Plucking Problems and a solution

I have two birds one is a reformed plucker and the other has just started. I'd like to share what worked and to ask some advice on what to do about my other bird.


I have an 11 year old female Umbrella Cockatoo (Bean) and a male Blue & Gold Macaw (Duncan).

Bean, the reformed Plucker - What Worked
Unknown to us Bean pair bonded with my daughter and then Bean and her owner moved away with the bird. The bird began biting her feathers. She'd bite the ends off and work her way down the shaft. When her owner figured it out and gave us back the bird, the bird was naked from the head down. Reunited with my daughter the bird's biting slowed somewhat. My daughter went off to college and we all feared for the worst.

What saved the day: rough pine 2x4s, a mitre saw, a drill and paper shopping bags.

Bean would go through toys in about a day (breaking up the wood into splinters. After my daughter started college I got the bright idea to buy 2x4s and cut them up into 2-4" increments with holes drilled into it. I use untreated pine (presure treated would be probably kill the bird). The wood is about $2.00 per board and the drilling/cutting takes about 30 minutes. Bean will go through about 6-12 inches per day. If I put a paper shopping in the cage, Bean will basically build a nest. The result is that Bean doesn't really bite her feathers any more. She isn't getting about the same amount of human attention as b efore (or perhaps a little less).

Duncan, the closet plucker - Help...
Duncan used to be doted upon by my mother-in-law (she'd bake for him daily). She no longer lives with us and Duncan eats more seed and kibble now and far fewer scones. He is plucking under his wings and on his chest. Its quite bad and he is really plucking (not just biting).

Conclusion
So, the Bean solution was wood, but Duncan is uninterested in the wood.

Bean's plucking may have been solved be either:
a. giving her something to do.
b. allowing her perform an adult ritual centered around producing and rearing young.
c. allow her to perform a Cockatoo specific ritual
d. something else....

If its (b) or (c), then if I can figure out what adult macaws do and replicate that activity for Duncan he should stop plucking. If its not, then I'm out of ideas.

Any ideas on what to do about my new plucker?
--
Peter Kahn
citizenkahn@gmail.com

This thread has been archived at Plucking Problems and a solution in category Cockatoo Feather Plucking