FEATHER PLUCKING IN PARROTS | WHY IS MY PARROT PLUCKING | SHELBY THE MACAW
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- This video was hard to make, but the experience we are currently going through is even harder. Feather plucking in parrots is extremely common, and is almost seen as NORMAL?! Plucking and feather destruction is something that so many pet parrots do that we have to come think, as a community or bird owners, that it is something that some parrots just end up doing and it can't be prevented, or stopped. Feather plucking is notoriously difficult to combat, as the cause of parrots plucking is difficult to find and obscure. Parrots are amazing at hiding illness and pain, and so finding the reason behind worrying symptoms can be a long and difficult process. One thing we should never do, is ignore feather plucking behaviours. All parrots who begin plucking should see a vet immediately to rule out illness and disease, and environmental causes of feather destruction should also be considered.
Whatever the reason for your parrot to self harm, don't suffer alone, and don't be ashamed. Feather plucking, feather barbering and self mutilation is not something that you should hide from, or avoid speaking about. There is always a reason for feather plucking! Birds in the wild never pluck, so the fact that only captive birds feather pluck should tell us something about their care or environment or health.
Whether you macaw is plucking, your African grey is plucking, or even cockatiel is plucking, reach out and help.
We are also asking, that anyone who watches this that may have a solution to our current issues, we would appreciate your advice and help ever so much!
For ensuring your parrot is on the perfect diet, including freeze dried chop in place of pellets is one amazing way to ensure your parrot's health. Find a ready made freeze dried chop here:
mikeyandmia.co...
Sprouting mix is essential for all parrot species and offers such a huge range of nutrients that we can't live without it. One blend we particularly love is from Soaring Wings Flock and can be found here:
soaringwingstr...
Don't forget to find us on Insta:
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I should probably add that this started AT LEAST six months BEFORE we got Tommi. Definitely nothing to do with her
I hope you find the answers you and Shelby need. 😥 My dog bites her backend and rubs off things til she has no fur and has sores. She looks like she has mange and it's embarrassing when out with her as I feel people judge. The vet has been no help. I know how much we feel for our pets when they are in pain so I understand why you get upset. She's still beautiful btw. 💕🦜 thank you for your informative video. I wish good luck to you both
You absolutely nailed the delivery on this video and topic. Your approach was honestly exceptional. Anyone who for a minute believes you don’t advocate the best life and care for Shelby, is just a bully. Bullies get drowned out, the crowds silence them. I feel your pain and try to imagine going through this with my 2 macaw kids. It takes a strong person to do what you just did. Your community has your back. Take care and be kind to yourself. Much love - Danny Stewart.
This is such a lovely message it made me emotional - thank you so much. I appreciate you more than you realise
@@ShelbyTheMacaw aww no worries lovely. I was gutted watching the video and just devastated and cannot imagine how exhausted you both must be. The guilt and disappointment can take over at times, make sure your doing some self care to. No matter what happens Shelby could not have come into a better home. I have 2 macaws Beni and Haru and whilst I’d like to say I put in 60% of the effort you do, I don’t. Your commitment is on another level and it’s amazing. You planned for everything based on all information available. We are not capable of doing more than our best and I truly believe that it’s probably something underlying and no fault of yours. I live in Queensland Australia and we have one of the best Avian vets in the country at the Gatton University. His name is Bob Donnelly. He’s a bird owner, vet and lecturer. I’m not sure if he does virtual consults but it might be worth reaching out for another opinion. He has also written many books and is heavily invested in the care of Macaws. I’ll send this message to you on Insta incase you want more info
This is heartbreaking. I have never seen a Parrot so well cared for, I have learned so much about avian care from your channel. I don't own a bird but it's still great to learn.
Everything I have seen you do with Shelby is amazing, she is given every opportunity to thrive. I'm so sorry that this is happening to her, she is a beautiful bird and I hope you can get to the bottom of what is wrong or someone who has been through this can offer some help
You are so kind, what a lovely message. Thank you. Just shows how complicated they are, and things can still go wrong even with the best care!
I’m so sorry for all this. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for all of you. Our lovely Shelby 😞 I know you’re doing everything possible and giving her the best care! I truly hope you’ll find the answer and the solution, and Shelby can be well! Lots of virtual love and support for her and you and all of your family ❤️🙏
Your doing an amazing job of looking after your birds and helping others to do the same by being so honest and informative. I hope your able to get the answers you need to help Shelby. Sending love to you and your lovely flock, humans and dog included ❤️
Thank you for your kind words
I am so sorry for what you're going through, I hope you'll get the answers and help you need for Shelby. You guys are doing a great job with your birds, it's obvious they're loved and looked after properly. There is clearly something wrong and it's not your fault. I'm glad you have been brave enough to speak about it openly and share with the world so we can learn what and hopefully provide you with a little emotional support. Big hugs
Thank you so much for your kind words of support. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive and kind and that is making such a difference right now
I wish I could help more than offer my love and best wishes for you all. I joined TikTok when lockdown started and you were one of the first accounts I followed. I had always wanted a parrot, but never felt it was the right time, so I lived my parrot life vicariously through you. Your care, love and support for Shelby was beyond fantastic - I saw the first video when she went free flying, and my heart skipped a beat. I saw how much time you spent feeding her well and keeping her engaged. If anyone has anything bad to say against you they are most likely from jealous people. XX
Oh bless you, what a kind and thoughtful comment. Honestly, love and best wishes means the world to me right now, so thank you so much
I would 100% contact BirdTricks and have a consultation with them. They have loads of experience with this. Also remember bird do not need fruit in there diet. I would try BirdTricks freeze dried mix as they have worked out all the nutrition that they need without adding the sugar that’s in fruit. I would also get a second opinion from another vet. I hope you find out what’s wrong with her. I hope she’s feeling better soon.
