"Hormonal Aggression"

[Fuzzy]

Kobe's getting back to his "normal" self after months of hormones making him almost impossible to live with. I have been attacked and dive bombed daily. Even the briefest of eye contact would get him puffed up big and gaping (repeatedly opening his mouth as if yawning). Sheesh! I have to admit that I didn't help the situation by getting fed up and angry on occasion. Yep - my fault.

I knew I needed to pair myself with good things which is what I have been trying hard to do. The hormones have subsided so that at least I can look at him without getting attacked but I still get chased from the kitchen to the bird room whilst carrying bowls of food. I think this is habit. It is up to me to rectify the behaviour... and time to do so whilst he's more manageable.

I've been using a folded rope perch to carry him from the kitchen to his cage. He gets up on it ok, but it makes him mad as hell! I don't want to use it if it aggravates the aggression.

So the worst thing that can happen is that I get bit. I've been putting on a long sleeved shirt to offer a little more protection which makes me feel slightly safer. Well, the horrible squawk he makes before flying to land, or trying to land on me as I duck, is turning out to be a bluff. I'm steeling myself and letting him land on me since ducking gets him more worked up. For the last week I've been lowering my energy, not ducking and praising him for climbing off my long sleeved arm into his cage without biting me. Praise is reinforcing to him as well as the newly slotted in food bowl.

Fingers crossed we can work through this.

 

[JLcribber]

You'll get through it. Just knowing what's going on is half the battle. Next time you will be on top of your game.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

That first hormone storm is so disruptive to the human/parrot bond, but if the human can just get through it, the loving bird will return, remembering the bond you have established during his adolescent time. So many parrots are given up because of this hormonal behavior. I have heard so many people say they felt abandoned and hurt because their loving baby attacked them and rejected their love. They don't understand it is a hormonal problem, and the first mating season is a kind of insanity these poor animals have to work through. Eventually the hormones recede and the normal personality returns and the bird remembers the love and trust they had with the human prior to the hormone storm. It is up to the human to hang in there, to weather the storm, and then to reinforce the trust and love the bird experienced prior to the hormone storm. Of course, the hormones and the bird's new outlook as a mature bird, can result in unacceptable behavior, so new training approaches are needed to eliminate aggressive and undesirable behaviors and substitute positive behaviors.
But it can be done. It does work. My Hobbs Meyers was a success story regarding this problem. He was so very bitey, so aggressive and down right mean. Three months later he was a love bug, no nipping, no biting to the bone, and he was the perfect bird, the little clown.

Don't give up. Keep working with him. He will remember and come around; your baby is still in there.

 

[Maxsmom]

Fuzzy, thanks for your thread. I have a male pionus too and the last 6 months have been very diffucult, especially out of fear of one of my pionus becoming injured due to Maximus' hormonal attacks (but I suffered 2 facial bites too). What I have been trying to do is to go back to the basics with training and positive reinforcement as it sounds like you have too. I have also changed a lot of the routine: clipping flight feathers, not allowing as much freedom, moved cage, maintaining him in another part of house at times, being even more observant to his body changes. All making life more difficult for me but enabling my goal of safety.

Relook at chapters 3& 4 in the Practical Pionus and check out goodbirdinc again. Try to keep him engaged with new foraging opportunities. All sounding simplistic but it may help even an experienced bird owner like you. Thanks for making me not feel alone.

 

[Aubrey]

@Maxsmom @Fuzzy how old are your pionus? I'm just curious if this is their first hormonal season since being juvenile?

I'm sorry you are going thru this with your pis I'm sure it's very stressful for human and bird alike!

 

[Maxsmom]

Maximus is 3 1/2. This is our first season. Charlie is 11 and I do not have issues with him other than chewing.

I think handsome Kobe is older than Maximus

 

[Aubrey]

Maximus is 3 1/2. This is our first season. Charlie is 11 and I do not have issues with him other than chewing.

I think handsome Kobe is older than Maximus

Poor fella! This is my first season with Leto, but he's 8 yrs old. He seems fine.

 

[Maxsmom]

Lucky you

 

[Aubrey]

Lucky you

Thanks, but I'm worried the second shoe will drop

 

[Fuzzy]

Thanks hugely for the support everyone! Tonight I had to pass by his cage with him sitting on top of it... usually he would lunge or fly at me, but he just sat there sweet as Pi!

