thanks jim,,,and I typed the water thing wrong, too....distilled or spring for baths AND drink. also she addresses clipping on her site but in "real life" posting on the other message board I'm on she uniformly tells everyone NOT especially pluckers. Or other feather, skin and other issues.

Thanks! Cindy, yes, we know the elimination diet very well around here! I'v ruled out pellets in her diet and when she has them she is hyper reactive to anything. No peanuts, only a little seed. Lots of fresh foods, dark colored. Made beans and rice last night for them. I also give her boiled eggs 2 times per week and sprouts daily.

Thanks for the website! I know this plucking this is not going to just go away, but there are tons of improvements since moving her to a larger cage, getting her lots of toys and taking her off pellets.

Yes, she has had recent blood work. Everything came back perfect, nothing wrong. I am saving up for FS Lighting (the kind on the pole that bends) for her and the other fids. We are supposed to be building an aviary, but that will have to wait for a little while, unfortunatly. Can I roll her cage out and partially over it for shade?

Yes but next to a screen patio door if you have one not glass.

The bendy fs lighting deal didnt work for me. It's not high enough and my birds hated that lighting.

I hung a shop light fixture from the ceiling with reflectors, electronic ballast, and 2 specific Phillips bulbs. CRI > 93 (i think they are a 96) Per Patrick Thrush study (the only one I know)

I'll try and find the info but it's here somewhere...search Phillips and electronic ballast...maybe Quito's Qage posted it???

I wouldnt be a bit surprised if she improves really fast. Lets hope so. Keep a journal of what she did, ate and experienced if you can every day. Or at least when you see feather destruction. Sometimes you can connect the dots. Like something as simple as flax seed could do it. Or not enough sleep or something easy.

Dominique did you have her tested for Zinc Toxicity?

Phillips F32T8TL950 linear fluorescent tubes (4 ft. long) to be burned in the shop light fixture Cindy mentioned. - a great choice IMO.

I use the same tubes, same fixture. I wouldn't use anything else.

thats what I use above the cages. I have brighter ones in the kitchen though!!

Brighter than those? Holy moly- when Ollie's light is on we don't need any other lights on in the entire apartment, lol!

sorry i see where you said roll her cage out (not next to a door)...reading too fast.

Yes that's great. All of them though not her alone she may freak out. Do her last. AND put her next to the door to get used to it then little by little outside. They feel like prey outside till they get used to it imo, especially someone like her...

they are the 5600k ones we were talking about a while back. Very bright. And you are right, I rarely ever have both on at the same time. lol