Feather Picking Causes

Some causes which are known to contribute to the development of feather picking as well as factors that trigger feather picking are listed below:

Stress: a move or even a change in the location of the cage in the same house, the owner's unavailability, the sudden presence of a new pet or a baby, the acquisition of a dominant or aggressive parrot (Low, 2001) or frightening situations in the dark without any withdrawal possibility (Gylstorff and Grimm, 1998).

Chronic stress: a member of the family who keeps teasing and annoying the parrot, no withdrawal possibility within the cage or the cage placed too low, so that the bird cannot see what is going on in its surroundings (Low, 2001).

Loneliness, boredom (Wedel, 1999), no occupation or toys in the cage (Low, 2001), improper cage size (Davis, 1991), social isolation.

More than 12 hours of light a day (Wedel, 1999), low level of humidity (De Grahl, 1991).

Misuse of the bird as a child's or as a partner's substitute for the owner or aversion for the owner. As soon as sexual maturity takes place, the bird usually reacts to this situation with aggressiveness, feather picking or screeching (Wedel, 1999).

Imprinting on humans by hand-reared parrots that did not have the opportunity to learn speciesspecific behavioural patterns (Wedel, 1999).

Sexual frustration and lack of an appropriate sexual partner. In disharmonious couples, the dominated parrot suffers from stress which can induce feather picking (Wedel, 1999).

Nutritional deficiencies, such as: vitamin B, methionine, cystine or zinc, which cause a hindered growth of the feathers and can then generate feather picking (Gylstorff and Grimm, 1998). Besides, calcium, selenium, manganese, magnesium, biotin, pantothenic acid or salt deficiencies induce the growth of crumbly, brittle and crimped feathers and can therefore also occasion feather picking (Gylstorff and Grimm, 1998).

Adiposis and an increased blood uric acid level (Gabrisch and Zwart, 2001). Besides, pain which can be caused by liver problems or skin diseases (Low, 2001).

Too short wing-feather trims can traumatize the feather follicles. The resultant discomfort can lead to aggressive feather chewing and sometimes even mutilation. This is frequently seen in African grey parrots. They naturally do not have a very good sense of balance and can fall onto the floor and get injured in case of an incorrect feather trim (Davis, 1991).

There are often cyclical or seasonal changes in the extent of feather picking. Some parrots pick their feathers especially in the cold season, when the air is dry. Other parrots pick their feathers particularly during the mating season. On the other hand, some parrots pick their feathers only once during their whole lives and other birds do so continuously (Lantermann, 1997).

In her study, Juppien observed feather picking especially often in parrots that had already had diseases triggered by general weakness. The parrots that had a well-balanced diet (germinated seeds and a lot of fresh fruit) and fresh branches picked their feathers significantly less than the birds that were fed on an inappropriate diet. Besides, most parrots that picked their feathers had already had several owners.

The more owners the parrots had, the more likely they were to pick their feathers. On the other hand, regular bathing opportunities significantly reduced the problem. Finally, parrots that had man-made perches in their cages picked their feathers significantly more often than the individuals that had branches used as perches (Juppien, 1996).

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