunny days as often as possible.  Your bird’s wings should be clipped or the bird should be securely confined within a suitable cage.  Make certain that neighborhood cats and wild birds are prevented access to your bird.  Direct supervision is necessary when your bird is outside.  It is also important for you to provide areas of sunlight and shade for your bird so that it can move into the shade if it becomes too warm.

Many bird owners use artificial UV light sources to replace the regular incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs in the rooms in which their birds are housed.

FEEDING PET BIRDS

The exact nutritional requirements of caged birds are unknown, in spite of claims to the contrary by some products manufacturers, retailers and breeders.  Far too much emphasis has been placed on seed and nut diets for pet birds.  They represent a relatively non-perishable convenience for bird owners but are a miserably deficient diet for pet birds.  Such diets are excessively rich in oils, extremely deficient in certain vitamins (notably vitamin A), and have an unacceptable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.  Furthermore, recent research has show that the high oil content of these food items confers an addictive quality on them.  All pet birds (conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws, parakeets, cockatiels, etc.) should be fed as follows:

·         80-85% of the daily diet should be comprised of formulated avian pellets

or acceptable table food.  Harrison’s pellets or Kaytee Exact Original or

Rainbow are the most highly recommended.

·         15% of the diet should be vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables, frozen-thawed, canned or fresh are acceptable.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most nutritious.  Cut up ahead of time and refrigerate in sealed plastic bags or airtight containers.  Legumes (peas, beans, etc.), and other dark green and orange vegetables are preferred.  Mixed frozen vegetables take minutes to thaw when added to warm water.  Canned vegetables are the least nutritious of all choices.  Fresh fruit is mostly sugar and water and should only be 5-10% of your bird’s diet.  An emphasis on vegetables should be attempted.

*Remember:  when birds eat a lot of fleshy fruits and vegetables, they excrete excessive fluids in the form of urine.  This is normal and to be expected.  The increased urine in the droppings is polyuria, not diarrhea!

Your bird’s individual preference for treats may vary somewhat and depend on its body size, but this mixture should be less than 5% of the diet.

Cooked meat (red meat, poultry, fish, etc.) dog/cat kibble, cooked eggs (yolk and white), cheese, cultured milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.) and even pasteurized milk should not be offered in significant quantities.

Whole grain products such as dry cereals, cook cereals, rice, uncooked oatmeal, granola, breads (whole wheat in particular), and muffins are acceptable.  Whole grain food replaces seed mixes and nuts.  Make up a mixture of any combination of the following ingredients (equal volumes of each) and store it in an airtight container:

·         Shredded wheat

·         Chex cereals (rice, corn, wheat, bran, graham)

·         Cheerios

·         Puffed cereals (wheat, rice, millet)

·         Mueslix cereal

·         Granola

Vitamins:  Vitamin A must be readily available in the diet and consumed in adequate quantities to maintain healthy eyes, skin, feathers and linings of tracts.  Amazon parrots seem to have the most trouble with Vitamin A deficiency.  Seeds are notoriously deficient in Vitamin A.  Birds on pelleted and vegetable diets should not need vitamin supplementation.

CONVERTING “SEED JUNKIES”

A “seed junkie” s a caged bird that eats only seeds and nuts, steadfastly refusing all other foods offered.  Unfortunately, such an exclusive diet guarantees ill health and a greatly shortened life expectancy for these pet birds.  Common problems we see in “seed junkies” include poor beak and feather quality, sinus infections, kidney, liver, reproductive, heart and respiratory disease.  Why do caged birds become so easily “hooked” on seeds (primarily sunflower and safflower) and nuts (peanuts, most notably), when these foods are rarely part of their diets in the wild?  The answer has two parts:

The first part concerns the wild availability, popularity and relative feeding convenience (including lack of perishability) of seed/nut mixtures, most often called “parrot mixes.”  The second part concerns the relatively high fat content of these food items.  For years, there has been speculation that sunflower seeds contain some addictive property.  Research at the University of California at Davis has revealed that the relatively high fat (oil) content of these foods produce an “energy rush” or “high” similar to the “sugar rushes” from consuming “junk foods” that contain lots of sugar.

Parrots, given the opportunity, preferentially eat these high-fat foods.  When deprived of them, they exhibit profound depression and a craving for the seeds.  This almost addictive quality of seeds certainly contributes to the huge number of “seed junkies” currently being kept as pet birds.

In order to prevent diet-related disease, we must change seeds, nuts, and unhealthy table foods to pellets.  This can be done in many ways.  The portions method is a fast and safe way for all birds.

Portions method

1. Count the number of stools in a 24-hour period the day before you start the diet conversion.  Record that number here _______.  This is the only accurate way to judge how much your bird eats.  It is difficult to determine the amount of food a bird eats by looking in the food container, since the bird can eat, throw, or crumble it.

