# Budgie tail plucking



## sammyl (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi there, I'm really worried and need some advice. 

I got a new budgie 10 days ago, she is currently quarantining in a room separate to my current budgie. She was behaving normally until last Weds where she started sitting in her food bowl and flipping around to pull her tail feathers. She had one of those SeedMate feeders so i took it out and just gave her a normal bowl, and that seemed to be better.

She has started doing it again today, sitting in her bowl and rolling around on the floor of her cage to pull out her feathers - it's quite distressing. I booked for the vet, but the earliest anyone can see us is Wednesday next week (4 days). 

I've attached photos of her tail and cage. She has eaten a little bit today but not as much as normal, and she hasn't pooped much. I've not seen her drink any water.

She is otherwise perching and playing with things as normal. It's only the tail feathers she's pulling so far

Her vent looks normal, no poop or bald spots.

I put out a bath for her hoping that would help, is there anything else I can do to make sure she's okay before we can see the vet?

Also this cage is temporary, if my two birds get along a I have a big flight cage to put them both in

Thank you


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm sorry your little girl is having such problems. What is her name?

There are many reasons why she may be plucking and chewing her tail feathers.
She may have a infection, a nutritional deficiency, parasites or another health issue.
OR it could be because she was recently moved to a new environment.

Unfortunately, without the tests the Avian Vet should perform to rule out physical or health reasons for the feather destruction you won't know if it is something environmental causing the problem.

Read through the information in the articles below.

Feather Picking/Plucking/Chewing/Over-Preening
*
*Feathers - A Window into your Budgie's Health*


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## sammyl (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks very much for your reply - her name is Pearl. She ended up chewing off her tail feathers completely which was incredibly distressing. I'm really hoping they'll be able to grow back. I was able to distract her a few times I saw her do it by placing paper shredders near her tail or getting her to perch on a stick, but honestly have no idea what else I can do. Strangely she seems to be fine otherwise - still perching on one foot and beak grinding, playing with toys, she was eating and drinking normally today. Also now that she has no tail feathers she isn't doing it - but that could also be because it's the afternoon now. 

I can't wait to take her to the vet, I'm just really worried about her.

Thanks very much for the articles too. I did have to change her food bowl as discussed, maybe that and moving her water dish around set it off. I just feel so bad that something I've done might have caused her to mutilate herself. Thankfully the skin is still okay


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Please be sure to update us after you see the vet with Pearl.
I hope there will be a "quick fix" and she'll soon be back to normal. 💜💜*


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## sammyl (Jan 6, 2012)

Hello, thanks for your words again  the vet visit was rescheduled for today. The vet could actually find nothing wrong with her physically. She thinks that because her wings were severely clipped by the breeder it may be a case where she could feel the tail bumping on the ground because she couldn't fly properly kind of thing. She does perch and climb and have different wood perches but I'll try and make more of them higher up which should help. 
So relieved to know its nothing more sinister


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm glad to hear the vet doesn't believe it is anything severe. I hope Pearl is soon be back to normal!*


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