![]() I have an African Grey who used to pluck all his chest feathers out every year. I reminded Helen that her bird used to run with a pretty fast crowd. Maybe she isn’t stimulated enough.” Maybe Margo was too comfortable. Finally, I said: “Maybe THAT’S the problem. Why would it manifest in plucking now? Something had to have changed that affected Margo deeply and we searched for that answer and found nothing out of the ordinary. It didn’t make sense that this was a repercussion of her ordeal 10 years ago. ![]() We touched on every aspect of the environment that we could think of. Environment: This is biggest, broadest, most confusing category of all! This includes literally EVERYTHING that exists in Margo’s world: things indoors, things outdoors, smells, sounds, views from windows, proximity to doors, household pets, enrichment and exercise opportunities, human stress levels…it’s impossible to list everything.Also, tests had shown no deficiencies, so that only left… Diet: Helen was surprised to discover that Margo had an excellent appetite right away and eagerly accepted the wide variety of foods offered in her new home.So we eliminated the medical possibilities and moved onto… All findings were the same and Margo is in great health. Health: There have been three visits to avian vets over the past year, with two different vets.Helen and I went over the obvious checklist for the probable causes of plucking: And then, years down the road, she began to pluck. Helen was smitten and Margo had a great new permanent home. There is no telling what Margo went through in either of her former homes, and no one will ever know, but throughout the ordeal that followed her rescue, Margo surprised everyone with her resillience and willingness to forgive. After a lot of red tape, she wound up in Helen’s care. About 10 years ago, the police found Margo in a cage in the back of a closet of a known drug house.The police believe a user had traded her for drugs. Helen loves all of her birds, but Margo held a special place in her heart. Her devastation came from the idea that, emotionally, Margo has been silently suffering. Her ego wasn’t involved and this only served to strengthen her love for Margo. Helen isn’t the type to care that her bird is plucked. When she collected herself she explained to me that, about a year before, Margo started plucking and hasn’t stopped.
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