2. Days 1-3:  Mix 1 part pellet with 3 parts current food.  Use small parts for small birds (1/8 tsp., 1/4 tsp.) and larger parts for larger birds (1 tablespoon).  This prevents birds from picking through their food bowl for just seeds, and introduces them to pellets.  If they eat what you have put in the bowl, you can add more to the 1:3 mixture.

3. Days 4-8:  Mix 2 parts pellet with 2 parts current food.  This forces them to start eating some of the pellets.

4. Days 9-14:  Mix 3 parts pellet with 1 part current food.  This step allows your bird minimal seed, which maintains them if they are refusing to convert to pellets.

5. Days 15-18:  Give 100% pellets.  Count the stools during this period.  It will likely be a little less than in step #1; that is OK.  Pellets are more nutrient dense than seeds, therefore, we will see fewer stools, because more of the pellet is being used by your bird.  If you see a significant drop in stool production, call us for further instruction.  If these are not many stools, your bird is likely not eating well.  Go back to step #1 and use a different pellet type.  If the stool number has not changed much, your bird is converted!!!  If, after three times, the conversion does not work, please call us for further options.  We cannot emphasize enough the importance of a pelleted diet for the good, long-term health of your bird.

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VARIETY IS IMPORTANT

Pet birds should be fed a wide variety of high quality foodstuffs.  Seeds and nuts in the diet must be restricted to maximize optimal health and prevent disease.  Unfortunately, just because we offer a veritable smorgasbord every day to our pet birds, this is no guarantee that they will consume the foods.  Furthermore, there is certainly no guarantee that our birds will consume food items in the proper dietary proportions.

Pet birds tend to select their foods according to habit (what they are accustomed to eating), and the appearance of the food being offered.  If the food item is unfamiliar or, worse yet, perceived as threatening by the bird, it will not attempt to eat it.  Birds must become familiar with a food for it to become important.

Diet changes should never be attempted with sick birds, or those suffering from multiple stresses (change of environment, introduction of a new cage mate, exposure to temperature extremes, etc.) because forcing a bird to experiment with unfamiliar foods produces stress by itself.

Many larger pet birds developed very poor eating habits (dependence on seeds) during holding and quarantine time before purchase.  Seeds may have been the only or predominant food offered during these periods.  Birds, like people, can become easily habituated in their feeding behavior and diet.

Birds must gain substantial familiarity with a given food item before they will attempt to eat it.  However, it is usually not sufficient to offer what the bird prefers (seeds) along with new food items.  It is unlikely that the bird will completely ignore its preferences in favor of the new foods.

INTRODUCING NEW FOODS

            Vary the form.  How the new food items are presented can make a big difference to your bird.  Carrots are a particularly good dietary source of vitamin A and are, therefore, high on the list of recommended foods for caged birds.  We will use this food item to illustrate a point.  Our bird may be frightened, or at least suspicious, or a whole carrot or carrot stick because of that food’s size and shape, but the bird might be more willing to sample grated carrot or carrot peelings.  Furthermore, your bird may actually prefer eating cooked to raw carrots because of the change on texture produced by the cooking.  Sometimes, presenting a given food item in an entirely different form hastens its consumption.  For example, your bird might willingly accept carrot cake even though it has steadfastly refused carrot in all of the other variations you have offered.  Be prepared to take many weeks, months or even a year or more for your bird to totally accept new food items.

Monkey see, monkey do.  Some birds may be more agreeable to trying new foods if they see their owner eating the foods.  Hand feeding new food items may also help your bird to accept new and unfamiliar foods.  Do not feed your bird from your mouth because normal bacterial flora in our mouths may be harmful to pet birds.

Try soft foods.  Another usually successful strategy involves getting a reluctant bird to first unconditionally accept and consume a particular soft food, such as baby cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or strained baby food (fruit, vegetables).  A powdered vitamin/mineral/amino acid supplement (such as Vivi-13) can then be mixed into this food to immediately improve the bird’s nutritional status.  Once the bird is readily eating this food, begin to mix unfamiliar or untried foods into the soft food.  Continue this until the bird begins to accept a wide variety of food items, whether or not they are presented within the soft food itself.  Try baking healthy foods (pellets, veggies, etc.) into a loaf of bread.

New areas.  It may be helpful to introduce new foods by placing them below a mirror or adjacent to a favorite toy within the bird’s cage.  Some birds are more willing to accept new foods if fed outside of their cage in a favorite area.

Interval feeding.  “Interval feeding” is another way to encourage acceptance of new foods by your bird.  Instead of leaving food in the cage 24 hours each day, offer a greatly restricted amount of seeds along with a large variety of healthy items for just 20-30 minutes, 3 times a day.  After this period, all of the uneaten food is removed.  The water dish remains in the cage at all times, and should be replenished as needed.

