# Babies plucked!!!



## NuttyNu

hi Guys, Have to be cheaky and ask for more help!

I have a Pied hen and a std grey male (not sure of the split). from this i have got a lutino (doogle) and a std grey (Zebedee) (think male but too early to say especially as they have been plucked!) babies, now about 4 weeks old both the same age as they hatche4d together.

They have both had thier heads plucks and all down their backs and shoulders,. they still have their tail, wing and belly feathers. I believe this to have been done by the parents as i dont see any other adults in there (I saw a std grey female puke her head in with many screams from the babies which scared them off!!). Also would the "intruders" not have killed the babies more than just plucked them if they did get in or fight with the parents when they came to see what the noise was about? 

The parents are very good. they will leave them for long periods of time but always come back and feed them and they babies are of the age where they will not always be with mum/dad. Why would the parents do this? Have i done something wrong in their aviary? This has never happened to my clutch and i could not see much evidence of the feathers in the nest but was difficult to see as it was mucky from their faeces and it is a bark substrate in there. 

Should i expect their feathers to grow back? I have included a picture 1 week on from their initial plucking and there is not a lot of change except that they are now getting slightly fluffy white feathers on them (almost like their fluffy feather they get under their "real" feathers.)

I am a little worried about them. they are my last two babies for the year and when they have fledged, i am removing the nest boxes to prevent any more babies in the very cold winter in the UK. 

Can any body help? Has any body had this before?


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## atvchick95

Since you got a Lutino - your male is Split to Lutino and this baby is a Girl 

secondly your going to have to pull and hand feed them - or they will continue to pluck 

is this their parents 1st time? do you colony breed?

Usually once a parent(or parents) start plucking they will do it to each and every clutch after - Just like egg eaters - (i've dealt with a male budgie egg eater wasn't nice) but i haven't dealt with parents who pluck


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## NuttyNu

I dont know about their first clutch., it certainly is when i have been breeding them this year, got them early this year (about april) and dont know much history from the previous breeder. Unfortunately, i cannot hand rear them as i am too busy (work 830-1730 and cannot feed them whilst at work  )They have not plucked since this time as of yet. I may pull them from breeding next year to help prevent this though. Are their feathers likely to grow back when they leave the nest in a moult? Why are they doing it?

yes i do colony breed


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## atvchick95

Most of the time cause of plucking is the parents want the babies out of the nest to start a new clutch- rather it's time for them to leave or not 

and I am not sure if it'll grow back it really depends on how sever the damage is, if they ruined the follicles then no they won't grow back 

but at least in the last pic it looks like pin feathers on the wings So they may not of done it too much damage


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## *Tiel_Heart*

Yes, It is fine. my dad has Elegant chicks, two just came out of the nest. They have been plucked all on their back, top of head and stomach. Now that they are out though, they are growing back and the birds are fine. I don't think it is a major issue if the birds aren't damaged by it.


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## NuttyNu

that is very reasasuring to know. I have an adult which is featherless from the shoulders and neck - not the head. which does look very odd!! (aptly named boldie!!). She came to us like that and the previous breeder ahd 3 nest boxes for about 20 adult cockatiels (all of which i now have with 10 boxes in as a couple did die from various things!)I think in the fighting for one of these nest boxes, she became either attacked and plucked like that or it was herself done with stress etc. However, she has now bred 4 (one died so 3 remaining) beautiful chicks. was getting worried that i had two more very bold ones to add to her!


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## atvchick95

have any of them been checked for Gardia (not sure if that's how it is spelled) ? it causes the bird to pull out its feathers and it is contagious and completely different then self plucking


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## kimmikefids

i know this may not be very popular but i dont really think u should breed if u cant take the time to hand feed if something like this happens...its not responsible breeding to leave them in there...im not sure what happens with plucked babies if they are left in there...i assume the parents will get more violent with trying to get them out of the nest and u may end up with babies with injuries or worse....every other plucked babies ive seen have been pulled immediately and the babies have recovered fine....admittedly i haven't bred before but i wouldnt if i couldnt take the time to step in and raise the babies myself if something like this happens...and i dont think anyone else i know that breeds would either


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## allen

i hate to say this but i have to agree with kim as a breeder i am ready to hand feed and have done so i also have an emergency brooder ready at all times i also have handfeeding food on hand at all times


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## Renae

They obviously weren't expecting this to happen, but sadly these things do happen. The only thing I'd suggest is to give them to someone who's experienced in hand-feeding if they'd be willing to do that for you. If you don't know anyone and your only choice is to leave them in with the parents I think you're going to end up with more problems - the thing is, if they have another clutch, they're going to pluck them too most probably. If these babies grow feathers back (which looks like they MIGHT) the parents can easily pluck them again and I'm sure you don't want that to happen.


