Green cheek throwing up, tearing feathers and paper

by Jessica
(Hanover, md usa)

I have a 5 year old greencheek conure. In December he started to tear his chest feathers. I took him to the vet and she said he is healthy and could be dry skin or he is bored. He stopped but about 2 weeks ago he started to tear up his paper at the bottom of his cage and throw up. He throws up on a curtain spot in his hut and he throws up on me. I believe he is throwing up on his perch too.

He has started to tear at this chest feathers again and now chewing on his tail feather ends. He seems very active and normal but I was concerned last night when his stool looked dry. I never had him sexed but assumed he was male because he never laid an egg. Can you help me to figure out what's wrong with him. I'm starting to think he is a she. But I'm also scared he is sick.

Comments for Green cheek throwing up, tearing feathers and paper

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Apr 03, 2013
 To Alex
by: Jessica

Alex, how did you get your budgie to stop plucking her feathers. My bird is not plucking but chewing and breaking them.
Apr 03, 2013
 feather plucking
by: Alex

I would suggest having your bird sexed.

My female budgie plucked feathers on her chest and was diagnosed as plucking a brood patch, but had gone to the extreme.

You need to get this stopped as soon as possible as my budgie still has a sore chest from the damage she has done and her feathers are slowly coming back and she looks very tatty there.

The sooner this is sorted out, the better.
Apr 02, 2013
 To Tracie
by: Anonymous

Thank you for the link I think it is very helpful. And yes I take him to an avian vet who examined him and told me i have him on a healthy diet. I think I may take him back tho. I just bought a humidifier so I will try that out as well. Thanks for your comments.
Apr 02, 2013
 Green cheek feather chewing and regurgitating
by: Tracie

The only way to determine if the bird has a health issue is for you to take the bird to an avian vet, not a regular vet, for an exam and blood tests.

Regurgitating is normal, and that is what it appears to me you are describing. If the bird "throws up" undigested food then it is a serious problem.

Please read what our avian vet wrote about feather picking and chewing at this Feather Damaging Behavior article link. I believe it will help you understand a bit better what might be causing this.

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