my blue and gold is 7 months old now can anyone tell me what i can expect as far as behavior in the stages of development?
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stages of development for blue and golds and what to expect?
- Thread starter shf
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at what age is considered adolescence? i believe mine is a female. and behaviors to be concerned about?
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Oh my - she's beautiful! I'd love to hear more about her!
She is gorgeous!!! Both of mine came to me grown.... Anna was 4 and Kita was 8 so I am not much help with babies.... but yours looks like a sweetie!
Oh well I can tell you that Anna is just starting to get hormonal and Kita is full blown, nesty and egg laying... Kita is very sweet with the hormones and Anna is a big meanie.....
A B&G is "adolescent" in the years between baby (under one year) and adult (after puberty, which occurs anywhere from 4-6 years on average), so usually from 1 to 4 years of age. During the late adolescent years, from 3-4, you may start seeing signs of hormonal changes. Sometimes, the onset of hormones can be a really trying time for bird and owner. B&Gs, IME, experience pretty strong phases. My bird is a rehome who was given up to me at the age of 5. That's when she really started to have major hormonal phases and began to show the typical signs: extreme one-person loyalty, aggression towards others, nesting behavior, sexual advances toward the "chosen." According to most sources, the hormones of adolescence and early adulthood die down a bit in intensity as the bird ages, so if you successfully weather the years from, say, 4-8, it's usually a little easier to manage from there on out
Many birds are rehomed at ages 4-6, because their owners are not educated about hormones and think that their bird has "gotten mean" or "gone crazy." Actually, hormonal phases are not that hard to manage with the proper awareness and a good solid base of training for the bird.thanks for the information about adolescent period and the hormonal behaviors at puberty. i appreciate all info about macaw behaviors and how to manage the hormonal and mating related behaviors; and learn about why they are rehomed at age 4-6 because of hormonal behaviors. I have experience with cockatoos but not macaws. i call her zorro because she looks like a bandit.
now that its spring i brought her outside to be with a couple of neighbors she steps up for everyone and even stepped up for the woman in the photo a neigbbor that blue-rio had never seen before then when she handed blue rio to me my bird lunged at my neighbor after she had stepped up to her and was in her hand.
can anyone explain this behavior she needs to be socialized i know i haven't brought her to many places and this is the first stranger that she has met. i think she is very well socialized because she sat still in my neighbors hand.
thats not me in the photo but she's able to be with the guy but had a lunging issue with the woman after she went back to the guy in the photo.
she jumped off the guy and flew down to the lawn i think she might have got spooked. this photos in front of my house.
blue rio does not show any signs of hormonal behaviors yet and i don't know but she seems to prefer men but still not sure yet. is it true that birds favor one of the sexes or is this a myth?
also i know there is variance in birds anna differs from the other macaw in her behavior.
i won't be rehoming my blue/gold i've been through too much with her and i love her very much; and she is bonded to me; but i hope it is maneagable the hormonal behavior. blue rio is too attached to me already she acts like i'm her mom and when i leave she gets really agitated around other people and wants to come back to me kina like a baby that wants her mom.
from age 4 to 8 is the hormonal period i'm not looking forward to it but i can survive it i've been through it with my cockatoos and amazon.
now that its spring i brought her outside to be with a couple of neighbors she steps up for everyone and even stepped up for the woman in the photo a neigbbor that blue-rio had never seen before then when she handed blue rio to me my bird lunged at my neighbor after she had stepped up to her and was in her hand.
can anyone explain this behavior she needs to be socialized i know i haven't brought her to many places and this is the first stranger that she has met. i think she is very well socialized because she sat still in my neighbors hand.
thats not me in the photo but she's able to be with the guy but had a lunging issue with the woman after she went back to the guy in the photo.
she jumped off the guy and flew down to the lawn i think she might have got spooked. this photos in front of my house.
blue rio does not show any signs of hormonal behaviors yet and i don't know but she seems to prefer men but still not sure yet. is it true that birds favor one of the sexes or is this a myth?
also i know there is variance in birds anna differs from the other macaw in her behavior.
i won't be rehoming my blue/gold i've been through too much with her and i love her very much; and she is bonded to me; but i hope it is maneagable the hormonal behavior. blue rio is too attached to me already she acts like i'm her mom and when i leave she gets really agitated around other people and wants to come back to me kina like a baby that wants her mom.
from age 4 to 8 is the hormonal period i'm not looking forward to it but i can survive it i've been through it with my cockatoos and amazon.
