How To Stop a Macaw from Feather Picking or Chewing
There are a variety of underlying medical and psychological factors that can cause feather picking or chewing.If your macaw has an itch, it may try to soothe it by picking or chewing its feathers.A disease or injury may inspire your macaw to pick up feathers.Stress, anxiety, and sexual frustration can lead to this behavior.Make sure to address any related medical conditions, as well as your macaw's overall psychological well-being.
Step 1: Get a full physical examination.
Take your macaw to an animal hospital for a checkup.Get your blood tested for diseases such as feather disease.To test for giardia, you should ask the vet to analyze a dropping sample.It is important to rule out any underlying health conditions if feather picking is the result of psychological distress.
Step 2: Check for skin irritations.
The itchy or sore skin on your macaw could be the cause of his feather picking or chewing behavior.Itchy skin could be a symptom of a disease.It's a good idea to have your macaw examined for possible causes of itchy skin, such as the Staphylococcus or Mucor infections.Dandruff is on your macaw's feathers if it has a mite infection.A damaged feather can be examined for mites by your vet.
Step 3: If your macaw is trying to calm a disease or injury, you should see it.
If the feather picking looks like an attempt to heal or soothe an injured or diseased part of its body, ask your vet to examine it for internal diseases.It is possible that the feather picking is a way to deal with illness.There are many diseases associated with feather picking and chewing.
Step 4: Determine psychological reasons for feather picking.
It is possible that psychological factors such as anxiety, sexual frustration, and boredom are causing your macaw to pick at its feathers.If the feather picking doesn't seem to have a medical cause, watch your bird to see if it is experiencing psychological distress.feather picking in parrots is caused by separation anxiety.If you leave your macaw alone, be aware of how much you travel.It is possible that it has experienced anxiety because of a change in the location of its cage or your own routine.
Step 5: You can reduce boredom by playing with your macaw.
In the wild, macaws receive a lot of psychological stimulation from their environment.Try to give your macaw lots of toys and spend time with it.Give your macaw mop heads to play with.If your macaw will pick at the mop heads, place them in the cage.If it has a stimulating environment and toys to play with, consider it.
Step 6: Anti-depressants can help reduce anxiety.
Anti-depressants can be effective since feather picking is often caused by anxiety and distress.Some drugs have shown promise, even though it is difficult to figure them out.Up to 70% of birds with feather picking behavior can be helped by Clomipramine.Both feather picking and self-mutilating birds can be done with haloperidol.
Step 7: If you want to reduce anxiety separation, try behavior modification.
Get used to the idea of being alone if the feather picking is related to anxiety separation.Give it toys to play with while you are out of the house, mimic your presence with recordings, and leave it alone for a while.You can start by leaving your bird alone for 10 minutes at a time and then move up in increment of 15 minutes or so each time you leave.When you leave, record a video of yourself on your computer or phone and then play it on television.Turn on the television while you are out of the room if your macaw is bored or has separation anxiety.It gets a lot of sleep if it is turned off at night.
Step 8: Sexual stimulation needs to be reduced.
Sexual frustration can be a symptom of feather picking in parrots.If you want to reduce sexual stimulation, take any mirrors out of the cage or room, as well as not petting your macaw.Hormonal therapy with the drug lupron can be used if the environmental changes don't work.Pet macaws don't have the opportunity to mate at all times of the day and are more likely to pair up with long term partners.There are lots of opportunities for non-sexual activity with your macaw, such as playing with toys and watching tv.
Step 9: The cage size should be increased to reduce boredom.
Give your macaw a bigger cage because it could be caused by boredom.With more space and a few more places to perch and play, your macaw may find some entertainment beyond feather picking.The minimum cage size is 34' wide by 36' tall and 24' deep for a small macaw.The bar spacing should be between 1 and 3 feet.The minimum size for a large macaw is 60 feet tall.The bar spacing should be between 1 and 1.5.macaws are one of the stronger birds so choose a sturdy cage.
Step 10: To prevent feather picking, use a vest or collar.
Put an Elizabethan collar or vest on your parrot if the feather picking is severe.You should keep the vest or collar on them until you finish behavioral modification techniques.A collar is only used as a last resort.It won't stop the itch, but it will keep your macaw from picking at it.A vest will allow your macaw to eat with the vest on, but won't allow it to pick at its chest.A macaw can be covered with a vest.You can use an old diaper.
Step 11: A healthy diet can be served.
Feed your macaw organic whole grains and then cook them.You could give them a variety of food.It's a good idea to serve whole legumes, which should be soaked for ten to twenty-four hours.Fresh fruits and vegetables should be included, such as apple, mango, and papaya.They can include pliches in their diet.You can also include small amounts of ginger and garlic in their diet.
Step 12: Avoid foods that can cause a reaction.
Don't give your macaw refined sugar, white flour, dairy, salt, fried foods, dried fruit with sulphur dioxide, preservatives, dyes, or foods with artificial flavoring.You should not serve potatoes and tomatoes.Some grains should not be eaten.There is a type of grain called Barley.There are oats.There is wheat.It was spelled Spelt.There is a Kamut.Food allergies may be a problem for your parrot.Some of the most common food allergens are soy, corn, peanuts, rice, and wheat.