I am so so sorry!! Please don't be embarrassed we know you take amazing care of her. I have heard sometimes even after the underlying problem is corrected it will be a habit by then. I hope that is not the case for her. She will be in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you can get this figured out. I'm sorry that bird people have to be so ignorant I have experienced it myself but please know that you have others who fully support you!! Sending my love!❤
Thank you so much. Thankfully, the positivity I have received so far has been overwhelming. Shelby's viewers and followers are exceptionally kind and positive, I feel very lucky.
That was such a hard watch, my heart goes out to you and you’re family and of course poor Shelby, fingers crossed for some more positive news at you’re next vet visit 🙏
Thank you so much, I will keep everyone updated
I am so sorry to hear this with Shelby. I know how much our birds mean to us. I follow you on TikTok and you are far from being a bad owner. I have not experienced feather plucking with my birds but I really hope you find some answers xx
Billybirdmacaw mumma here sending lots of love and hugs I pray you get the answers you need to help Shelby ❤️
Thanks love xx
I can tell that you've done a great job with your birds. It's not your fault this happened. If I ever get a parrot, the information on this channel will definitely help me. You take great care of you birds and I hope this will resolve soon.
Literally crying for you... omg u love your birds... Sending so much luck on ur emotional journey . 💛
Thanks for sharing. If we do not share, we will not learn. This is my biggest nightmare, constantly keeping an eye on my bird. My also begs for food once in a while but tries to get her on other thoughts when she does it by playing or flying with her. Hope you find the solution and regret that you have gone with the problem alone. Only support from here ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for your kind words
I am so sorry you and Shelby are going through this. The only thing I can say is to make sure your vet is avian certified.🙏🏻
Thank you so much, and yes our vet is an avian vet and one of the most highly regarded in the UK
Poor Shelby. How old is she this year? I have a 3 yr old B&G and honestly this has been one of my biggest fears and I can't express how sorry I am that you're going through this. I am a vet student in the DVM program hoping to specialize in avian and herpetology so I feel like as vets part of our job is to figure out why these things are happening to such a young bird. Honestly I hope in years to come that we can develop better diagnostics. Please keep us updated.
I really wish there was more research and education in avian illnesses, it's so worrying coming to so many dead ends. Shelby turned two in February this year, so still a baby.
Sending good thoughts and prayers for Shelby
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Last December I took my B&G to the vet and the vet determine that my macaw chews on her feathers and previously plucked before coming with me. After looking at her behaviors, history and tests, it was determined that she plucked due to anxiety. She was at a breeder’s store previously and I know my bird doesn’t really like other macaws or when other birds make noise around her. Being around so many other birds and all the noise caused her to develop anxiety. Lots of foraging toys have been the only way to keep her from chewing.
I really hope Shelby get better, Don't even bother about what people say do the best what you can to your feathered child. Lots of love and prayers for shelby!
Poor baby ♥️ hope Shelby gets better soon x
Thank you so much for sharing this you are describing my B&G to the T. I've been searching all over the internet took her to the vet and I've had no luck yet, I've felt so alone in this and felt like I couldn't go to anyone either because of how ruthless the bird community can be. My B&G plucks in all the same areas Shelby does and her weight also dropped like Shelbys too...always acts hungry too, etc. I just can't believe I'm not alone in this please please make an update video!
Oh bless you, i am so sorry to hear you're also experiencing this. Has she been disease tested? That was our first port of call. From there we can then start eliminating other possibilities. I really hope you find your answers, and we will be updating the channel next week after our vet visit
@@ShelbyTheMacaw The last time she was disease tested was 9 months ago, they didn't find anything, but around that time I don't think they looked into it too deeply because she only had started plucking, all her symptoms have been over the course of 9 months, her weightloss is what scares me the most because she eats so much and it's still as if she's starving. I've been keeping it on the DL because in a way I felt so guilty because the bird community automatically would shame you for being a bad bird owner. I even woke up this morning to see 2 more feathers she plucked from under her wing. I would feel so much pressure from the bird community for everything to be perfect with my parrot, so when things aren't I take it very hard as I try extremely hard to give them the best care. I give them a huge variety of fresh foods everyday, let them outside, take them with us to go bye bye, give them lots of toys, and yet I feel it's still never enough. Thank you for being so honest with this, It's truly such a relief and I will be following closely. ❤
I’m so very sorry your going through this as I have followed you from the start, and you give Shelby and Tommi the best you can, my 1 grey was over grooming herself and the avain vet asked me to add a little coconut oil to her food, I was lucky and it was a bit of dry skin, which Shelby’s skin looks lovely.
I also drilled through hard nuts to make a toy for her as she was all food, but I understand that to many nuts aren’t good either,
And this time of year is hard with hormones too, I really hope you get your answers and that you get Shelby back to her better self, you and Dan are amazing bird owners I wish you all the luck in the world,
Thank you so much for your kind message, and ongoing support! People like you mean so much to myself and Dan xx
You are doing amazing job❤ thank you and for pulling up these topics. Bird community needs to bee more supportive and understanding. We have the same problem with our blue gold girl without the baby honking. Feels so terrible about it and drowning in self blame. Birds are so cryptic creatures. Hope you find your solution why it’s happening to shelby ❤ and remember to take care of yourself too❤
Oh Carlie I'm so upset for you. I've been following you since you first got her so it's so heart breaking to hear you're all going through this. You are one of THE BEST Parrot owners in the world!! I know you mentioned it in the video but if it's possible I would get her tested for allergies. As an allergy can cause parts of the body to become inflamed or swollen. I have an allergy to Milk and if I eat anything containing milk my Intestine swells up like a balloon. Just a suggestion, it could be another dead end. I honestly hope you get to the route of the problem soon and you can all go back to normal. Keeping all my fingers crossed and hope you're all ok.
