This post is written to answer questions and concerns regarding Einstein's feather picking issue and is not intended to address or diagnose feather destructive behavior in other parrots. If your parrot is having feather issues, please consult with a certified avian veterinarian to first rule out any physical causes.
Thank you for your concern. Feather picking is not uncommon for African grey parrots and other parrots as well. The reasons they pick are not fully understood. It is an issue that has never been scientifically researched and at best has only been hypothesized.
Some of the hypothesized reasons cited as causes for feather picking are:
1. Disease - Let me assure you Einstein is not sick. He has regular annual visits to a certified avian veterinarian. A complete examination with complete blood work is performed each year. In April of 2023 we had a CT scan performed. The results were excelent. No indications of arteriosclerosis or arthritis.
2. Poor diet - Einstein has always been fed a wholesome, organic diet of fresh vegetables, cooked whole grain, and beans in addition to a pelleted avian diet.
3. Abuse or neglect - We've had Einstein since he was 3 months old and he has never been abused or neglected.
4. Boredom and/or stress - Einstein is kept entertained with new and fun toys. We never force him to do anything he doesn't want to do and have trained him using positive reinforcement methods. He is allowed a lot of time out of the cage when we are home. He is allowed to play with toys, talk, or just "hang out" with us. He gets fresh air and sunshine on his screened-in porch when the weather is good and has access to full-spectrum lighting. Also, we give him regular aloe water showers.
5. Habit - Our avian vet believes Einstein feather picking is a habit. Einstein has been doing this for a very long time. To my memory, it started in 1999 with picking the downy feathers only at night. For the first 10 years, it would be seasonal. He would only do it in the spring, sometimes in the winter. He would also change the location of picking on his body from year to year. There was a time when his back was completely bald under his grey feathers. Then he allowed those downy feathers to grow back and he would pick under one wing. He would allow those to grow back. Then the next year, he would choose another place.
Einstein doesn't pull feathers that have grown out. The feathers molt naturally and he allows them to grow part way. He pinches the base of the new feather, cutting off the blood supply to the growing feather. Then he plucks them out. With each successive molt, he has not allowed any new feathers to re-emerge on his neck, chest, and the spot on top of his left-wing. He is also picking his wing pits and his left hip. What you see on his belly is the result of the damaged feather follicles. Those feathers will not grow back. There are still many viable grey feather follicles, but not enough for his belly to be fully feathered again.
The various veterinarians Einstein has seen have had no explanations as his exams wouldn't reveal anything physical. One vet told us that he would probably quit on his own. Sadly that never happened for an extended period.
Things we have tried:
A humidifier to increase room humidity, increase showers, installed UV lighting, increased his sleep time, played rain sounds for him at night, provide a night light, moved his cage to a new location, covered his cage at night, uncovered his cage at night and offered chamomile tea.
We've also allowed him to sleep on his play perch in the bedroom with us from time to time. He's very happy sleeping on his play perch. Sometimes, I will wake during the night and hear him picking. I'll walk to the bathroom as this interrupts him. On my way back to bed I stop and talk to him. (The last thing anyone should do is give attention to a parrot that is picking because the attention you give is also a positive reinforcer.) His body language would tell me that he wanted scratches from me, so I'd bring him to bed to "cuddle" with me. (I am wide awake and there is no danger of me falling back to sleep at this point with him in bed with me.) He perches on my knee, while I sit up in bed. Then, after a while, I put him back on his perch to go back to sleep. I'd wake up the next morning only to find downy feathers and picked feathers.
We have tried 2 different Avian CBD oils. CannAvia and HempWell. Neither helped. My vet told me she had a cockatoo as a patient, whose owner gave large doses daily of CBD and it had no effect. The vet explained to me that there just aren’t known dosage requirements for parrots. Our thoughts about collars, cones, or sweaters are that they can cause too much stress. They should be used in extreme cases when the parrot is causing wounds. Drugs are also not recommended because it is a temporary fix, they begin again when taken off the drug.
We've been told, that parrots may get a release of endorphins when feather picking. Recently, we've learned that feather picking may be rooted in the early developmental stages of a young parrot. If they are not allowed to fledge properly or taken from the nest box too soon, particularly before their eyes have opened, they may be more prone to feather picking. Both of these theories have not been studied and verified. In 1997, when Einstein was hatched, his breeder did tell me she takes the babies from the nest box before their eyes open. This was standard practice at the time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We will never give up on this issue and hope that someday it will be resolved as more is learned about these amazing birds. Truth be told, they were never meant to live life in captivity and all we can do is love them, care for them, and protect them the best we can.
Marcia, Jeff, and Einstein (aka The Red-butt Chicken!)