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shes really sweet, well behaved except when shes on the ground she will roll over on her back and play with me footsies then try to bite the corners of the furniture and she can get nippy when shes playing like this but other than that i have no behavioral issues/problems with her yet. she doesn't scream only at sunset a few times; when she sees people outside walking near the house; and sometimes early in the morning.
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a few more pics
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here is a video of blue-rioYouTube - John Marth (5)6
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Hi shf, if your baby is a she, she is adorable. What's her name?
We have 2 B&Gs; we missed the adolescent period since they were teenagers when we brought them into our flock. One is male and one female, both have gone through their major hormonal phases that Holiday explained and are now doing great behaviorly. Being able to read your baby's body language is very important and bonding with all members of your household while she is young is a time that I wouldn't miss out on. If only one interacts with her, she will likely bond with only that person.
We have 2 B&Gs; we missed the adolescent period since they were teenagers when we brought them into our flock. One is male and one female, both have gone through their major hormonal phases that Holiday explained and are now doing great behaviorly. Being able to read your baby's body language is very important and bonding with all members of your household while she is young is a time that I wouldn't miss out on. If only one interacts with her, she will likely bond with only that person.
i named her blue-rio, not really sure if its a she or he breeder says probably a she because of the shape of head, size of head,and body size. she was born sept 4 2010 and is 8 months old i bought her from a breeder in orlando,fl and she arrived at 3.25 months old. she was not fully weaned but was almost fully weaned but still on one comfort feeding per day; and able to eat pellets and seeds.
she is going through a major molt right now and is nippy and testy at times and has bouts of screaming, might be because the feathers are bothering her or usually because the other birds start her up with their screaming or are on the perch near her cage.
she is testing the waters, can be a little difficult to handle because she wants to crawl down from your hand onto you and her claws are painful; talks a little says hi, hello, hi blue, i love you but hasn't said this lately. she has calmed down a bit lately and is becoming more mellow and more affectionate.
loves to roll on her back on the ground and play beak and foot games with my hand and flap her wings its her way of expressing happiness or excitement. her wings were clipped when she first arrived so i suspect she might have issues with not being able to fly although breeder said that she learned to fly but i don't think that she was taught so think she might have emotional issues with not learning to fly yet. does anyone know whether macaws should be allowed to fly around inside of the house because she really wants to fly but her wings have been clipped ever since she was a baby.
she is going through a major molt right now and is nippy and testy at times and has bouts of screaming, might be because the feathers are bothering her or usually because the other birds start her up with their screaming or are on the perch near her cage.
she is testing the waters, can be a little difficult to handle because she wants to crawl down from your hand onto you and her claws are painful; talks a little says hi, hello, hi blue, i love you but hasn't said this lately. she has calmed down a bit lately and is becoming more mellow and more affectionate.
loves to roll on her back on the ground and play beak and foot games with my hand and flap her wings its her way of expressing happiness or excitement. her wings were clipped when she first arrived so i suspect she might have issues with not being able to fly although breeder said that she learned to fly but i don't think that she was taught so think she might have emotional issues with not learning to fly yet. does anyone know whether macaws should be allowed to fly around inside of the house because she really wants to fly but her wings have been clipped ever since she was a baby.
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vanant
Strolling the yard
OMG! I have a 7 month old female B&G we just got her about 3 weeks ago. She is so much fun to have around. I am so glad you asked this question because I am a cockatoo owner as well so this is our first macaw. I just kinda of figured if I can handle a cockatoo during the hormonal season I can surely handle a macaw! But I might be wrong. Sophie (the B&G) also plays with my fingers on her back but I'm teaching her the "gentle" word and its working so far. She wants out of her cage A LOT but I have her on a routine so hopefully she'll calm down when she gets use to it. She now follows me through the house when I go in the kitchen and make her breakfast which is pretty cute. Good luck with your. Our cockatoo is 8 years old now and the hormones are really not bad this year at all. I better knock on wood huh?
vanant
Strolling the yard
Oh the lunging....I'm new at this behavior with a macaw but mine does that too but during playtime right now. Anxious to hear what others have to say on that issue for a baby lunging is kinda odd.