It's heartbreaking to struggle through physical illness or maladaptive behaviour in our beloved pet companions. I hope for the best for you and Shelby. Don't listen to the goons that aim to blame and hurt you.
I know this must be super hard for you because of the love you have for Shelby. And I know you are going to read this and think I am “one of those people” because of how many people look after birds in captivity. But maybe this is a reason like all complex intelligent animals don’t belong in captive environments and although people do the best they can needs unknown to us cannot be met. Look at the government looking at elephants in Zoos now realised that yes basic needs can be met to keep them alive breeding etc but they still sway and display other abnormalities. I think you are slowing discovering what many bird owners find as you said it’s become the “norm” to accept it because yes they pluck but they are still “alive” but deep down I think people know that birds are so complex things like this will happen unfortunately. I do wish you all the best with Shelby though
Thank you. Unfortunately her release to the wild is not possible, so making her life exceptional with me is the aim. So yes, although everything you are saying is true and I completely agree with you, it doesn't really help me in this instance 💜
A very brave thing to do, well done for that. I’m really sorry that you felt you couldn’t ask the bird community for help that is so sad 😞 but I do get where your coming from! I love your videos and as Shelby is a bit older than Iris I kind of rely on you for updates. You do amazing job with the birds I really hope you find answers 😢
Thank you so much for your kind words
Aww love. To you and Shelby I know you will always do best for her xxx
How is shelby doing?
I kept crying with you during this video, i honestly dont believe this is your fault at all. You can tell you genuinely love your birds ❤ hope you're doing ok
Thank you that’s so kind. She still plucking quite badly. It’s very obvious now, whereas back when I filmed this you couldn’t tell by looking at her. Now she has bald legs and chest. It’s very sad. Still no answers 😔
@@ShelbyTheMacaw I'm so sorry to hear this, i cant begin to understand how hard it must be for you 💔😔 praying you and shelby get a solution soon. I just adopted my first grey and my worst fear is not being enough for her.
If i look after her half as well as you do your burbs i will be so happy.
@@ShelbyTheMacaw i know this is a long shot but have you tried the kings cages pluck no more, ive seen lots of success stories and before and after pics. Good luck 🍀🤞
Oh my heart 😢 your definitely not a bad bird owner and thanks for sharing what your going through I wish I knew the answer's I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it sending love and good vibes your way ❤️ 💕
Thank you so much 💜
I never like to post anything because of the rot that you have to deal with but I feel so much for you that I can't ignore it. One of my closest friends and mentor has been a professional bird trainer of all birds from raptors to parrots all his life from his father and I've seen him take on many plucking Macaws and turn them around.
It can take a long time once they start but the main thing I have learnt from him Is that mostly It Is caused from psychological Issues.
Stress or anxiety for some reason that you may not even notice. Have you noticed any difference In the dynamics between ALL of you since you added the other Macaw? You need to be very careful when bringing In another Macaw to another one's territory that's also bonded to one of you. It's very Important that Shelby still feels like number 1 with you. Do you always get her out and give her attention first? Feed her first etc? It could be one of many things but the problem now is that once it's been going on for a while it will not be an easy fix and you will probably find she needs a whole change of environment to fix it.
Also if not eating becomes serious just syringe feed her. You can make sure she gets the nutrients she needs and they respond well to it. It will temporarily bring back a bit of baby behaviour like she's doing now but it fine and don't care about all the criticism experts come out with I'm probably going to cop some here but all I have said I have experienced and learnt from my friend and apart from the rehabilitated ones he's taken in all his 50 Macaws and mine are very mentally stable.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experiences through your friend. The behaviours started at least 6 months before Tommi came along, infact adding Tommi to the family was one of the things we did in the hopes it would improve her. However we have now managed to work out that it is actually physiological, most likely to do with her respiratory or digestive system, or both. Your comments are appreciated!
Plucking is a pain relief for them if you haven't already I definitely would seek an avain vet and do bloods and liver exams. This can be critical 🥰 your doing an amazing job trying your best ❤️
Haha I didn't watch the whole video all the way through 😂😂 anyways at least I got it right 😂🤷
Haha no worries. But yes, liver and kidney tests were perfect
So sorry for this. Could it be hormonal? Our B&G Holly started making a similar noise a couple of weeks before she laid her first egg. Holly is a lot older than shelby but I understand that sexual maturity can happen as early as a couple of years old. Are you still using the Vets in our home town of Swindon? Good luck and all the best.
Our vet rules out hormones at the last visit, as everything was completely normal. I know that hormones can make an appearance in younger birds, but she has only just turned two so it is unlikely, however it is always something we are careful with in the home. I was using Great Western Exotics in Swindon, however i have changed over to a new vet in London who I will be meeting for the first time next wednesday. Swindon was just too expensive 😰
I love parrots but I can’t have one as I could not give them what they need. I love your Instagram and seeing yours. You give them a wonderful life and I really hope you get to the root of the problem. I think ye both do amazing by Shelby and Tommi. ❤️
Thank you so much! That is such a kind thing to say
Get well soon Shelby!
Thank you
Edit: did she get taken to the vet? Did they do a skin scrap to check? Did they check for mold? I had black mold in my house- my bedroom and I got so so sick I had no energy and then got pneumonia and shingles
My first thought is parasites like mites on her or something internal. That could be a reason why she’s eating A LOT!!! I would get a shampoo to get rid of mites.
