My bird is plucking feathers. How can I get them to grow back?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | 18 years and 5 months old
My bird has picked all her feathers from her chest area and legs. How can I get her feathers to grow back? Please help me!
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 21st, 2018
Poor Precious! The first step to growing her feathers back is to figure out the underlying cause behind why she plucked them and to change it. Health issues such as parasites, malnutrition, infections, illness, etc can cause feather plucking and loss, so scheduling a vet visit first is a good first step to make sure any underlying health issues are treated and she is healthy enough to regrow her feathers. Boredom and stress can cause excessive feather plucking. Making sure she is in a clean (the bottom of that cage need a scrub!) and stress-free environment away from other pets or people that may harass her is best. Adding in enrichment such as toys she can chew on or play with, a play pen she can climb and stretch on, or spending time playing and interacting together can help with boredom. In some cases, the feather plucking becomes a habit and needs to be stopped with the use of an Elizabethan (cone) collar or flight-suit to protect the body from being plucked. Feather regrowth takes time, so even with these changes it may be several months before you see them start to grow back in. However, keeping up with enrichment and health issues can help ensure they have a chance to come back.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 2nd, 2017
The most important factor in growing healthy feathers is to ensure your bird is eating a properly nutritious and balanced diet. Your bird should be eating mostly a pelleted diet (80% of the total diet) with occasional treats/snacks such as fresh fruits and veggies. Your bird should only get nuts and seeds very occasionally. Being relatviely stress free is also important to proper feather growth and grooming as well. Do your best to keep the bird’s enclosure clean and have plenty of toys for her for enrichment. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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