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## atvchick95

kimmikefids said:


> i know this may not be very popular but i dont really think u should breed if u cant take the time to hand feed if something like this happens...its not responsible breeding to leave them in there...im not sure what happens with plucked babies if they are left in there...i assume the parents will get more violent with trying to get them out of the nest and u may end up with babies with injuries or worse....every other plucked babies ive seen have been pulled immediately and the babies have recovered fine....admittedly i haven't bred before but i wouldnt if i couldnt take the time to step in and raise the babies myself if something like this happens...and i dont think anyone else i know that breeds would either


Parents have been known not just to pluck but pluck them to death 

also usually (not always) but a bird who was plucked grows up to Pluck itself and other birds around it - its a learnt habit from the nest (being plucked) but not all birds keep it up but a good portion do


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## elenafan23

my budgie pair does that i read somewhere it has to do with salt or something =]


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## NuttyNu

i understand your opinions with not breeding if you cannot hand rear but i do not agree with this (hence why i do breed them). I have only had them die at an older age in the nest from one which was a fitting one and had i hand reared this one to survive and treat it, it would not have completely come from this and would have died a worse time later on in life. I have only had day or two day old chicks die and i feel that this is natural and part of survival of the fittest - there are no "miracle mums" to hand rear them in the wild. I do NOT want to cause arguments or bad feelings over this as we are all entitled to our different opinions. 

I am also relatively new to breeding myself (have lots of family experience) and none of them have hand reared but may look into the possibility of hand rearing the day/two day old chicks with their parents to help them along and possibly have them survive but i cannot and will not be able to dedicate to full time hand rearing. 

unfortunately, i do not know anyone near by who breeds cockatiels (experienced or not experienced) as we do not talk much about things like that near here and nothing goes through work about people who also breed them. 


I have left them with their parents and they are still being raised OK. they have not plucked any more feathers out (touch wood!) and they are getting small fluffy ones on their chest and back. a couple on the main crest are also growing which i feel may be a positive sign. These two will certainly not have another clutch this year -too cold and are taking nest boxes out when these have completely fledged as want them to have some time off breeding before the next season. 

I am sorry if my views on hand rearing are not agreeing with some of your beliefs, this is not meant to cause negative feelings or offend any body with different views.

I will try to get some more pictures tomorrow or Monday with their progress.


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## *Tiel_Heart*

I am with you NuttyNu. My dad's chicks that were plucked are fine, and they have been out of the nest for a while now. They are growing there feathers back and look a little funny, but the are slowly getting them back. if you want, I can post a few pictures. When they first came out, they looked like yours.

I personally think it is ok, if the chicks are not majorly hurt and the parents only do it towards the end, to encourage them out. I am sure it would happen in the wild also, maybe not as frequently though.


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## atvchick95

I understand people do things their own way 

but this CAN and did happen to me I left ONE baby in with the parents So they would not have a 3rd clutch and I've regretted it every day since and it was a year ago I stayed up for 2 nights straight Never going to sleep trying to save this baby - my efforts were for nothing because they did so much damage he died any way - he was a month old !


these are all the same bird 























































I'm just saying Any one who is going to breed(even if not intentional but housing a male and female together it'll eventually happen) DOES need to know how to hand feed, and Make the time to do it, and be prepared for having to raise a baby or babies 

not just leave them in the nest to let "nature takes it course" if it doesn't have to die Then don't let it - that's not any different then Murder in my book


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## srtiels

I agree with Tiel Hart.

I breeder both ways. I pull babies and with some pairs leave the babies for the parents to fledge and wean out. In either situation I have had plucking. Sometimes it was so fast that in the morning they looked fine and later in the afternoon totally bald from the middle of the back to the top of the head. Many pairs will do this when a chick gets big enough to try and get it to fledge. If there is no breaks in the skin the baby is fine and the feathers do grow back.

It is the breeders choice on how they manage and breed their birds.


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## NuttyNu

thanks for all your help guys, the white one (dougle) ha now fledging the nest and is learning how to fly. the other one is slightly behind and should be leaving the nest within the next couple of days. Neither of them are fully feathered on their backs, shoulders or head but they have got all their wing feathers and tail feathers and are starting to grow the others back. I have also noticed today that doogle has started to hold and perch with three toes forward and one toe back. She was not doing this yesterday so not really sure why she has started it. She is managing to perch fine though when i get her perching on my hand. Zebedee is not like that, his feet are currently fine.

i think it will just have to be a waiting game to see how they develop over time. I have included some pictures which i took last week of them and how they have come on a little bit since the incident.


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## srtiels

Just a thought. You might want to try a larger sized nestbox with this pair next time they go to nest. It won't be so crowded, and might cut down on the plucking too.


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