Interval feeding may very well become the “way of the future” for the great majority of pet birds.  Given the opportunity, birds will overeat just as many people do.  The larger birds (parrots, cockatoos, macaws) live many years, potentially as long as 60-70 years-plus.  Unfortunately, their long lives are considerably more sedentary than those of their counterparts in the wild.  This relative inactivity, combined with boredom and the opportunity to eat any time of the day, inevitably results in overeating and obesity.  This is yet another reason to greatly restrict the intake of seeds and nuts in the diets of pet birds.  These food items are especially rich in fats and oils.

Patience is rewarded.  All the strategies mentioned above should be considered and attempted to encourage your pet bird to accept and consume a wide variety of food items.  It cannot be overemphasized that you must be very persistent and patient with your bird in this endeavor.  Improving your bird’s diet requires a total commitment on your part.  It may take many, many months to achieve the desired result, but the effort made and frustration endured will pay dividends in improved health and a long life for your companion.

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DISEASE:  HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT AND WHAT TO DO

Most disease in pet birds is directly or indirectly related to malnutrition.  Malnutrition most often stems from what the bird eats, rather than how much it eats.  Most pet birds are offered enough food, but they do not receive enough of the proper foods and in the proper proportions.  Stress results from any condition that compromises a bird’s state of well-being.  Examples include poor husbandry, inadequate diet, rapid temperature changes, and trauma.

All owners of pet birds must understand that birds tend to “hide” signs of illness.  Birds can compensate for serious internal disease in such a way that they appear healthy externally.  It is theorized that evolution has “taught” birds to hide signs of illness to avoid being harassed and possibly killed by other birds in the same flock, and to avoid predation.

Because of this disease-masking tendency, by the time a bird owner recognizes illness in a pet bird, the bird may have been ill for 1-2 weeks or longer.  Therefore, one cannot afford to have a wait-and-see approach and hove the bird improves.  Be observant and act promptly.  Learn to look for subtle signs of illness, and take special not of any change in the routine and habits of your pet bird.  Seek veterinary assistance promptly if you suspect illness.

Following is a list of the signs of illness easily recognizable by the concerned bird owner.  Alone or in combination, they signify potential illness in your bird.

SIGNS OF ILLNESS

• Discharge from the eyes
• Change in clarity of color of the eyes
• Closing of the eyes
• Swelling around the eyes
• Discharge from the nostrils
• Soiling feathers on head or around nostrils
• Sneezing
• Inability to manipulate food within the mouth
• Reduced appetite or not eating at all
• Fluffed-up feathers
• Inactivity
• Droopy wings
• Decreased preening and feather maintenance
• Break in bird’s routine
• Changed or no vocalization (may be serious)
• Weight loss
• Equilibrium problems (very serious)
• Inability to perch (bird on bottom of cage)
• Limping or non-weight-bearing on one leg
• Swollen feet of joints
• Change in quality or quantity of droppings
• Open-mouthed breathing when at rest (very serious)
• Tail pumping (rhythmic back-and-forth motion of the tail when at rest
• Lumps or masses anywhere on the body
• Bleeding

If you suspect illness in your bird, do not delay in making an appointment with your veterinarian.  Either transport your bird to the doctor’s office within its cage, or use some other suitable container (smaller cage, pet carrier or box).

Never visit the veterinarian with your bird perched on your shoulder.  This method does not provide enough protection for your pet.  Whatever container you choose should be covered to help minimized the stress to your sick bird during its visit.  If you take your bird to the veterinarian in its own cage, do not clean it first.  The material you discard could represent valuable information to the veterinarian.

After a sick bird has been initially treated by a veterinarian, home care is very important.  Sick birds must be encouraged to eat and must be kept warm.  Illness can cause significant weight loss in a matter of days, especially if the bird stops eating.  If this happens, the patient must be hospitalized.  However, even a sick bird with a “healthy appetite” can lose substantial weight because of the energy drain caused by the illness.

As a general rule of thumb, any pet bird that appears ill to its owner is seriously ill.  The tendency of pet bird owners in this situation is to first seek advice from pet stores then purchase antibiotics and other medication for the sick bird.  With very few exceptions, these non-prescribed products are worthless.  They allow the sick bird to become even sicker, and greatly compromise the results of diagnostic tests that the veterinarian may require to properly diagnose and treat the patient.  Contact your veterinarian at the slightest sign of illness in your bird.

Supplemental heat (space heater, heated room, heating pad under the bottom or wrapped around the cage, heat lamp) is vital for a sick bird.  It is especially necessary if the bird’s feathers are fluffed up.  Provide just enough heat so that the feather posture appears normal.  Overheating the patient must be avoided at all costs.  Heat-stressed birds pant, hold their wings away from the body, depress their feathers close to the body, and appear anxious and agitated.  Heat stroke and death can result if the bird continues to be over-heated.  The environmental temperatures should be kept at 85-90 degrees for sick birds.  The patient’s cage should be covered (top, back and sides) during its convalescence.