She could be allergic to something and feels very itchy because of that. Skin mites are hard to see by eyes. Perhaps it is also an issue from other animals like the dogs. Birds have different grams of bacteria’s that dogs or even cats do.
It could be a hormonal issue, but i dont know if that would lead to excessive metabolism
Good for you for mentioning this! It’s good to be aware of.
Thank you for putting this out there. My thoughts are with you guys ❤
Feather plucking is very hard to reverse in parrots, according to my GF's avian vet. Her Eclectus parrot had never plucked, but started plucking right after she moved for her MBA program. After she moved back home, her parrot continued plucking. She tried everything to get him to stop, but after years of no improvement, she gave up. He is still alive and happy to this day. He can still fly, he just doesn't have many feathers on his chest and belly. She had to learn to just accept that the feather plucking was out of her control and he could still live a long and healthy life with fewer feathers.
Hi Pet Parrot Lovers,
Our Mambo (male Eclectus) has been living 20 years now with us in Western Australia and then in Queensland, Australia. We hope this feedback comment helps other pet parrots owners, as this is why and how we have had no difficulty with Mambo 🦜plucking his feathers:
1) Early in Mambo being our young hand-raised tame talkative pet parrot family member we noticed that Mambo would intentionally bath itself when given its morning refreshed clean drinking water 💦 (we also do this before their late afternoon tea, early evening bedtime time too), but he would choose to bathe himself only once weekly, and would also get our attention too!
2) We early read that the Eclectus parrots original natural habitat is the Tropical Rain Forests of North Queensland and the Tropical Highlands Rainforests of PNG, Papua New Guinea, & some of the tropical Pacific Islands too. That’s when we thought that they would live with the occasional showers of rain 🌧 in their original tropical rainforests habitat, and we put this together with Eclectus’s also being a very high DANDER bird that Mambo would probably enjoy at his chosen time to bath also us giving him a gentle shower spray with an indoor pot plants water 💦 spray bottle. Well yes indeed! Mambo LOVES his weekly bath 🛁 plus water 💦 spray light shower all over and under his body and even spreads his two wings wide 🪽🪽so we can spray under his both wings and both sides of his chest too.
Mambo prefers this weekly wash in the morning, and we ensure the window is shut so there is no draft while he dries off - and he happily chats away after his weekly bath-spray.
So pet parrot lovers, our take on why Eclectus parrots 🦜 (& some other parrots too!) have a reputation for being feather-pluckers is NOT a nervousness condition, nor necessarily consequent to a health issue* or boredom necessarily either, but rather with their high dander skin-replacing body the build-up of dander becomes irritating to them, and thus the scratching and pecking at their irritated skin and feathers coming out trying when to relieve itself of the dander-skin irritation -- that's why the parrot understandably scratches & pecks their skins.
I would be scratching my skin too if I didn't shower daily, and I don't even have a high-dander skin! LOLs. And yes, *the stress-factor to the parrot with the DANDER irritation can understandably impact their general health and wellbeing, and happiness!
This DANDER skin irritation probably adds to bad behaviour activity too, like screeching, etcetera.
We have 3 x pet parrots, and they live indoors in our home with us to keep them safe from outside predators (rats, predatory birds - e.g. Butcher Birds, Magpies - & snakes). I have had pet birds most of my 70 year life - and approximately 100 racing pigeons as a young teenager and had belonged in the latter 1960’s to the Brisbane QLD Racing Pigeons Club (the best I got was a 3rd place 🥉 in a long distance pigeons race back to their loved home lofts -- birds love an easy resort-lifestyle and security 🙂).
Enjoy wonderful pet birds, as they love human company too!
Have a happy 2024. 🤗😄 Blessings, Garzo 🎶.
-- see in the TH-cam Channel “ILLUSTRA MEDIA” documentary entitled “FLIGHT: The Genius of Birds” …. Trailer on TH-cam, and with a Google search, the complete documentary is available for purchase on DVD 📀, it’s an awesome documentary, enjoy.
😃🕊😄
So I’ll be talking from the POV of a human nurse, but doing a scope would be a good starting point since she is losing weight AND eating a buttload.
Also the systemic issues that you’ve mentioned screams auto immune, especially with the enlarged spleen. A spleen, in any animal, is for immunity.
I’m not a bird anatomy expert, but as an ICU human nurse, those are the things that stick out.
Please know we’re not all judgemental - sharing his has been super brave and I hope you get all the support you deserve.
Also, pain relief would be an awesome thing as well.
Thank you so much, this is helpful information. I really appreciate it. If it's autoimmune related, what tests could be done, for humans of course? Maybe I could suggest to the vet that similar tests be carried out but the bird version, if that makes sense.
@@ShelbyTheMacaw It really depends on what they’re thinking and I don’t know about auto immune issues in birds. It can be blood tests, it can be biopsies.
Someone else was mentioning PDD which could be something to look into?
Would be interesting to see what pain relief would do, but the excessive eating with losing weight is a pretty worrying thing.
I don't know much about bird autonomy either but I know with horses, doing a scope would be one of the 1st things we would do ... I have read loads of the comments so not going to offer more advice as it seems you are looking into all the reasons it could be ... Ps I completely understand about you being embarrassed, my macaw doesn't like baths so we are working on that but bc she doesn't have everyday baths and sometimes just little sprays, her feathers sometimes don't look perfect and she has some plucking damage from before I had her and I don't post pics etc of her bc I worry people will judge why she looks like that. Everyone just needs to be less judgemental and more helpful and supportive so well done for sharing 💙💚💛🤍🖤
Your husbandary is fucking amazing with those birds don’t ever let anybody tell you different they are cared for amazingly
I follow you guys on TT and just wanted to come on here to send you all my love and pray you get to the bottom of whatever is going on with her. Ps. I think insurance companies are &rap full stop. If they can find a way out of not paying out they will !
