Plucking and Pellets

So, I have a dirty little secret that I'm ready to fess up to -

Xavier the IRN's been a severely naked little plucker for at least the last two years.

As some of you know, I started a new job about four months ago. I ran out of pellets shortly after starting my job and I'll fess up to being a bad parront - I haven't gotten around to getting more pellets.

Guess what - Xavier's almost 100% feathered up again. The ONLY change has been no pellets in his diet.

Over the last two years I've tried the following with him to stop the plucking, none of which worked:
- Cage free living (he's been cage free for at least 1.5 yrs)
- More baths, less baths, "soothing" misting products
- More attention
- Less attention
- Set him up for breeding (absolutely zero interest in a mate)
- Smaller cage, larger cage
- More foraging
- Different brands of pellets (Including Harrison's as it's all organic)
- More toys
- Sleeping in my room (in a cage and at liberty)
- Moving his cage and/or stand around the house (living in a cage or at liberty)
- E-collar
- Sock sweater
- Homemade "plucking activity necklace" (basically a beaded, ruffled collar for him to pluck and preen instead of himself)

Are you saying that the pellets may have been the cause of the plucking?

Interesting,what are your thoughts on that??

RogerP wrote:

Are you saying that the pellets may have been the cause of the plucking?

henpecked wrote:

Interesting,what are your thoughts on that??

Apparently he doesn't do well with processed foods - organic or otherwise.

I would guess it is a specific common ingredient, not the fact that it is processed, personally. Can you identify an ingredient in the pellets that isn't in the "whole food" diet?

Horses often have allergies to specific grains, and they often trigger skin-based reactions. I wonder if birds can have similar issues. Mild inflammation from an allergic process could trigger plucking, I'd guess, without being obvious under all those feathers. Suggests dietary trials with a plucker might be something to try. Interesting.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

I would guess it is a specific common ingredient, not the fact that it is processed, personally. Can you identify an ingredient in the pellets that isn't in the "whole food" diet?

I'll have to go through the list of pellets he's been on over the years and try to determine. I suspect the common ingredient may be corn. I don't think there's corn in the seed mix he's currently eating.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Horses often have allergies to specific grains, and they often trigger skin-based reactions. I wonder if birds can have similar issues. Mild inflammation from an allergic process could trigger plucking, I'd guess, without being obvious under all those feathers. Suggests dietary trials with a plucker might be something to try. Interesting.

Same with dogs. I used to have a dog with allergies so bad she'd scratch herself bloody. She was on regular steroid shots which I was not thrilled about. After getting her on a meat based, lamb and rice formula with minimal (none at all? can't remember) grain, her skin condition pretty much completely cleared up.

I see the Beneful commercials and cringe. When did "filler" become healthy for dogs?

I am so glad you found what the problem was. Can you make sure he has a well rounded healthy diet without the pellets - I assume you can LOL. Then go for it - no more pellets for Xavier!! You must feel like a weight has been lifted.