How to Stop a Parrot From Chewing His Feathers

When a parrot chews its feathers it might at first seem to be molting. Molting is a normal process that should not leave your parrot with bald spots or other damage. However, feather chewing is a serious problem that can ruin the parrot's feathers for good. Feather plucking and chewing in parrots can be caused by health problems or stressful situations. Inhospitable environments, nutrient deficiencies and boredom are several reasons for a parrot to get stressed and chew its feathers.

Things You'll Need

  • Quiet area
  • Spray bottle
  • Water
  • Mouth wash or mustard
  • Parrot toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Move your parrot's cage to a calm, quiet area with natural lighting and a comfortable temperature. An uncomfortable environment can cause parrots to pluck or chew from stress.

    • 2

      Switch your bird to a high quality food to ensure that it is getting the correct amount of nutrients, such as protein in its diet.

    • 3

      Remove all other birds from the cage if your parrot is not alone, as other birds may be chewing on your bird's feathers or causing it excess stress.

    • 4

      Give your parrot some toys to play with or play with it more often to keep it from getting bored. Birds often chew or pluck their feathers when they have nothing to do.

    • 5

      Spray the bird gently with a mixture of mustard and water or mouth wash and water to prevent the parrot from wanting to taste the unsavory feathers when it chews. Do this if the previous steps haven't worked.

    • 6

      Bring your bird to the vet if the previous steps haven't stopped your bird from chewing its feathers. A veterinarian can run tests to check if the parrot is receiving adequate nutrition and diagnosis the parrot accurately.