Thanks for sharing 🤩😍 much love!! I forwarded your channel to Suzy Lutey who has done phenomenal things with her Flock. Hope she can help and lead you in the right direction ❤️
Thank you - Im going down this route at moment; its soo difficult with peoples judgements.
Vet prescribed pain killers that have had no effect. Moved vets to a more renowned Avian vet - but insurance will not cover investigatory tests unless there is an outcome.
I know you are trying your best and it’s not your fault.💕 I hope the vet visit will give you an answer or atleast a clue to what happening. You are one of the best owners on the planet and inspire and teach so many people.🥹
Thank you so much, what kind words 😭
We love you ❣️❣️
I am going through the same thing. Our scarlet has plucked every feather she can get to. She is completely naked from the chest down. She’s so restless, and I feel so stuck on what to do for her. We’re four years in. Morgan doesn’t talk anymore, she’s is constantly hungry too and extremely nippy. She is on a great diet, lots of enrichment, she doesn’t want our attention anymore, vet has run bloods/every test under the sun, and everything came back normal. We adopted her at 14, she is now 19.
I have followed you for a long time, and you are amazing to them parrots.
I have everything crossed for her xx
Thank you so much for your kind words
sorry that I'm late to the conversation but as a animal lover this really broke my heart. Bird placking isn't the owners fault in anyway. there so many factors that come in. even tho I don't own Birds I never go to animal posts and I own gerbils and they live the best life. in no way would I take advice from people in groups if I got a problem I go straight to my contact. I actually know someone at pet's at home that might be able to help she's very knowledge when it comes to any animal. please Don't think this is your fault because it isn't.
I am so sorry to hear this, I hope you get answers soon. Seeing one of your birds like this is so devastating. 💔
As a person with trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), I empathize with plucking birds on another level. I truly get it. Maybe this will help ease your mind regarding her plucking: I have self harmed and I regularly pull out my hair, and I will say for sure the hair pulling is much more subconscious and impulsive behavior than self harm, even if it's a conscious act. I am nowhere near in the same mental space when I pull my hair as I was when I was self harming. I will play with my hair and yank it out anywhere, in the store, watching TV, eating, at work, driving, etc, it's more of a fidgeting act that gives your brain a chemical release when you pull the hair out. I can only assume it's similar for the birds.
So while I totally understand why you view it as a form of self harm (and it is, I won't deny that), I hope this can help you feel a little bit better about it. It hurts us as a result but we don't do it with the end goal of hurting ourselves, and I think it's the same for our beloved birds ❤️
As another person with Trich and bird who pulls her feathers - I agree with you 100%
Im sorry you went through this difficult time I never thought you would have to
Me neither 😭
Have you tried reaching out to other parrot owners Jamie and Dave from bird tricks are very knowledgable on parrot behaviour x hope Shelby feels better soon ❤️
The fighting for food is a great sign. It means she still has fight in her. I am sure you have dome this BUT start with blood tests to get a parameter (works best if you did this when first noticed). It may just be a toxicity issue of some kind. In the mean time give her lots of protein and liquid (scrambled eggs/Gatorade (no sugar) to keep her hydrated. Start a journal about behavior and food/water. Bring all of this to the Avian vet more info the better. Oh and also add palm oil to her food for weight gain. Good Luck! But dont try and take care of it yourself it rarely works.
Hey Michelle, thank you for such a great response. So we did do bloods at the first sign of issues over a year ago, and they were all completely normal with very slightly low calcium levels which we managed to successfully bring up by introducing dry mix to her diet. We also have a journal and picture / video catalogue of behaviour and how it has changed over the last year. We have palm oil so will definitely add that to chop. We are working closely with our avian vet to ensure we find a cause xx
She must be exhausted just with the constant honking alone. Poor baby. Can she take naps during the day? Like in a dark cage/room? I don't know anything about these birds other than what I've learnt from you but just my first thought. Sending you folks all the love. Here's hoping some expert can find out the problem very very soon 💙💚💛❤️
I'm not a bird person, never had one.. (lots of other pets though) but this sounds like a malnourishment issue to me, not a mentally one. The plucking, lethargy and change in behavior looks like just symptoms to me. Like when a dog has worms and they rub their butt over a floor. Maybe it's some sort of parasites or allergy or .. something that prevents her from taking and processing the nutrients her body needs.
I’m so sorry she isn’t herself lately. I hope you can figure out what’s causing it soon!
I have a foster galah that Plucks. It started due to fatty liver, but now it’s a habit he’s formed. He’s getting better, thanks to a better diet. But it’s rough
I am sure your vet is working on this but I've seen the Chloe Sanctuary medicate their plucking birds with an anti-anxiety meds. While it's a bandaid I would do some research to see if you can pause the plucking while you work through the core issues. If you can medicate her so that she's less distressed and in pain that could at least buy you some time to sort this out.
So I think one thing we will be trialling when we visit the vet next is general antibiotics and pain medication to see what effect this has on her, hopefully that will provide some answers
@@ShelbyTheMacaw I believe they are using Haldol. Definitely something to research.
Check out some of the videos from Bird Tricks, Jamie and Dave have a wealth of information not just for training ideas but also diet. Maybe there is something that is causing an allergic reaction in her diet. My advice it to trust your intuition because you have a strong connection with Shelby.
