How can you stop cage mates from plucking each others feathers?

Question

I have a pair of cockatiels. They've been cage mates for a year and a half, and have bonded well. Three days ago, the feathers on the back of Buttercup's head started looking thin. Today, she's completely bald. It doesn't seem like Fargo's become aggressive toward her, but rather loving on her a little too hard. I've got them split up for now, but while Buttercup seems okay with that, Fargo is going nuts! Is there any way to stop the feather pulling, but still keep them together? Would it be better if I split them completely apart, kept them in separate rooms so that he can't see or hear her?

Answer 1

It's possible your bird is stressed. Has anything changed in his life lately??? Usually there has to be a good reason such as  not enough undisturbed sleep each night, moving the cage to another place,having too small a cage,, boredom and actual physical illness,like mites or skin problems. This can be a very bad habit to get rid of, and in many cases, it is never stopped. After making sure your bird is healthy by taking him to the vet, you can try several things. First of all, make sure he has lots of toys to play with. Move them around to different places in the cage every few days, and buy some other toys and switch them back and forth with the old ones. Be sure not to over crowd the cage, though. Get him some toys that look "shredded" that he can pull apart. A peacock feather (get it at a pet store) can also help. Feeding shredded veggies like carrots, shredded cucumber peel, things like that. Anything that will occupy his time. Make sure your bird gets 9 hours of sleep in a quiet (no TV), darkened room with his cage covered each night. Sleep deprivation is linked to many bad habits and bad behavior.