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My 21.5 year old peach fronted conure has a bald patch on her back, likely due to overpreening due to sexual frustration. I do all I can to keep her entertained and keep her from getting too hormonal, but the bald patch persists.

What are natural ways I can keep her from preening this patch until her feathers grow back?

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Plucking out feathers is a common problem with cage birds. It is thought to be because of boredom. However, a friend of mine has a cockatoo that is mostly bald from plucking and she often plays with the bird and lets the bird run on the floor with a couple of small dogs. They play together well and the bird barks like a dog. So, I think plucking may be caused by conditions other than boredom. Our vet prescribed haloperidol for our African grey parrot when she did a little plucking. It apparently worked.

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  • I specified natural ways, as in I do not want to give her medication. My bird's previous owners had their vet give her anti-hormonal injections, which evidently helped out.
    – jackwise
    May 13, 2021 at 17:06

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