by chibi-tori on Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:24 am
Fortunately, Missy has not started back plucking anyone. I had a really bad problem with Lil'bit plucking Bandy, and vice-versa. Poor Lil'bit was the ire of Bandy, and evidently, she wanted him to mate with her... well she got her wish. I think his feathers are growing back out a little, but she plucked him so badly, it might have damaged some feather follicles. Bandy had a near bald spot on back of her head as well, but they both have stopped plucking. It's extremely difficult for me to separate anyone from the others due to no where to keep them in solitary, or even where they could see the others. I guess that's one drawback to the birds being cage-free. Now, all the cages are serving as nesting places, and THAT is something I have NO control over. It will pass just as other things do, and if I can keep them from killing one another from jealousy, that's great. I will admit, I have 5 more chicks on the way, and the parents are Missy and Gizmo. Of all things, Pixie and Smokey are going to be parents I assume. Pixie laid her first egg day before yesterday, and I was shocked to find out! Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking.. going to have too many birds, and trying to give some away.. Sorry folks, I can't make them stop breeding, and the ones who have laid eggs as brother / sister, have been boiled, so there will not be any danger of having some gross mutation by inbreeding. At any rate, Claudia, the plucking will stop eventually, but probably not until their hormone levels drop off and get out of the mating mode.
Sam
Hi, my name is Sam, and I'm a 'tiel addict !
Smokey, Gizmo, Missy, Pixie, Patches, Suzie, Chirp, Lil 'bit, J.J., Bandit, Daisy, Cuddles, Cappy, & Shelly
and has preened her so much she has a bit of a bald patch on the back of her head 
) so we'll see what happens.........
