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One of the most upsetting things that a parrot lover may experience is parrot feather plucking. While there are many factors to parrot plucking, a major issue is the parrots' diet. First-rate nutrition is required not just for effective organ functioning but also for beautiful plumage. However, malnutrition is common in captive parrots.
Feather plucking may be an early sign of parrot malnutrition. Poor skin and feather health may be an early sign that your pet needs a Feather Plucking Diet, but malnutrition affects every organ in the body. And once the damage is done, it becomes progressive. As one organ breaks down, other organs are affected which results in a cascading decline of overall health.
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Rubinstein and Lightfoot (2012) report that the metabolic cost of growing, maintaining, and replacing feathers is high. With an ordinary molt, the bird has to replace up to 30% of the lean, dry body mass. Healthy feather growth requires an increased need for energy, amino nitrogen, and amino acids. Feather plucking parrots are replacing feathers at a more frequent rate, quickly depleting their body of essential nutrients.
Parrot malnutrition affects skin health, too. According to Cooper and Harrison (1994), “The ability of avian skin to resist infections and to heal properly is related to many factors, the most important of which is the nutritional status of the bird” (p. 625). Vitamin A deficiency can cause dry, itchy skin. Itchy skin causes a parrot to scratch and dig at its skin, possibly causing a feather plucking.
Current avian nutrition research is now revealing that different species of parrots have slightly different nutritional needs. While most parrot species are Florivores, with their primary diet being plant-based, we are now finding out that among Florivores, there also exists Granivores, or birds that eat mostly grains and seeds. Frugivores eat mostly flowers and fruits, Omnivores eat a combination of foods and Nectavores, birds that thrive on nectar, pollen, and insects.
|
Pet Bird Dietary Classification |
Primary Diet |
Parrot Species |
|
Florivore |
Seeds, fruits, nuts, bark, roots, berries |
Military macaw, Blue and gold macaw, Red-faced parrot |
|
Granivore |
Grains, seeds |
Budgerigar, cockatiel, Hyacinth macaw |
|
Frugivore |
Mostly fruit and flowers; some nuts and seeds |
Blue-throated macaw, Green-winged macaw |
|
Omnivore |
Seeds, fruits, insects, invertebrates |
Sulpher-crested cockatoo, Red-tailed Amazon |
|
Nectarivore |
Nectar, pollen; some insects and seeds |
Lorikeet, lory |
Adapted from PetEducation
It takes a pretty dedicated person to create a good diet that prevents feather plucking. Avian veterinarians often recommend that the bulk of a parrots diet should come from a formulated pelleted diet. High-quality parrot pellets are scientifically developed to meet the unique dietary needs of parrots. At BirdSupplies.com, we endorse both Harrison's Bird Food and Roudybush Bird Food.
Most species will do well with a 65-80% pelleted diet supplemented with vegetables, grains, and fruits. Customize the veggies, whole grains and low sugar fruits to your particular species needs, African grey parrots, for instance, tend to run low on calcium. Eclectus parrots have exceptionally long digestive tracts and do best with fresh organic leafy veggies and colorful root veggies.
Think about this. The more colorful the offering, the higher the vitamin content.
Reputable bird food manufacturers use research to guide the manufacturing process of their diets. They use a variety of ingredients from grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds, various protein sources and vitamins, and minerals. The ingredients blended together and baked into a crunchy pellet. Some bird food manufacturers make different blends for species-specific diets.
It is recommended that pellets be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. The chart below shows you recommended fresh supplements that your bird may love.
|
Nutritious Supplements to the Parrot Feather Plucking Diet
|
|
|
Vegetables |
Fruits |
| Radishes Turnips Carrots (root and tops) Cooked sweet potatoes Radicchio Endive Mustard & dandelion greens Swiss Chard Kale Parsley Cooked red potatoes Green beans Tomato Sweet red & green peppers Cauliflower Broccoli (head and leaves) Beet & turnip greens Eggplant Kohlrabi Sugar snap or snow peas Squash (peeled & steamed) Red beets (peeled) Romaine or green/red leaf lettuce Collard greens Corn Cucumber |
Apples Berries Kiwi Mango Cantaloupe Honeydew Pineapple Cherries Cranberries Banana Pears Peaches Oranges Pomegranate Tangerines Star fruit Grapefruit Papaya Plums Grapes Apricots |
Adapted from PetEducation
1. Fill a large bowl with 4 parts water: 1 part plain white vinegar.
2. Soak the fruit or vegetables you’d like cleaned in the mixture for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse the fruit or vegetables well with water.