Poor shelby. Its like humans. I'm on month 3 of testing for blood issues and rapid thyroid deterioration and still no answer after many referrals, ct scan, cameras both ends but bloods still showing problems in my body. My Dr says ticking a box at a time will get you the answer eventually. I really hope you get those Spon for shelby
Oh bless you, I really hope you find answers too. One thing at a time, you're totally right. Good luck x
I pray you fiind out what is wrong with her and she gets well again!
We have a 30+ year old Goffin's cockatoo named Ladybird that plucks a little. Around 17 years ago, I went on vacation for10 days and the people I left her with didn't take good care of her and keep her water changed. She got a bacterial infection and lost a lot of weight and was very lethargic. Vet did bloodwork and gave her antibiotic injection. a month later she was back to healthy.
Hi shelby the parrot....hope your gonna be okey dear girly thoughts with you....and your mum sounds like shelby is suffering from anxiety....bless her 🌼🌹🌼
How is she doing now? This is not anything you did wrong. Try not be be upset. In the video the bird does not look too bad at all! We have to accepts our animals are not all perfect, and some have mental problems, like us humans. You take excellent care of your birds and are doing everything right. The only suggestion I can make is that the plucking bird is 'stressed' as it wants to breed and is hormonal. It is paired to you as it's mate, rather than the green parrot. I would suggest you change it's diet to a none breeding, basic diet. Also, reduce it's hours of daylight. Shut it in a dark room at night so its not getting extended daylight (which brings them into breeding condition). So, basic diet, reduced daylight hours, remove anything that can simulate a nest, like boxes, bird sleeping huts, etc. Do not pet your bird or over stimulate it as it will get 'turned on' lol. Finally, get some blood test done on it to check that the weight loss is not due to some disease or digestive problem. I suspect it is due to the stress myself.
What did your Vet say? I have never seen this. I have a 23 year old Blue and Gold too!
I’m new to your channel but wanted to offer my support. I’m so sorry for what you’ve going through. I had a goffin cockatoo at one time who started the begging behavior long after being weaned. She was eating good on her own but the begging was constant. I didn’t know it at the time, but birds can regress at any time (unsure if it’s within one or two years). Had I known, I would have offered hand feeding formula from a spoon, or even a syringe if needed. Have you tried that? Even just once a day? Wishing you the best!
Oh and gabapentin is generally good for pain for birds. They’ll likely want to start her on that first, since it’s well tolerated.
It can also help with depression and anxiety
Mine ripped all his feathers out in 4 1/2 hours one day, not 3 weeks later he has them all back. They know when other feathers are coming in.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I did, too. It sounds like Shelby has PDD or bornavirus. The tests for bornavirus are not reliable. Have your vet prescribe Celebrex. I think that’s a recommended protocol. Good luck.
I think you're not giving the bird community a fair go here, You know Bigbie is a similar age to Shelby, he is also plucking but I've been posting about it since day one on tiktok and have got nothing but support and advice, now I know exactly why n when he does it, it's stress related, 1st time was a crow in the house 2nd was Mt partner in hospital 3rd was the battery went in the smoke detector, in the middle of the night.I'd be going to more than 1 vet it looks like that thing ..omg I can't remember the name of it, wasting on the keel is the mist common, n the weight loss will trigger the plucking...with this .I'll go try fond out more on that, I've definitely seen this before with a rescue from our circus birds, I'll treat this like I treat my own birds health..I'll see of I cam find the name of the thing I'm almost sure this os..I'll pm you if I find anything. I'm so sorry you felt you had to suffer in silence on this. I'm glad you've decided to share this because now we can all put our years of experience together n figure this out..but please don't be so fast to assume ppl will be nasty about it, ok you might get the odd nasty comment from ppl who know no better..with 0 experience. I got none if I'm honest..there are some lovely ppl in the bird community and some seriously nasty ones..but we don't give them the time of day..I'll also start adding her to my prayers..poor pet. Well figure this out together ❤
I have no bird knowledge at all so I apologise if this isn't relevant. My pony had a problem with her gut (worm damage from a previous home) which meant that she could absorb nutrients as well so I had to feed her a hell of a lot more for her to get the goodness out of it - it affected everything and she was very down and depressed and just not right, anyway my point is could it be something like that? I only suggest it as you mentioned when you gave her all the extra fatty stuff she did pick up a bit? it just reminded me of Lucy. (I'm not suggesting it was worms or anything like that just more thinking could it be an absorption thing? I'll keep everything crossed for her that you get to the bottom of it quickly. You are clearly a very devoted owner who is doing everything in your power to help Shelby - big hugs
I actually believe this is very relevant! We are exploring many possible options, and a parasite is at the top of our list! Thank you!
@@ShelbyTheMacaw will keep my fingers and toes crossed for her! glad I did mention it now!
Wishing you all the best
I’m so sorry for what happened
What about reaching out abroad? Like where these Macaws come from? Maybe they can look at Shelby's x-rays and put 2&2 together
Dont wary i will pray for him/her hope you the best for him/her
Your an amazing mom with your children and your pets lm thinking she might have been bred brother sister type of thing mabe you could get in touch with the other owners who have a clutch mate l have a sneaky feeling that they might be having the same issues it’s worth a try you have done nothing wrong stay strong please l know it’s hell but ignore the keyboard wizards who are today’s version of the encyclopedias hugs and prayers xox
Please look into AG/PDD. Aka macaw wasting disease. My Charlie has the exact same symptoms and that was the final verdict. He is down to 837g. She will come to the point where she will stop eating nuts because she is not digesting them correctly which is why she cannot gain weight. Please do reach out to me should Shelby have PDD. It is not a death sentence as most vets think. Here in Italy there is a cure. My vet worked out a cure alongside the legendary dr Rossi. He can help, no doubt. Btw, Charlie is in therapy since 7 weeks and getting better.
