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Is Your Parrot Looking Bald? 3 Strategies For Preventing Feather Plucking

Parrots love to be a part of the family. In fact, they're the happiest when they're allowed to interact with everyone in the home. However, parrots are prone to self-destructive behavior when their needs aren't being met. Feather plucking is one form of self-destructive behavior that parrots are prone to, especially those that are kept as pets. Unfortunately, feather-plucking can be hazardous for parrots. First, excessive plucking can leave raw skin that's prone to infections. Second, excessive plucking can lead to permanent balding, since the follicles can be damaged. If you have a pet parrot, you want to prevent it from plucking. Here are three simple strategies you can use to prevent your parrot from plucking its feathers out.

Provide Adequate Stimulation

Parrots can get bored very quickly, especially when they're not provided adequate stimulation. If you're going to be away from the house, be sure to provide plenty of interactive toys for your parrot to play with throughout the day. Wooden stairs and rope swings will give your parrot plenty of things to climb on during the day. A mirror attached to the outside of the cage will give it another parrot to look at while you're away. It's also a good idea to switch toys every couple of days. This will prevent your parrot from getting tired of the toys they have.

Provide a Stress-Free Environment

Parrots can sense stress. In fact, if there's stress in the house, your parrot will notice, and become affected by it. If you're feeling stressed-out, don't let your parrot notice it. Instead, put some soothing music on, interact normally with it, and help it relax. Parrots can also become stressed-out by their surroundings. If you have your parrots cage set up by a window, make sure there isn't anything outside that could stress it out. For instance, if your parrot seems agitated at various times of the day, make sure there isn't a dog or cat that comes by the window during those times. You might find that your neighbors have a pet that comes outside during the day, and upsets your parrot.

Provide a Proper Diet

Parrots need access to nutritious food, and fresh water, throughout the day. However, they also need some variety; not only in the food they receive, but in the way they're fed. Try to incorporate at least two varieties of food in your parrots diet, and change them out a couple times a week. It's also important that you provide treats that can be foraged for. Foraging not only gives your parrot some fun stimulation while eating, it also allows your parrot to use some of its natural instincts during mealtime.

If you own a parrot, take care to help it avoid self-destructive behaviors such as feather-plucking. The tips provided here will help keep your parrot happy, and full of feathers.


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