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Cute name for her, Blue-rio.
It is considered important for a young bird to be allowed to learn to fly prior to any wing clipping because a fledged bird, even after being clipped, will remain more confident and active than an unfledged bird. Learning to fly also helps a bird learn how to land safely which is an important skill even in clipped birds.
There is a difference of opinion on wing clipping and I am only speaking of what we are comfortable with our flock. We feel unclipped is the most natural way of getting around, obtaining exercise and avoiding fearful situations. Although clipped birds can do flapping exercises, this doesn't provide the same exercise as flight. We feel it is the owner's decision and each situation is different depending on whether the parront can provide a safe environment. Sounds like Blue-rio wants to fly. I would stand a few feet in front of her cage and lightly toss her so she safely lands on her cage. She will do best if she knows where to fly rather than "everywhere". It is likely that she will get used to places to play if you have a routine.
We don't have any experience with lunging babies since ours are all grown, but lunging is likely either a test or she wants to play. Recommend you don't give in to her test by reacting or she will be "in charge".
It is considered important for a young bird to be allowed to learn to fly prior to any wing clipping because a fledged bird, even after being clipped, will remain more confident and active than an unfledged bird. Learning to fly also helps a bird learn how to land safely which is an important skill even in clipped birds.
There is a difference of opinion on wing clipping and I am only speaking of what we are comfortable with our flock. We feel unclipped is the most natural way of getting around, obtaining exercise and avoiding fearful situations. Although clipped birds can do flapping exercises, this doesn't provide the same exercise as flight. We feel it is the owner's decision and each situation is different depending on whether the parront can provide a safe environment. Sounds like Blue-rio wants to fly. I would stand a few feet in front of her cage and lightly toss her so she safely lands on her cage. She will do best if she knows where to fly rather than "everywhere". It is likely that she will get used to places to play if you have a routine.
We don't have any experience with lunging babies since ours are all grown, but lunging is likely either a test or she wants to play. Recommend you don't give in to her test by reacting or she will be "in charge".
mine was lunging but this was part of the testing the waters i quicky said no and reminded her that she needs to go back to her cage and she understood that it was not appropriate to lunge now she is more respectful and doesnt do it automatically or out of habit; if you don't train them they will think this is approriate behavior and will do it and not know whether it is right or wrong.
the flapping doesn't give them enough exercise mine wants to fly all of my other birds are flying i plan to let her wing feathers grow out and let her learn to fly. I've read its bad to clip a babies wings without learning to fly and i suspect the breeder was lying to me about the bird learning to fly before being clipped; because the bird was only 3 months old that is too young to learn how to fly.
the flapping doesn't give them enough exercise mine wants to fly all of my other birds are flying i plan to let her wing feathers grow out and let her learn to fly. I've read its bad to clip a babies wings without learning to fly and i suspect the breeder was lying to me about the bird learning to fly before being clipped; because the bird was only 3 months old that is too young to learn how to fly.
recent photos of blue rio
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a couple more pics at 8.25 months old. here she is resting her head sideways playing around and greeting me saying hello and biting the cage and moving her head like she being syringe fed on the the cage bars still exhibiting the baby syringe feeding behavior. i fed her boiled chicken and beef hot dogs she really liked it because she is molting right now the extra protein is really appreciated.
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here are newer pics of blue-rio now turning 9 months old in a week.
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7-8 months old is about the age my Summer started to be more independent. Before then, all she wanted to do was be with me and play with me. But once she hit the 7 month mark, she started to play more on her own. She wouldn't listen to me when she's climb to the top of the cage and I'd ask for her to come down and she'd give me this "look". She wanted to be independent and a "big girl"
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