DROPPINGS CAN REFLECT ILLNESS

A bird’s droppings can reflect its state of health.  Therefore, it is a good idea to pay close attention to them.  A bird’s digestive, urinary and reproductive tracts empty into a common receptacle called the cloaca, and the products from them are expelled through the vent, with is the opening at the bird’s “south end.”

A normal dropping may contain excretory products from the intestinal tract, urinary tract, or both.  The fecal (stool) portion of the dropping should be green or brown.  The color is influenced by the bird’s diet.  Normal droppings are formed into a coil, reflecting the size and diameter of the intestine.  Along with the fecal portion is a variable amount of uric acid or urate (“whitewash”) and urine (“water”).  The urates are usually in a blob, mixed in with the feces, and should be white or beige.

The urine portion soaks the papers on the cage bottom for a variable distance beyond the perimeter of the dropping.  It is important to regularly observe the amount of urine being produced in the droppings.  For this reason, such material as crushed corncobs or walnut shells should not be used on the cage bottom.  It is impossible to evaluate each dropping when these materials cover the cage bottom, especially when wet with urine or water.  Newspapers or paper towels are preferable.

Smaller caged birds (finches, canaries, parakeets) tend to have an individual blob of fecal material with an accompanying amount of urate.  The amount of urine excreted is usually quite small.

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RECOMMENDED SCREENING TEST FOR YOUR BIRD

Certain laboratory tests are suggested as part of your bird’s physical exam.  These tests are for the seemingly healthy bird as well as the obviously ill ones.  Why?  It is extremely challenging for even the experienced avian veterinarian to determine the health status of your bird.  Birds are great actors and, in order to survive, have learned to hide the signs of their illness, so that even the most thorough physical exam may not uncover a problem. Additionally, even the healthy bird may be harboring disease, which will later prove a great danger to it as well as to the owner.

THE BLOOD PROFILE TEST

Available today for all birds from canary-size up, it is a complete blood test that can tell us about red and white blood cells, as well as blood chemistries of the various organs.  This test may show that a healthy-appearing bird may be anemic, reveal signs of hidden infection, blood parasites, or damage to organs such as the liver, kidney, etc.  Even if all the above values are normal, they can be used for comparison of future profiles and, therefore, are highly recommended even in times of wellness.

FLOTATION AND/OR SMEAR-OF-DROPPING TEST

In this test, droppings are taken and put under the microscope.  This may be done either as a fresh, direct smear, and/or the specimen is mixed with a chemical, which allows certain parasites to rise to the top of a test tube and then be examined.  This is the same test done on dogs and cats.  This microscopic test may show the presence of worm eggs of various types, or other organisms such as coccidia or giardia.  Tapeworm segments may occasionally be seen with the naked eye, but most worms pass eggs, visible only under the microscope.

THE GRAM STAIN TEST

This is another microscopic test done on various secretions.  Commonly, it is performed on the droppings to see if even the healthy-appearing bird is infected with undesirable organisms, although it may also be done on nasal or crop discharges as well.  The test involves placing the sample on a slide, then treating and staining it in such a way that two sets of color result.  One is called gram-negative, the other, gram-positive.  When the slide is checked under the microscope, the type, number and staining characteristics of what is found will give valuable clues.  For example, we all know that the droppings of most birds should show a limited number of gram-positive organisms only.  The presence of many gram-negative ones indicates real or potential disease.  The presence of many yeast or other abnormal findings could also be noted.

THE CULTURE-AND-SENSITIVITY TEST

Many times, particularly based on the gram stain, a culture-and-sensitivity will be suggested.  The test involves submitting a swab of material, such as droppings or other secretion, in an attempt to grow and isolate germs.  At the same time, if disease-producing organisms are isolated, samples of twelve or more antibiotics are tested to see which one can best kill the isolated organisms.  Such a test can benefit your bird, saving valuable time in the treatment or prevention of illness, allowing much earlier initiation of treatment with proper antibiotics.

PSITTACOSIS TESTING

Psittacosis (Parrot Fever, Ornithosis, Chlamydiosis) is a naturally occurring contagious disease of birds, transmissible to humans.  It is seen in all birds, but was originally recognized and transmitted from parrots to humans, thus the most common name is Parrot Fever.  While the human is fairly resistant to the disease, if infected, they can show anything from a mild flu-like symptom to a sever and dangerous, and even fatal, pneumonia.  It is spread largely by the bird’s droppings, which dry to a powder and become airborne.  These organisms may remain infectious for months.  It also may be spread from feathers and nasal discharge.

Symptoms – Many birds show no symptoms, but are healthy-appearing carriers.  They may shed the organism from time to time for many years.  Sick birds show a variety of symptoms, varying from respiratory and sinus disease, to weigh loss, to poor feathering, to pale-green watery droppings, and, even without previous warning, sudden death.

Psittacosis may weaken the bird and make it an easy victim of other bacteria or fungi.