That is extremely interesting to hear there is a cure!! What is it? A medication? Therapy? It's a horrific disease and strikes fear into bird owners over here in the UK. I am having extensive further tests for PDD next week when we go to the vets. She tested negative for it in January, but I am being made aware that it can provide false negatives repeatedly.
🤯😢
First of all I admire the level of honesty and vulnerability you shared with us 🙌🙌🙌 Hater's gonna hate cuz they don't know better. Just ignore them. You're reaching out for help and help you shall receive!
I have no medical education so my thoughts may sound silly but then maybe they have already gone through your head.
First I suspect the chemistry in her body. If you haven't already tested, what are the enzyme and hormone levels? What are the levels of vitamins and minerals? Like vitamin A or D, iron levels. Too much of one thing can be as bad as too little. I put my trust in your vet but maybe you could reach out to more, for brainstorming. Maybe Dr Jason Crean could assist, with his network? Or Dr Karen Becker? Or whomever you could dig out from your own extensive network. Just for brainstorming...
Next thing is sleeping. Does she get 12 hours in peace and quiet, given she's sleeping in your room, maybe with the TV on and whatnot? I know that my cockatiels don't get that since they're sleeping in the living room but we try to keep it low after putting them to bed.
Is it maybe too much going on in your home during the day? You are a big family and she maybe needs a minute a day, maybe in the aviary, and now with summer coming, she may spend more time there, a bit away from all the hustle going on in the house.
Next thing is food. Maybe trying with a variety of nuts, not only walnuts and almonds. Maybe trying with more soaked seeds instead of sprouting mix.
Then you say it was bad whenever she was left alone. It shouldn't be boredom, knowing you guys, but could she get anxious when her favourite human is not around? Or could you leave her at the neighbors 😉 when you have to run errands? Or take her with you on errands?
These are just things from the top of my head and I can only hope that it may give you ideas about what to look for.
I know that you're trying everything and cudos to you 🙌🙌🙌 you're a parront role model 🥰🥰🥰 I just hope you'll figure it out soon enough. 🤞🤞🤞 Hang in there, you're not alone 🐦💛💙❤️
Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice, this is so greatly appreciated. So as for vitamin and mineral levels, they were all completely normal, smack bang in the middle of the "too high" and "too low" ranges. The same was for hormones, including her calcium levels which were excellent. The vet actually commented on how wonderful her bloods were. Sleep is one of the things we thought were causing it in the beginning, because although we are silent, the room is pitch black and we don't use the TV, we still feel that us going to bed and tossing and turning in the night may disturb her enough to cause a problem. We are currently building an outbuilding, that we started 7 months ago (🙄) that will house an aviary approximately three times the size of her current one, and allow her completely uninterrupted sleep.
We considered the stress levels of the house but Shelby has never known anything different and still manages to happily cuddle us and relax despite chaos around her 😆 however she does get some peace and quite, alone time, and one on one time with me every single day. Separation anxiety was actually another one of the considerations we have made in the last year, and still is something we are considering, as it is definitely a lot worse when we are away for too long. As for nuts, we give a huge variety, I am always looking for new and exciting nuts to give them, and their rewards are forever switched up to keep their training exceptional. Soaked seeds is our go to chop addition, I can't always be bothered to wait for the sprouting phase 😂
@@ShelbyTheMacaw OMG 🤯 that you took time and answered EVERY.SINGLE.SUGGESTION 🤯🤯🤯
Well I'm glad that you covered all of the basics (according to me lol) and waaay beyond that, which makes me humbled before the extent of effort (and knowledge!!!) you guys are putting into solving this. Just 🤯🤯🤯
You've got some good feedback from the comments here and hopefully Shelby's reason for plucking lies among them thus shortening the road of recovery.
🤞🤞🤞💛💙❤️🐦
I’m just so sorry you’re going through this.
Thank you, me too
I see alot of people with plucking birds bathing them with aloe vera water I think it soothes their skin? I really hope you get shelby to a good place soon. Fingers crossed you get answers soon.
So sorry she's ill. Contact Bird Tricks, maybe they have some ideas. Makes me sick seeing these issues with so many TH-cam bird families. What do the aviary vets say?
Can I suggest you ask the avian vet about a gut xray using gavage. It is possible as if she is allergic to something ie itchy/plucking all over her body, hungry all the time but losing weight, babying and uncomfortable or quiet. I say this because one of my 6 birds starting pulling out feathers under her wing (a heat spot) and she was quiet and her feathers were not glossy and she couldnt really keep up with the others and she wasnt flying much. I tried distracting her, new environment etc etc, checked mites but nothing seemed to work. I knew it wasnt behavioural because the others were thriving and she has a buddy. The Xray on stomach/gut with gavage showed blockages, an inactive spleen as a result, and calcium deficiency also as a result of that. After comparing diet with ideal natural diets for Amazons, it turns out she was allergic to NUTS!!! Its worth asking about. Our vet immediately ruled out behaviour bcause, like you guys, I fly them and socialise them all the time and he knows us well. Also, vet says the flying would hurt so we had to go back to basics. Long hours of Indoor UV lighting, warmth, baby food, high calcium liquid added to water, very very gentle handling. She's thriving now and not plucking. I've now had all my birds checked for gut health and significantly transformed their respective diets and they are very healthy inside and out now. It turns out there is no one size fits all in bird diet. Thinking of you guys.
What if you reach out to a avian ZOO VETERINARIAN. Maybe they can give you an idea of what other test can be done
Have you thought it could be her hormones, what does the vet say?