 

[Fuzzy]

Sorry you are going through this too with Maximus, Maxsmom! Yep 6+ months is a lot of difficult time out of a year! Sounds about the same with Kobe. Kobe also chases Ollie. He's tried it with Bobbie but she stands her ground so he hasn't tried again. Like you I do fear for the other birds... and for Kobe since Bobbie could do real harm. I will certainly read those chapters again - you've got me interested!

That's very positive to read that your Hobbs Meyers was a success story with your care and patience, Laurul Feathercat.

 

[Fuzzy]

@Maxsmom @Fuzzy how old are your pionus? I'm just curious if this is their first hormonal season since being juvenile?

I'm sorry you are going thru this with your pis I'm sure it's very stressful for human and bird alike!

Thanks Flipper! Kobe's also eight years old. He's been like this since he was about 1.5 - 2 years old! Some years are better than others. This has been the worst year, although last year was pretty bad too. It does get you down... and wear you down. He's just extremely highly strung and doesn't sit still... so much for Pi's being perch potatoes! I've never seen a bird expend so much unnecessary energy. Wish he could be laid back like the Amazons. On the flip side he's extremely funny and loving and a huge chatterbox. Thankfully he seems to be getting back to that side in the last few days. Phew.

 

[Aubrey]

Poor guy. He's probably frustrated I'm glad Kobe is is starting to get back to his sweet self

 

[Maxsmom]

Fuzzy, I can't stress enough how much I appreciate this thread and that you have shared your experience with Kobe

Hugs to you

 

[flyingsowm]

You are doing an amazing job Fuzzy! I too am trying to bot take setbacks seriously. Sometimes I am getting a bite and half the time a step up from Elmo. Hormones are hard for me too once a month!

 

[Begone]

A lot of hugs and fingers crossed that Kobe now will be a sweet loving Pi again.
And I also want to thank you for all the patience. 6 months is a very long time.

 

[Kiwibird08]

From what I hear Pi's are like mini hot-3 amazons when it comes to hormones. It sounds like you're handling it though. It's always tough when they "turn on you" even though you know why it's happening and that it's only temporary. Just have to keep reminding yourself he's an animal, he's hormonal, he doesn't understand why he feels the way he does and has no other means of expression than to lash out.

Curious if you've given more things to destroy? Take out some of his frustration and anger on toys instead of you

 

[Maxsmom]

Fuzzy, has it been 6 bad hormonal months and 6 good months each year for the last 5 years? Having 6 decent months a year would help me recharge. Hoping I get that

 

[Dartman]

Well as you all know Lurch has his triggers and homicidal moments and usually I can see it in the way he starts looking at me that he's about to go into raptor mode for the kill. Sometimes he just gets a trigger I've missed and I get the flying SKWAK! and bite too. But most of the time he bluffs or does a half hearted bite or just a peck or poke as he's learning that doing that ends all daddy or mommy time.
Maybe sometimes it's hormonal and I just don't realize it but sometimes he's strutting on the cage and making in the mood noises too. It certainly does put a damper on things when they go into full attack mode and suddenly you've got a painful bite because you weren't fast enough to duck. Trust me I don't always react nicely either and of course that tends to just ramp things up but luckily he's never been constantly like that so we have plenty of happy times and just general hanging out and sharing.
He bit me on the lip one day when he first got here and I forgot he didn't always play nice and bent down too close to him to retrieve a treat I was trying to give him. Worst I've gotten is some neck ear and arm bites that were pretty hard core but most are quick nips or pinches and I've been lucky. Poor Kobe is probably just has confused and frustrated but how else does he know to vent his frustrations I spose. Glad it sounds like he's going back to normal Kobe and maybe he's just messing with you a bit for the thrill of seeing you react now and your training and work will get him back to normal soon.
With Lurch when he just reacts but doesn't go nuts on me I tell him to be a good boy or he won't get to hang out then try to continue what we were doing as some times I can see he isn't totally upset and may have just been being a jungle creature who communicates by pinching or maybe he was trying to play but doesn't yet know how to properly do it with someone as easy to hurt yet.
Hang in there, it will get better and maybe it'll be easier to see when the hormones kick in next time so you can adjust and avoid the things that set him off.
Lurch is around 10 or so now, Nerd was 31 when he left me and I don't remember him being quite as tweaky or aggressive but we had our lives together to work things out and every bird is a individual.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

With everything I have read, the older the birds get, and the more comfortable they get in their environment, the less aggressive they become. A friend of mine took my Amazons after my back surgery when I could no longer handle the cock's attacks on me. Over the last three years, they have settled in and are almost totally non-aggressive with Bea. They have other Amazon friends, a great place to live and wonderful nutrition.