In this opportunity, we will discuss
fact about parrot and their pulling feather habit. Birds pulling their own feathers are mostly directly related to the mental and health condition of the bird. This applies to all kinds of birds, including parrot. Especially parrots, there are some exceptions where some species of birds like parrots in a healthy condition still often pull out their feathers before nesting and laying eggs.
There are five causes of parrot pulling out its own feathers. Check out the following information.
1. Skin or fur irritation
Skin or fur irritation is the biggest cause of bird pulling the feathers. It is closely related to mites infection, bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Some mite species is known to live and breed in the skin and fur lining. The mite attack, bacteria, and fungi often cause itching in the affected areas. No wonder the birds that infected often lead their beak to the feathers, or even to the surface of the skin to relieve itching. However, mites, fungi, and bacteria will never disappear by itself if there is no special treatment.
2. Malnutrition
In some cases, the birds do not actually have problems with their fur and skin, but it still often pull out their feathers. If there are no mites, it means the habit of pulling feathers is caused by other factors, one of them is malnutrition.
Try to remember again, have you provide the nutritious and balanced feed for your parrot in the house? Nutritious feed must contain a minimum of energy metabolism (often also interpreted as carbohydrate), protein, fat, crude fiber, and some vitamins and other essential minerals. A proportional feed is the feed with fat content which is not too high, while the protein content adjusted to a period of growth and reproduction (for breeders). The energy metabolism of birds is sufficient to support day-to-day activities.
3. Mental and physical problems
Parrots can also experience some problems related to the mental conditions. If you see some bird owners give special treatment to the birds after the contest, it was all done in order to restore the physical and mental condition of the bird. When the mental condition is drop, parrots are easily to experience stress. If this condition is left untreated, the birds usually get sick.
Some behavior of parrots with wrong mental and stress such as pulling out their own feathers, no longer willing to stand on the stands, anxiety, and so on.
4. Hormonal problems
There are times when a bird pulling its own feathers, and the feathers fall out without a strong beak movement. This is usually caused by hormonal disorders, particularly hyperthyroidism hormone that functions to raise the levels of the thyroid gland. It could also be due to Addison disease, which resulted in decreased levels of the hormone corticosterone in the adrenal glands.
Although both hormonal disorder that is not a direct cause of why the birds pulling their feathers, but when the hormonal disorder occurs, usually parrot feel itching on its body, which it believed coming from the surface of the skin or feathers.
5. Inner diseases
Another possibility of the parrots pulling their feathers although the fur and skin does not itch is the emergence of the disease in its body. For example is the giardia infection (giardiasis) caused by microorganisms in the intestines, and cause itching that comes from suspected bird skin or feathers.
It could also caused by infection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae. Even some liver diseases can cause deposition of bile salts, which impact on skin irritation. Same as the hormonal disorders, the most precise diagnosis can only be made by bringing the parrot to the veterinarian or animal clinic.
Hopefully this article on fact about parrot can help you in caring your beloved parrot.