Hen attacks cock?

Question
Could my rosy bourke hen have pulled out EVERY SINGLE tail feather and EVERY SINGLE wing feather from both wings of her mate of many years?  

I found him hiding in the corner of the outdoor aviary with not a feather on his tail piece, and the last joint on each his wing was completely picked off.  This happened at night.  I can't imagine a raccoon being that thorough.  But I can't imagine his mate attacking him either.  The vet gave him subcutaneous fluids and an antibiotic, but the cock crouches in the corner with his eyes closed.

Answer
Hi, Jane.  Thanks for posting.

I'm so sorry to hear about the little guy.

Yes, the hen could have done this, and very definitely YES, a raccoon could have also done this.  However, the raccoon would have likely killed the bird.  I live in the country and see the damage raccoons and other wildlife can do to birds...I have a couple hundred racing homing pigeons outside in a pigeon loft!  If this happened at night, and if their aviary area was dark, the parrots would not have likely done anything, since they stop everything when the lights go out (they can hardly see in the dark so they go to sleep).  Maybe this was some other type of wildlife if your aviary is outside and close to the ground.  My pigeon aviary is 3.5 feet off the ground and raccoons climb up any way they can to get to them.  I've also had hawks capture birds through the aviary wire, but this wouldn't happen at night.

If the vet gave him subcutaneous fluids, the bird must have been dehydrated or weak from not eating??  

I'd recommend taking this bird out of the aviary ASAP and placing him in a "hospital" cage with warmth underneath or warmth via a heat bulb/lamp.  Handfeed him if necessary with parrot handfeeding formula or other ensuring he actually eats the food.  Give him whatever type of food he will eat, even if it's only seed.  You may have to resort to force-feeding him.  Keep the area quiet around him, make sure he drinks plenty of fluids, etc., so he can mend.  And keep in touch with the bird vet...he's your most valuable resource at the moment.  Don't hesitate to call s/he ASAP with any questions or issues that come up.  

This bird is scared to death and very stressed out from this incident.  Sometimes birds in this condition don't survive, so you need to do whatever is necessary to nurse this guy back to health.  He most likely went into shock, which can kill a bird faster than anything else.  Very definitely get him out of the aviary.

I hope he pulls through OK.

Chrys