Plucking to give eggs warmth?

[Mr.Green]

Hello,

My husband and I have an Indian Ringneck (although there seems to be conflicting information from people we've spoken to as to whether he is a ringneck or an alexandrine) named Mr. Green.

We just met another ringneck named Kiwi who we would love to adopt, however, she has plucked almost all of her feathers from her front and back. The woman who currently has her has told us that this is normal behaviour when female ringnecks wish to have babies. She said that they pluck their fronts in order to get more direct heat to the eggs when they nest. We have never heard of this and are a bit skeptical...can anyone confirm this information?

Thanks so much.

[pinkdevil]

Hi and welcome.

I have never heard of IRNs plucking themselves for more direct heat on the eggs.

At least the IRNs I have have never done this when they have been sitting on eggs.

I think there is a more underlying problem with this plucking bird unfortunately.

[bec]

orchid didnt do that either but thats my only experience of breeding irns so far i have heard of birds plucking due to stress or pining after their mate had died though

[julie]

Thats the first I have heard of it too if you have a look through some pics in the photo section and here in breeders there is a few pics of hens in the nest and unhatched eggs/chicks in the nest, I haven't seen any with feathers around them or the hen plucked.

ETA: here is a link to a thread with chicks in the nest http://indianringneck.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=4079

[julie]

Here is a pic of my Alexandrian with 2 irns, the Alex is the bigger green bird with the red markings on the wings.

[Recio]

Hi Mr Green

My husband and I have an Indian Ringneck (although there seems to be conflicting information from people we've spoken to as to whether he is a ringneck or an alexandrine) named Mr. Green.

It is not that difficult to make the difference: pure IRN do never have the red marks on the wings as alexandrines do (excepting albinos) and they are smaller than alexandrines or IRN-alexandrine hybrids, which will also show some kind of red markings on the wings, at least in the first generation. Have a look at this page: http://home.wanadoo.nl/psittaculaworld/ ... patria.htm

We just met another ringneck named Kiwi who we would love to adopt, however, she has plucked almost all of her feathers from her front and back

.
Probably Kiwi is sick or have some kind of deficiency, probably vitamins. Ask for what she has been eating during the last months.

The woman who currently has her has told us that this is normal behaviour when female ringnecks wish to have babies.

Animals do not "wish to have babys". The relation between the sexual behaviour and motherhood wishing is something typically human. Animals can not make the link between mating and having chicks. They can not plan/prepare the future, they just live the present (like a lot of "humans").

She said that they pluck their fronts in order to get more direct heat to the eggs when they nest. We have never heard of this and are a bit skeptical...can anyone confirm this information?

Here she is partially right: hens use to lose some small feathers from their front (this is strictly true) to facilitate the contact of eggs with the skin (this is just a supposition). But it happens during the very firsts days of coving, and the hen displays just a tiny line in the middle of her front, which you can see till next moulting, at the end of the breeding period. She does not pluck almost all of her feathers, and of course, never from her back.

Hope it helps. Good luck with your birds.

[Mr.Green]

Thanks everyone for your comments regarding Kiwi. I think you've all confirmed what my husband and I were thinking was the case which is that Kiwi has plucked for reasons other than making babies and it isn't hard to see why she might have felt the need to pluck given the unfortunate environment she has been living in for the last year or more.

You've also confirmed that our handsome Mr. Green is an Alexandrine, not an IRN.

Thanks again!