I'm changing her name to plucky!

[bird-brain]

First let me say hello to everyone! It seems like forever since I have been on here! This show season has been too busy and I almost for got what the computer looks like. I have thought of everyone often and hoped everybirdie was well!

Now my question: Many of you will remember that when we took Kenya in she had been in a very stressful environment and wasn't being fed properly. Her response to stress was to pluck her chest. I wish I had been able to post pictures for you guys to see how beautiful she had become over the summer. The plucking stopped completely. Her feathers were bright and vibrant and she and Cabo were sleeping in the cutest positions in their cozy.

All of my birds got into a very heavy but normal molt toward the end of the summer. Over the weekend, I came home from the store to find a Kenya DUCK. She no longer looks like a lovie as she has NO tail feathers. She or Cabo plucked her rear end completely bald! It is not red, or swollen. And she has not resumed the chest plucking. She seemed herself without a tail.

The avian vet will not be in town until the end of next week and I was going to wait until then as nothing else seemed amiss. But, tonight, she kicked Cabo out of the cozy. They always sleep on top of one another and are the usual inseparable lovie pair. She was so mean about not letting him in that I put an extra cozy in the cage but bless his heart he is sleeping on top of the one she is in. I can palpate her pelvic bones and there is no sign of an egg. Keep in mind that Cabo is just a year old and of undetermined sex. Is it possible that Kenya is nesty and just refusing to allow another hen into the nest with her?

Kenya is a very docile bird. She has shown no signs of aggression in the open cage and as Cabo naps in the open, I don't know if she is in general refusing to allow him any use of the cozy during the day. Our busy summer schedule did not seem to affect the birds. The only change was that I ran out of avi-cakes (bad mommy) and the lovies got their usual pellets and seed and fresh food and the conure's nutriberries instead. Any ideas about this butt plucking and bad attitude?

[Chickobee]

I had two DNA'd hens together for a long time. They were inseparable and behaved like a bonded pair. Then almost overnight that changed and they began biting each other and had to be separated.

Do you know for sure that Kenya is a hen? If so, I would suggest getting a DNA test on Cabo. In the meantime you may need to put them into separate cages. The biting can escalate without notice and it could be extremely dangerous, or fatal, for Cabo if He is really a She.

IMHO the huts are also a cause for concern. They can cause a mature female lovie to become nesty. Kenya may have eggs on her mind, whether or not Cabo is a male. A hut and shreddable toys can encourage nesty behaviors and egg laying so I would remove them from the cage.

The plucking could be sexual frustration or something else. The vet visit is a good plan. Then you could have the DNA test done at the same time so you will know for sure what you are dealing with. You can also order a kit and do the DNA test yourself.

I'd love to see a photo of your little DUCK! :rofl: I bet he/she is cute!

[bird-brain]

Kenya is a surgically sexed hen who is over 3 years old and has never laid an egg. Neither of them has ever tucked or attempted to build a nest. Cabo used to do a clickie dance around any birdie he/she was playing with. I guess that I am finally going to have to get Cabo dna'd to know if it's going to be safe to keep them together. It never seemed like a big deal as they got along famously and I had no plans to raise little ones. At some point last night she did let him in so I had hoped it was just a one time thing but as I was typing this they she was viciously defending her cozy, so I removed them.

Kenya was doing so much better but now the duck tail and she is back at her chest again. I had not thought of the possibility of the plucking being sexual frustration. She was never paired with a bird before Cabo and so it's a possibility that hormones were always at the root. I will mention this to the vet.

Cabo will never be able to live on his/her own. Gosh darn it I will have to get another lovie! :whistle: I Have two very angry birdies about the loss of their beds right now. :rotfl Kenya has never been this vocal!

[bird-brain]

Happy to report that with no nest to be nesty over, the fighting has come to an end. :) We'll see what the vet says about Kenya's plucking. I'm taking Cabo to get him DNA'd on Saturday.