my jenday conure

Question
QUESTION: my Jenday Conure is extremely friendly..she LOVES people..I noticed when i was giving her a bath she had a large bump on her chest..and that she has started to pluck her feathers..is this a sign of some sort of sickness?..I read that I may not be giving her enough baths, but would that cause that lump on her chest

ANSWER: How long have you had this bird?

Is this 'bump' moveable?  What does it feel like?  Is it hard like a bone or more like a grape?  Is it long or round ?  The more details you can offer the better.

When it comes to the plucking, are you seeing actual bald spots ?

What kind of baths are you giving? Are you using any products?

What does she eat ?



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I've only had her for about a month now, I adopted her.
Its not movable she lets me touch it i think it may be a bone, There are bald spot down the middle of her belly, but you can only see then if shes  done taking a bath.  I dont use any products.  She eats fruits (  mainly apples, oranges, grapes, and mangos), Millet as a snack, and her regular food from Kaytee

Answer
I believe what you're seeing and feeling is her "keel bone", perfectly normal.
 
You might be surprised to learn that the most millet she should have is about the size of your thumb and no more than once a week.  It's a very fatty food (sunflower seeds are equally as bad) and can result in fatty liver disease along with other problems.  

The fruits are wonderful!  Good job!

If her regular food from Kaytee is a pellet and not seeds, that's great too and she's very lucky to have you.  If it's seeds, I'd like to see you get her off them and more on a pelleted diet (any kind will be fine).

Find out more about ideal feeding and other care tips here:

www.4AnimalCare.org  (click on the bird tab)