# Tiel plucks feathers of partner. Help!



## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Is there anything I can do when my male tiel plucks the female's feathers? She lets him do it. He will start off with grooming but then at some point he pulls the feather off. She had an almost bald face around her beak when I got them but they have started to grow back. Now he has started pulling them off her neck. I rarely keep them in their cage, since I thought he was doing it because he was bored, but now I don't know.. He does it anyway. I've only had them for 3 months. They are both 7 years old.


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## Fortunate (Jun 29, 2014)

I am having the same with my tiels, the female just sits and lets it happen but if I separate them they refuse to eat and just sulk.
Tempest actually drew blood today so I read up and apparently putting tea tree oil on her head helps as the male doesn't like the taste, but im not sure about this as I would be worried about it getting in her eyes.

Hopefully someone more experienced can help you (and me) solve this


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## Jo Ann (Sep 3, 2011)

*Tiel*

This is a hard one, I have very little experience in this area. Try a plastic
E collar for birds and /or Use tea tree oil applied with q-tip. I believe this may be a combo of needing nutrients and some type of emotional frustration, like chewing fingernails or twirling hair in humans. Ladygouldianfinch has a clay mineral powder that has a lot of trace elements. Then use Soluvite D or Prime
type of wide range vitamin/nutrients. To be sure the big ones like Vit D and A and Iodine and calcium are covered. Then give alone time for each bird and provide an alternative preening toy to try to refocus both birds. perhaps you try to preen each bird with head scritches. These are not tried and true, but possible tries.and somehow work in atta boy treats for doing a positive instead of pulling feathers. The bird feels a lack and tries to fill this by plucking would be my guess. Hopefully another TB member will have a solution that we all can learn from. Blessings, Jo Ann:budge:


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## dianapalmer (Oct 23, 2013)

I have two tiels. They have never plucked each other. However, I notice that when either of them loses a longish feather, each will eagerly get it in his beak, twirl it, and carry it around until it gets dropped. They also love Q-tips, which they do the same thing to.

Just a hunch I have, along the lines of a preening toy, is to save feathers for them to play with and give them Q-tips to play with.


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## Jo Ann (Sep 3, 2011)

*Tiel*

Our budgies love to carry and wave feathers and q-tips and dairy queen spoons.
You bring up a subject I did not explore fully. What type of toys and how many do the birds have to use the beak on? As The beak is the primary way our birds express with what are these birds trying to say. What do they need that is not being fulfilled? God bless you. I would be truly bothered until the need is fulfilled. Hopefully someone here on TB may have some wisdom to share on this issue. Blessings, Jo Ann:budge:


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

Not an uncommon problem with Cockatiels. Believe it or not is is related to breeding. It is a case of the male saying 'I love you darling, pluck'. I call it cockatiel foreplay. This is one reason why breeding age females are rarely seen in shows as their feather quality is often not so good. I have seen many breeding female cockatiels with no or very few crest feathers. Not all will do it but just as many do.

Really has nothing to do with lack of nutrients or something lacking in the diet.


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## jean20057 (May 31, 2013)

Awesome response, Kate, I was wondering about this myself. Very interesting.

-Kristen


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## Jo Ann (Sep 3, 2011)

*Tiel*

thanks Kate, I have little experience but I know of feather loss from lack of Iodine in finches. Potential even in humans. Blessings, Jo Ann


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## dianapalmer (Oct 23, 2013)

I have a male budgie and he and my female cockatiel are in love. Maybe the interspecies romance will avoid the romantic feather plucking.


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Thank you for all your responses. I've never thought of it as being a sign of love. Will he stop doing it eventually?


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

Most usually do when breeding cycle ends.


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