I think I have found the CURE TO FEATHER PLUCKING?

Question

Well I was thinking about some people having problems with their African Greys or other parrots species because they plucked out their feathers....WHAT IF an E-COLLAR was worn by the bird so it wouldn't be able to pull its feathers out?

Here is an example of an E-Collar.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan_collar

What do you think of this cure?

Answer 1

Feather plucking occurs because something is wrong, whether it be nutritional, social, or psychological.  It would be much better to address the underlying problem causing the plucking.

Answer 2

If the bird is itchy and you make it not be able to scratch the itch, it can go crazy.  E collars are sometimes used but it is NOT a CURE for the problem.  Plucking is a symptom of a problem it is NOT the problem.  

Answer 3

lol, Great idea !

But...Wouldn't wearing the e collar wear all the feathers off the poor little guys neck ?

Answer 4

I have to agree with Archaeopteryx; putting an Elizabethan collar on a parrot because it's plucking its feathers is like putting a cast on someone who cuts themselves; sure you can cover up the physical evidences of the problem, but you're doing nothing to treat it. The bird is still suffering.

Such a collar would never work for a bird anyway. They work for cats and dogs because these animals have short necks, but birds have very long, flexible necks, long enough that they can preen their butt feathers without twisting their backs at all (birds have inflexible torsos); there is no way to fasten it to the bird's neck, you would have to use a full body harness just to keep the collar on the bird, and the collar would have to be at least as long as the bird's body in order to prevent it from reaching its feathers. Quite cumbersome, and expensive, and it doesn't even really "cure" the bird--it just provides a superficial quick fix for a serious problem.

Answer 5

I've seen them on birds......they already use them. (& as 1st answerer said, it has to do with emotions, the base cause).

See photos:

http://img.search.yahoo.com/search/image...