Testing for Psittacosis can involve a stool/cloacal sample and/or blood.  There are many ways to test for Psittacosis, which is dependent upon species of bird and disease state.  While not all these tests may be suggested for every bird, a thorough and complete physical exam must include as many of them as possible in the well-appearing bird as well as in the obviously ill one.  If you have any questions about these tests, please do not hesitate to ask.  Further procedures such as x-rays, other blood samples, and surgical exploration may be suggested if indicated.

PSITTACINE BEAK AND FEATHER DISEASE (PBFD)

Since its initial description in the mid-1970s, Psittacine Beak and Feather disease has been reported in many species of captive and free-ranging Old World psittacine birds.  However, PBFD virus is not just a disease of cockatoos, African greys and Eclectus parrots.  The virus is expanding it host range and is reported in species of psittacine birds that were once though to be resistant to the disease.  Included in the expanding list of susceptible birds are several New World psittacine forms like Amazon parrots, macaws, and Pionus parrots.

WHAT CAUSES PBFD?

Through the support of bird owners from around the world, research has been able to expand on preliminary information collected by infectious disease researchers in Australia to show that PBFD is caused by a highly-infectious virus.

Comparative studies of PBFD virus recovered form various genera of psittacine birds indicate that a similar virus infects a wide range of parrots.  For example, a virus recovered from an umbrella cockatoo is similar to the virus recovered from an African grey parrot, budgerigar, Eclectus parrot, lovebird, and other species of cockatoos.

DNA probes developed to document the presence of PBFD virus have been found to successfully detect the virus in all affected psittacine birds that have been tested, indicating that the virus is similar in each affected species.  Based on the unique characteristics, the PBFD virus has been placed in a new family of viruses that represents the smallest animal viruses yet described.

HOW IS PBFD CLINICALLY RECOGNIZED?

The first clinical sign of PBFD is the appearance of necrotic, abnormally formed feathers.  The type of feathers initially involved depends on the stage of molt when the clinical signs of disease first appear.  In young birds, all of the feather tracts may be affected during a one-week period, whereas in older birds, the disease is more prolonged, with progressive feather changes during ensuing molts.  Infected birds may live for months before developing clinical signs.

If beak lesions develop, they may include palatine necrosis, progressive elongation, and transverse or longitudinal fractures.  Infections in young birds may be characterized by bending, bleeding or premature shedding of developing feathers, or may manifest as depression, anorexia, crop stasis and diarrhea with minimal feather abnormalities, followed by death in one to two weeks.  A diagnosis of acute PBFD may be missed unless a thorough necropsy is performed on a young bird that dies suddenly (most accurate diagnoses come from sending a blood sample for testing).  Infected African grey parrot and cockatoo chicks have been found to develop normally three to four weeks after exposure to the virus, at which time they become depressed and begin intermittent regurgitation.  Within three days of becoming depressed, affected birds start to lose powder down and contour feathers.  Several of the primary and secondary feather shafts appear dark red-brow and become loose in their follicles.  Over the next five days, affected birds continue to lose contour, flight, tail and crest feathers.  Death follows this feather loss.  Feather loss associated with the chronic form of PBFD is basically symmetrical, and normal plumage is progressively replaced with dystrophic feathers during a molt.  Most pictures of the featherless birds illustrate the chronic form of PBFD that has progressed for years.  Some birds die shortly after the first indication of malformed feathers; others may live for several years in a featherless state.

While PBFD is reported most commonly in birds less than 3 years of age, the disease can also develop in older adult birds that have previously shown no signs of feather abnormalities.

PBFD DIAGNOSIS

One of the most common ways for a bird owner or breeder to have problems with PBFD virus is for him or her to develop an attitude wherein they think they can tell by a bird’s feather condition if it is infected with the virus.  Attempts to determine if a bird does or does not have PBFD based on the appearance of feather lesions or by the presence of absence of powder down is of no value.  The best and most sensitive test for confirming that a bird is either clinically affected (feather lesions) or sub-clinically affected (no feather lesions) with the PBFD virus is the use of viral-specific DNA probes to detect the virus in the blood.  This test can detect latently infected birds months before they develop feather changes.

PBFD should be suspected in any psittacine bird with progressive feather loss in which malformed feathers can be identified.  PBFD can only be confirmed through laboratory testing.

A feather-loss problem in budgerigars is referred to as French moult.  Interestingly, French moult may result from polyomavirus (papovavirus, budgerigar fledgling disease) or from PBFD virus.

PBFD VIRUS TRANSMISSION

PBFD virus is shed from an infected bird in feces, crop excretions and feather dust.  One critical thing that all bird owners and veterinarians should understand is how the PBFD virus transmits among birds.

Armed with this information, one can implement sound testing and hygiene practices that will help reduce the chances of a PBFD virus outbreak.  The recovery of PBFD virus in the feces and crops of diseased birds suggests that contaminated excretions from infected birds may be involved in disease transmission.