Infographic by Diane Burroughs, LCSW, BirdSupplies.com
Eclectus parrots are a species that is prone to parrot plucking. One possible reason for this is because Eclectus parrots have very long digestive tracts that absorb preservatives, additives, dyes, and synthetic vitamins at a higher rate. Thus, they need a specialized diet free from preservatives, additives, food dyes, and synthetic vitamins. If you have an Eclectus that is pre-occupied with parrot feather plucking, consider feeding it an organic-based mash.
African Grey Parrots are also known to be prone to problems with feather destructive behavior. This species tends to be prone to calcium deficits. Calcium, supported by magnesium and vitamin D3 is vital for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. UnRuffledRx Calcium, Magnesium +D3 is an excellent supplement for calcium deficiency.
Symptoms of low calcium levels include muscle tremors, weak bone structure, soft eggshells in female birds, poor coordination, loss of balance and even seizures. Another common symptom of Hypocalcaemia is disorders of the nervous symptoms. These parrot feather plucking health problems can occur in any species but occur more frequently in African Grey Parrots. Nervous parrots are more prone to parrot feather plucking.
Image: Diane Burroughs, LCSW BirdSupplies.com
Calcium Content of Greens, per ounce (28g) is estimated as follows:
|
Broccoli |
70mg |
|
Dandelion Leaves |
52mg |
|
Basil |
50mg |
|
Watercress |
34mg |
|
Bok Choy |
21mg |
|
Chicory (endive) Chard |
15mg 14mg |
Adapted from Low, R., 2006
Low calcium levels directly affect brain chemistry and the functioning of the nervous system. An imbalance of calcium may result in anxious, nervous behavior. Respected breeder and avian expert, Rosemary Low, identifies calcium is an essential additive. Calcium supplements are helpful during the breeding season for most parrots. African Grey Parrots may enjoy year-round supplementation. You can buy a calcium / Vitamin D3 supplement such as UnRuffledRx Calcium, Magnesium +D3 is available at BirdSupplies.com. Another way to increase the calcium intake is to supplement your birds’ fresh diet with calcium-rich green leaves. Work with your avian veterinarian to ensure a balance of calcium for your parrot, especially if your African Grey is experiencing feather destructive behavior.
If your bird is overly anxious, has poor balance, and tremors, take it to an avian veterinarian for physical exam and ask for a calcium test.
In addition to calcium deficiency, many parrot diets are low in vitamin A. This vitamin is essential for the health of soft tissue such as inside the nares. Foods high in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, winter squashes, lettuce, dried apricots, cantaloupe, bell peppers, and tropical fruits.
Photo from Currumbin Valley Birds, Reptiles & Exotics Vet
This is an image of a cockatiel with tissue complications of vitamin A deficiency that required surgery.
These are just a few examples of how malnutrition contributes to parrot feather plucking. In each of these examples, skin and/or feather health are. Anytime that a parrot is under stress, whether it is from nutritional deficits that result in discomfort or pain, or other parrot husbandry practices than the bird may try to relieve itself with scratching or parrot feather plucking. The quickest way to reduce your pet's physical stress is to improve upon its nutritional intake.
Would you like to learn more about feather plucking? The Feather Plucking Remedies Workbook is a comprehensive source that teaches you how to set up an optimum environment to help your exotic bird thrive, what causes feather plucking, and how to create a behavior modification plan to manage feather plucking for good. Get your copy today! Available on Amazon.com
References:
Cooper, J. & Harrison, G.(1994). ‘Dermatology’,inAvian Medicine: Principles and Application(pp.609–638).Lake Worth: Wingers Publishing. Available at: http://avianmedicine.net/ content/uploads/2013/03/24.pdf
Low, R. (2006). The Parrot Companion. New Holland Publishers Ltd (September 15, 2006)
Rubenstein, J. & Lightfoot, T. (2012). Feather Loss and Feather Destructive Behavior in Pet Birds.Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, 21(3):219–234.Available at: www.vetexotic.theclinics.com/ article/S1094-9194(13)00089-3/pdf
Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster and Smith.Bird nutrition: feeding pet birds, parrot diets and nutrition recommendations. (Online). Available at: www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1835&aid=2844
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Val
February 26, 2019
Just adopted a cockatoo that plucks cannot get him to eat veggies or fruit.