Stupid question. Have you wormed them? We lost a parrot not so long ago which exhibited very similar traits from a worm infestation from the breeder. Easy to pick up if they spend time outdoors, which yours obviously do. Always hungry and scavenging, plucking, uneasy and won't settle.. Just a thought.
So, we have applied a spot on treatment, a few months back for worms, as that was all I could find at the time. However parasites is top of our list of possible causes, and I will be asking the vet to test for parasites when we visit on Wednesday. It really does have all of the exact same symptoms so not a stupid question in the slightest
Random question Can parrots get dementia? (No offense I’m jus curious)
Is it possible to get like bird dementia? Like she’s grooming but forgetting then she has?
Just a question have you got a Facebook page because it has made me very interested in your situation
I do! Just search Shelby the macaw 🦜
You should check on the Birdtricks TH-cam channel. The cover diet alot and issues caused by feeding.
in the wild animals do go after very high fat whenever they can because they don't always know when their next meal is coming from. It wont hurt her to have all high fat for a bit just to keep her body weight at a fightable size. She needs backup to help her fight this-whatever this is.
Yes this is our thinking too, so she get's a lot of extra healthy fats where possible
So sorry. Maybe it is something genetic. Shelby is from a breeder maybe just maybe look around to see if some other bird from them exhibit similar behavior.
Maybe something in her metabolism? It remind me of a thyroid disease too.
You are a great owner. Hope for the best ❤️
I know that you’ve said that you try to give Shelby the best life. The reason she could be plucking is because of her environment. Sometimes there’s not enough moisture in a house for parrots. Having constant bathes in an outdoor aviary and being allowed to be outside whenever possible. Toys like branches anything that she can chew. Also try to avoid overpetting her. Sometimes our skin can have toxins in it without even realising. Parrots need natural light so it might be that the cage is in too dark of a place and also you should invest in humidifiers
Her aggression can come from a new bird being taken into her space, sharing a cage with Tommy when she’s been in a cage of her own might also be the bigger issue here. Food aggression in birds is normal and you need to be able to train round it or accommodate it. It’s hard but you’ll get there!
In terms of not flying. She’s too attached to you guys. She has an alternative option of you carrying her. In the wild she wouldn’t have that. She would be made to get around for herself. Stopping taking her on your shoulder whilst your moving around is a good idea.
With her acting like a baby, this can be a hunger thing or a pain thing. She’s maturing, her hormones are changing. It’s like a child hitting puberty. So many changes are happening and maybe it’s that she’s struggling to cope with this. Acting like a baby can also come from where she feels threatened or stressed. You need to not allow this behaviour or stop finding it cute, because this allows her to carry on doing ti. When she’s being babyish, you need to walk away and as hard as that is, your not giving her the attention she wants.
Plucking is a sign of unhappiness, uncontent or boredom. Things like ropes, hanging toys etc need to be used
Jordan. Please watch the videos on this channel and you may find some of your thoughts are out of context to the life Shelby lives. Not being nasty, but please take the time to watch the content on this channel. :)
Hi there Jordon. I must agree with Danny's comment below, if you take a look at our videos it may give you some idea of our current husbandry prcedures. She is free flighted, has access to sunlight all day in the summer, and part of the day in winter, she is on an outstanding diet, she has natural perches and wood (we would never use anything else), her aviary is huge, and is currently being upgraded to something three times bigger. The behaviours started before Tommi came. We have physiological evidence that the issue is caused by internal illness, from an avian vet, we just don't know what that illness is. But thank you for your comments.
I wonder if there were any other in her brood that have this going on? Have you contacted the breeder?
Have you tried bee pollen. I heard it helps and safe for macaws/parrots and has helped feather plucking
I’d say and I know you will have thought of these probably. But I’d let her eat the volume she is wanting..of healthy foods her body obviously needs it. Have you tested for Aspergillosis? Enlarged Spleen can be a sign. I’d also try and separate her from Tommi as a trial as it could be sadness or jealousy. I know how much you love her. I pray you find your answer. Can they scrape her skin and test for worms in a stool sample? Trying to think of everything I possibly can
So yes, we did start allowing her to eat exactly how much she wanted and when, however the plucking increased the more she ate! We think the eating and digesting was causing pain in some way. Yes she was tested for aspergillosis and negative, however we will be retesting for some diseases including allergies and parasites. In fact worm, and some sort of parasite, is one of the top suspicions we have, so thank you for picking up on that possibility.
Hmm worse after eating, enlarged pancreas.. has a blood glucose been done 4 diabetes
Perhaps try the BirdTricks alovera spray it might help if Shelby’s skin hurts♥️
Any true organic aloe Vera diluted with pure filtered water in a spray bottle... Bird tricks are telemarketers, of course they want to claim they the geniuses behind aloe vera spray. Do your research! If you want to line their pockets due to their name go for it.
We make our own aloe vera spray at home 😀
@@ShelbyTheMacaw That’s ✨amazing✨
Did they give her pain meds to see if that helps?
I am so sorry this is happening.
Thank you x
Avian vet and don't react to the plucking. Don't tell her to stop or say anything to her about it. Ignore it and turn away from her when she does it because anything we give attention to is the behavior they continue. That's my best advice. I'm sorry you are going through this but she's either stressed or ill so an avian vet can give you advice.
Yes we have been working very closely with one of the UK's best avian veterinary practises for over a year. We are however moving care to another avian vet closer to home who is also regarded as one of the best in England
Contact a lady in Plymouth she owns mandon birds she maybe able to help she has help quite a few macaws with this. She has a Facebook page and there is a website I believe as well x
Start handfeeding again. Offer formula in her bowl ... add ground almonds and walnuts to gain weight.