We also know that an infected hen may pass the virus to her offspring through the egg.  Thus, attempts to prevent PBFD virus infections through artificial incubation are futile.  Testing to detect latently infected birds is the key to prevent infections.

POLYOMAVIRUS

Using the word “papovavirus” to describe the virus that causes neonatal death in psittacine birds is a misnomer.  There are actually two viral groups within the papovaviridae family:  papillomavirus, which is generally associated with benign skin tumors (warts) in finches and African greys, and Budgerigar Fledgling Disease, or papovavirus of larger psittacines, which we will refer to as “polyomavirus.”

This virus has done more to damage the relationship of breeders and pet shop owners with clients than any other disease we face as bird enthusiasts.  Outbreaks create distrust and conflict, and they segregate individuals who should be combining resources to improve the health and happiness of our avian pets.

The first generalized infection associated with a polyomavirus was described in young psittacne birds and was called Budgerigar Fledgling Disease.  Unfortunately, the virus infects more species than just budgies, and may cause substantial losses of larger psittacine neonates.

The clinical presentation, distribution of lesions and method of diagnosing polyomavirus in budgerigars is completely different from the clinical presentation, distribution of lesions and diagnostic methods for large psittacine birds.

Infected budgerigar neonates typically develop abdominal distension, subcutaneous hemorrhage, tremors of the head and neck, and ataxia.  Survivors may exhibit symmetrical feather abnormalities, characterized by dystrophic primary and tail feathers, lack of down feathers on their backs and abdomens, and lack of filoplumes on their heads and necks.  When feather lesions are present, the name often given to this disease is French moult.

In larger psittacines, polyomavirus infections may cause a peracute death with no premonitory signs, or death 24 to 48 hours after developing clinical signs, including depression and anorexia, delayed crop emptying, regurgitation, weight loss, subcutaneous hemorrhages and diarrhea.  Infections may occur in both parent and hand-raised babies, and clinical signs are most common at the time of weaning.

Occasionally, adult birds may die acutely with a polyomavirus infection.  The feather abnormalities that are relatively common with the polyomavirus infections in budgerigars are described less frequently in other psittacine species.

POLYOMAVIRUS TRANSMISSION

The factors involved in polyomavirus infections are not fully understood.  One of the formidable problems that occur with polyomavirus is that normal adults and neonates from infected parents can act as polyomavirus carriers.  These birds intermittently shed the virus and are thought to be responsible for the persistence, transmission and spread of this virus through various avian populations.  Some asymptomatic adults produce a persistently infected young, while others have neonates that intermittently have clinical signs of disease.

Interestingly, the birds that die from polyomavirus are rarely the source of the virus.  The most likely carriers of this disease – the birds that are responsible for introducing polyomavirus into nurseries and pet shops – are birds that appear normal.

Carriers can shed the virus while showing no signs of disease, and they can fatally infect any susceptible birds that come into contact with them.  Experimental data and observation in field cases of the disease suggest that viral transmission may occur through feces, urine, respiratory secretions, and feather dust.  The virus may also transmit to young directly in the egg.  Thus, attempts to prevent infections through artificial incubation are useless.

POLYOMAVIRUS DIAGNOSIS

Several antibody tests have been used to demonstrate polyomavirus antibodies from infected birds.  Sub-clinical carriers of the polyomavirus have been previously thought to maintain persistent antibody titers in serial serologic assays.  We have developed a viral-specific DNA probe that can serve to detect shedders of the polyomavirus and found that there is no correlation between antibody titers and the shedding of this virus.  The DNA probe test can be used to manage polyomavirus by allowing bird enthusiasts to screen their birds for sub-clinical shedders of the polyomavirus by taking a valuable blood test.

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HOW TO MANAGE FEATHER PICKING IN PET AND AVIARY BIRDS

One of the most frustrating and disconcerting conditions of pet birds is feather picking.  Moreover, feather disorders rank as some of the most difficult and challenging conditions to diagnose and treat in avian veterinary practice.  Bird owners frequently scrutinize their pets, and feather problems are usually readily detected.  Other clinical conditions of pet birds are much less obvious and are, therefore, less frequently detected.

FEATHERS AND PREENING

Feathers have a variety of functions:  flight, temperature regulation, protection against environmental and climactic extremes, and courtship displays (colorful feathers, selective erection of certain feathers, etc.).  Without feathers, wild birds could not survive.  Therefore, careful and regular attention to the feathers and their condition is vital. The process by which a bird grooms itself is called “preening.”  It will use its beak to condition and waterproof its feathers and to meticulously remove the sheaths through which all new contour and flight feathers emerge.  Birds use their feet and claws to perform this latter function on contour feathers located on their heads.  Furthermore, it is not uncommon for birds to rub against various objects in their immediate environment to perform this function.  Mutual preening is common among cage mates.  Normal preening behavior must be distinguished from feather picking and feather mutilation.

WHAT IS FEATHER PICKING?

