anyone here familiar w parrots?

hello,

i have an eclectus parrot named Coby. My husband and I (one 2 ppl in household)purchased coby from 'parrots of the world' when he was only a few months old. since recieving him, he was put on a very healthy diet. he's fed pellets, fresh fruits & vegetables daily and water changed twice a day. we shower him approximately 3 times a week. he's always had a sheen look to his feathers due to it. as of last week, coby's been chomping his chest hair off. he's bitten so much off that it's very very apparent. he bites the feathers off rather than pulling the feather out to its root. would you know why he all of a sudden started this? if you're unsure, could you point me to the right direction?

How old is Coby?

It's possible that it's due to the breeding season and this is stress.

from the brief description, it sounds like feather picking.

Why not contact Parrots of the World .. and ask to speak to Mark Marrone .. he's always seemed to knowledgable and helpful on all the TV shows .. from his own .. to Martha Stewart's .. etc.

Parrots of the World

Coby's now 2.5 years old.

i will give him a call. he does seem like a pet guru so i'll def call him up and hopefully have a one-on-one session. every time i'm there visiting the other birds and i see the owner there he's always clouded by so many customers.

thank you all for your help and suggestions. if you have other insights to his new found problem, by all means, let me know. thanks again!

shir

Has anything changed in your household? New baby? New pet? Less time at home?

Parrots are VERY sensitive to change in daily activity and this is usually what they do when they are feeling stress.

nothing's changed... that i can think of. it's just the 3 of us in the house - husband, coby and myself. we rotate his toys around as suggested by bird magazines (ie BirdTalk) so he wont get bored. he gets attention from me but not in a biblical sense. i do have a life =) but lately scott's (husband/tax accountant) has been working very long hours due to tax season. maybe that could be part of the reason...? coby LOVES scott. whenever scott's around coby goes to him. if scott were to step into another room in the house coby would go to him. they're inseperable.
i've also been hearing from other ppl that it may be due to the air being too dry and that i should get a humidifier. but before doing so i should seek out a bird vet. i'm wondering if there could be other possible causes i should pay attention to. we're very concerned. he's chomping as we speak =(

big difference...

damn.. pix won't come out =(

MY DH is does see exotics (he has many bird clients...we also own many birds, including our African Grey).
He's in Port Jefferson Station...if you'd like him to refer you to someone closer to you he'd be happy to do so.

---

Posted by Kathy116

MY DH is does see exotics (he has many bird clients...we also own many birds, including our African Grey).
He's in Port Jefferson Station...if you'd like him to refer you to someone closer to you he'd be happy to do so.

---

omg! that sounds great! i live in bklyn so if he could refer me to a reputable bird vet in nyc, long island, or brooklyn area that'll be awesome! thanks!!!!

My DH recommends Kathy Quesenberry at the Alfred E. Lewyt Animal Medical Center in Manhatten.

Just look up Animal Medical Center and the number should be under that....ask specifically for KATHY, NO ONE ELSE.

Good Luck!

Tell her that Dr. Brian Rose from Jefferson Animal Hosptial referred you.

Let us know if you see her.