feather plucking

Question
Hi,  I have an african grey female, she is 4 years now and has been plucking for about a year.  She started plucking after I got married.  I have tried everything I've been told, I've tried toys (for some reason she does not like toys much< it almost seems like she does not know what to do with them, she does not try to bite wood or destroy any wood products).  Since I bought her, I've had her on Zupreem pallet food.  I don't know if she might have developed an alergy or something like that but the fact is that she started plucking.  She first started with her chest and back, now she has removed all of her tail feathers and as she is trying to grow them back in, she pulls them again.  I don't know what to do. I love her and don't want to see her like that, I came across an article about the sock boddy and tried e-mailing the lady but the e-mail was returned, there was no number where to contact her so that didn't work..  Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated.  I have tried the vet, lab work and staff but it all came back clen..

Answer
It sounds like your little girl is traumatized by the new guy in your life! This is common, so you just have to be patient and let her know that she is still loved and a member of your family. Include her in all (or as many as possible) of your activities including watching movies, reading the newspaper, having dinner, etc. Suzanne, the lady who invented the sock buddy, is a friend of mine and I'll talk to her about the website and email. You can get a collar for your bird which prevents plucking, but it's pretty silly looking. The sock buddy wont protect her tail feathers, only her chest and back feathers, but she may spend so much time trying to destroy the sweater that she will forget all about her tail feathers. Different methods work on different birds. If you would like to email me at cockatoorescuetrainer@gmail.com I would be happy to get you that info from Suzanne.