Feather picking is an obsessive, destructive behavior pattern of birds during which all or part of their feathers are methodically pulled out, amputated, grayed, or in some other way damaged.  This behavior often prevents normal feather growth and emergence.

Molting is the normal physiologic process by which old, worn feathers are lost and subsequently replaced by new ones.  The frequency of this event varies with the species and the individual, as well as with climatic and geographic factors.  In warm areas, most caged birds drop a small number of feathers intermittently throughout the year and have 1-2 heavy molts each year.  The process of molting must be distinguished from feather picking.

Feather picking is not difficult to diagnose.  Affected birds look very much the same.  Regardless of the pattern of feather loss, damage and/or mutilation, and exposed bare skin below the neck, the head feathers are always spared and always appear perfect and untouched.  This is, of course, because the bird cannot reach its head feathers.  The one notable exception to this is the bird whose feathers are picked by a cage mate.  As mentioned, the birds caged together often engage in mutual preening.  This behavior can become obsessive and destructive, resulting in feather picking.  In these cases, the head feathers of the “victim” are not spared.

CAUSESE OF FEATHER PICKING

There are both medical and non-medical causes for feather picking.  The major medical causes include changes in hormone levels, external and internal parasites, malnutrition, internal disease, and bacterial or fungal infections of the skin and/or feather follicles.  Interestingly, and contrary to popular opinion, external parasites (mites in particular) are extremely rare among caged birds.  The non-medical causes are psychological and/or stress. 

Feather picking is generally a problem of birds in captivity.  Wild birds do not feather pick because they are too preoccupied with their own survival and with reproduction.  Captive (pet birds and those in zoos and avicultural collections) endure stress not experience by their wild counterparts.  Captivity, malnutrition, solitary living, absence of a mate with which to fulfill courtship rituals and mating needs cause significant stress, in addition to stress associated with confinement within a home (noise, confusion, presence of other pets such as dogs and cats, which represent potential predators to caged birds).

Like people, birds are creatures of habit, and changes (large or small) in their environment or in their established routine can often create stress for the individual.  This stress often results in obsessive, introverted behavior, manifested by feather picking.

Most caged birds seem prone to feather picking.  The groups of birds most notorious for engaging in this vice include African grey and Timneh parrots, cockatoos, macaws, conures, and grey-cheeked parakeets and cockatiels.  Interestingly, we rarely see feather picking in budgies or Amazon parrots.  We do, however, see a self-mutilation syndrome in Amazon parrots and occasionally in other species (African grey parrots, macaws).  This may represent the way in which some of these birds cope with or manifest stress.  Others believe that the condition is an infectious disease, possibly of viral origin.  It is not uncommon for afflicted birds to mutilate their skin (toes, wing webs, and groin and armpit areas).  This constant and continual trauma results in infection and failure of these wounded areas to heal.  Theses birds must be prevented from engaging in this self-trauma through the use of collars, bandages, etc.  They also must be treated aggressively with systemic antibiotics.

TREATING AND PREVENTING FEATHER PICKING

From the above discussion, it should be obvious that there are not quick and/or easy solutions for psychological or stress-induced feather picking.  Collars fashioned from discarded x-ray film or certain acrylics can be fitted and applied.  These materials create an artificial barrier between the bird’s beak and its feathers.  Collars treat the symptoms (the feather picking and mutilation) but do not eliminate the underlying cause(s).  In fact, collars themselves can be very stressful to pet birds and should only be applied when it is necessary to arrest self-mutilation and prevent hemorrhage, or as a last resort when all else fails.  Furthermore, collars create problems of their own.  Besides causing great stress to the bird, they also prevent normal feather maintenance (preening).

If medical causes for feather picking have been ruled out, and boredom (solitary confinement) is regarded as the major cause of feather picking, then you as the bird owner must be prepared to make changes.  Increasing the amount of time you spend with your bird will greatly reduce feather-picking tendencies, because the bird is otherwise engaged.

Sometimes changing the location or the bird’s cage and/or perch is helpful.  The suitability of the new location will depend upon the temperament of the bird and the relative unsuitability of the previous location.  For example, as feather picking African grey parrot (normally shy and suspicious) might be better off in a more private and secluded area of the house that in a heavily trafficked  and noisy locale.  By contrast, an umbrella cockatoo (docile, affectionate, and gregarious) that lives in relative isolation and that has begun to feather pick might be better off in a very public area of the house.  If a feather picker lives in a very small cage or has limited living space, it might be beneficial to provide a larger cage or a more spacious living environment.

Some feather pickers may not receive adequate rest.  Providing these birds with a more quiet and secluded locale and covering the cage might be helpful.  The latter is most important because it provides a certain period each day or night during which absolute privacy and freedom from a “fish bowl” existence is assured.

Bathing or misting a feather picker or a daily or otherwise regular basis may be beneficial because wetting the feathers encourages normal preening behavior.  The hope is that the bird will spend more time conditioning the plumage and less time chewing on the feathers or pulling them out.

