Answer

There are medical and non-medical causes of feather picking. Major medical causes include:

Changes in hormone levels
Internal or external parasites
Malnutrition
Internal disease
Fungal or bacterial skin infections or infections of the feather follicles.

If you haven't ruled out medical causes, then your first step should be a vet exam.

Non-medical causes are mainly stress related.

Feather picking is usually only a problem for birds in captivity. Wild birds are preoccupied with survival and reproduction.

There are few quick or easy solutions for non-medical causes of feather picking. When medical causes have been ruled out, boredom (solitary confinement) is the most common problem. If you increase the amount of time you spend with the bird it will usually reduce feather picking tendencies.

Sometimes changing the bird's cage or perch location is helpful. If the prior location was in a isolated position, moving to a more sociable or noisy location can help. If the prior location was in a noisy location, then a more isolated location may help. If the bird is in a relatively small cage, a larger cage may help. It may also help to provide more quiet at night, moving the cage to a quieter area and covering it all night.

Boredom and thus feather picking may be alleviated by providing a wider variety of foods, especially foods that require some time and effort to eat and including a variety of colors, shapes, and textures. This keeps the bird stimulated and interested in the food, increases eating time, and decreases free time that could be spent feather picking.

Don't forget to provide a wide variety of toys to hold your bird's interest.

Good luck!

Expert:	JC Dill
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	1/15/2007

AFA Certified Farrier Equine expert

Horse and pet owner for over 30 years, experienced caring for many different types of animals.