Boredom and resultant feather picking may be combated by providing a wide variety of foods.  Emphasis should be placed on foods that require some time and effort to eat and those representing a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and textures.  This “recreational feeding” keeps the bird stimulated and interested in food, increases the amount of time required to eat, and decreases the amount of free time that could be spent feather picking.

The same factors should be considered when providing toys with which a caged bird can play.  The widest variety and assortment possible should be offered. The toys (chains, bells, hardwood pieces, and mirrors) should be durable and appropriate for the size and type of bird being considered.  Toys should stimulate and hold the bird’s interest as much as possible.  It is important to provide natural objects that a bird can investigate, chew up, and rip apart.  Branches from non-toxic trees, trees with leaves (eucalyptus) and large pinecones, can be offered to satisfy these destructive tendencies.  These objects should be cleaned and free of insecticide an herbicide residues.  It is equally important to provide objects that can fully involve the bird in actual physical exercise (large ropes to climb on, large paper bags, and cardboard boxes with holes).  A minimum of 3 sets of 4 toys should be provided.  Every couple of weeks the sets can be rotated to prevent boredom.  Vary the toys within each set (climbing, chewing, puzzle toys).  Puzzle toys require that the bird perform some task to get a treat.  This occupies the bird and gives them less time to feather pick.  Appliances (radio, tape recorder, television, etc.)  that stimulate the bird’s other senses should also be considered and provided whenever possible.  A feather picker whose attention is diverted and held by these types of toys and diversions will spend less time pursuing its vice.

FEATHER PICKING AND SEXUALITY

Much feather picking of caged birds results from sexual isolation and frustration.  It is easy for most bird owners to subconsciously ignore the sexuality of their pet bird because, in most cases, the true gender of their bird may not be known.  Pet birds do not have external genitalia or other physical characteristics that would, at a glance, indicate their sexual identity. They do, however, have gonads (testes or a single ovary) located inside their bodies.  These organs produce the very same sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen) that our own gonads produce.  These sex hormones are extremely potent and can change a bird’s behavior.

In the wild, these behavioral changes would result in the selection of a mate and the pursuit or courtship and mating behaviors.  Unfortunately, in the home, solitary pet birds are rarely free to engage in these pursuits.  The frustration that often follows can result in feather picking.  Some investigators believe that hormone-influenced (sexual) feather picking is the result of a bird’s attempt to create a “brood patch.”  This completely featherless area of the breast allows very efficient transfer of heat from the bird’s body to the egg(s) it is incubating.  In captivity and non-breeding situations, the feather picking and pulling is, of course, nonproductive and becomes an obsessive vice, even when hormone levels wane.  Some of these birds exhibit a favorable response to hormone therapy in the early stages.

Providing an appropriate mate is obvious, but not always practical.  Reducing sexual stimulation (removing mirrors and masturbatory toys, placing birds of opposite sex that are caged separately out of range from each other) may be helpful.  Consult an avian veterinarian before you try this.

In multiple-bird households, feather picking may result when a bird is housed near other birds.  Under these circumstances, moving this individual out of sight and beyond hearing from the others may reduce the level of stress experienced by the bird and the severity of its feather picking.

POPULAR REMEDIES MAY NOT WORK

There are certain popular remedies for feather picking.  Foul-tasting sprays applies to the feathers (Bitter Apple, Listerine, etc.), grinding/notching of the lower beak to make destruction of the feathers more difficult, and use of  tranquilizers have all been recommended over the years to treat the chronic feather picker.  Unfortunately, none of these is truly effective.  They merely treat the symptom (feather picking) but do not treat the causes.  Under certain circumstances, however, some of these remedies may provide some help or relief.

One suggestion that should be given serious consideration is to not clip the wings of birds that mutilate their feathers, especially the flight feathers.  The rationale for the recommendation is that feather picking birds need no “excuse” to be destructive to their feathers; this procedure usually provides one.  Though wing trimming is not disfiguring, it does involve the trimming of the largest and longest of the bird’s feathers.  Feather pickers or birds prone to this vice soon discover these altered feathers and begin to methodically and obsessively chew and split that part of the quill that remains of the clipped feathers.  The result of this mutilation is a series of frayed feather quills that rarely drop out during the next molt and tend to be retained indefinitely.

If you elect to not clip your bird’s wings because of this consideration, you must be willing to accept the liability of a fully flighted bird in the home.  Make the decision carefully. 

In cases of chronic feather picking, close scrutiny of the bird and its interactions with its environment can help establish a program of behavioral modification.  A qualified avian behaviorist should be enlisted if this remedy is to be pursued.  Behavioral modification may be of tremendous value in reducing stress, treating stress-induced problems of caged birds, and treating obnoxious behavior problems.

If you have any questions or feel that your bird needs care, please call us:  Radnor Veterinary Hospital (610) 687-1550, or email us through our website – www.radnorvet.com.