Baby Caique Hormonal

[Anji]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for all the information I’ve gotten reading through all the posts. Holly, my baby, is 5 months old and I’ve had her 7 weeks. She has been checked out by an avian vet and is healthy, has a good diet, 12 hours sleep, plenty of toys and as good as life as I can make for her (I say her, but I don’t know yet as labs aren’t testing at the moment). Ever since I had her she is obsessed with my hands and me! The hand thing is a real problem as I can’t show her anything, how to play with a toy, where I’m putting food for foraging, as she just watches my hand, rather than what I’m doing with them and then jumps on them and starts rubbing her tail on them! It’s hard to pet her as she squirms around, chewing at my fingers until she can get in position to rub her tail.

She is also incredibly nervous of everything. She will only play with her cage toys if I’m sitting next to her, or occassionly in the same room. She calls for me as soon as I stand up, and for a while when I leave the room. Even if she stops calling she will just sit there until I’m back. When I get back she bobs up and down until she regurgitates, she also does this when she is out playing.

I was expecting this sort of behaviour when she started to mature, but not at such a young age. Most people talk about cuddly, sweet babies, but mine seems to have missed this phase.

I wondered if anyone else had experienced something like this and if they recommended any things I can do? I just need reassurance that it won’t be like this forever.

Thanks for any help/advice

 

[aooratrix]

BUMP

I'm sure some caique people will be along to help you.

@Irishj9

 

[aooratrix]

@Laurie

 

[Irishj9]

The obsession with moving hands or feet is normal with babies in my house.

In that way baby caiques are like kittens. They just wanna play and chase anything that moves. ( and learn how to hunt?)

The sexual moves at that young age are new to me. Maybe @Laurie has seen this before.

I keep all mine in mini flock groups, so they domt see me as a mate anyway.

Cha Cha (9) will occasionally and very briefly do the rubbing thing. But not in any truly sexual way.

 

[Laurie]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for all the information I’ve gotten reading through all the posts. Holly, my baby, is 5 months old and I’ve had her 7 weeks. She has been checked out by an avian vet and is healthy, has a good diet, 12 hours sleep, plenty of toys and as good as life as I can make for her (I say her, but I don’t know yet as labs aren’t testing at the moment). Ever since I had her she is obsessed with my hands and me! The hand thing is a real problem as I can’t show her anything, how to play with a toy, where I’m putting food for foraging, as she just watches my hand, rather than what I’m doing with them and then jumps on them and starts rubbing her tail on them! It’s hard to pet her as she squirms around, chewing at my fingers until she can get in position to rub her tail.

She is also incredibly nervous of everything. She will only play with her cage toys if I’m sitting next to her, or occassionly in the same room. She calls for me as soon as I stand up, and for a while when I leave the room. Even if she stops calling she will just sit there until I’m back. When I get back she bobs up and down until she regurgitates, she also does this when she is out playing.

I was expecting this sort of behaviour when she started to mature, but not at such a young age. Most people talk about cuddly, sweet babies, but mine seems to have missed this phase.

I wondered if anyone else had experienced something like this and if they recommended any things I can do? I just need reassurance that it won’t be like this forever.

Thanks for any help/advice

Hmmmm, i didn't reply immediately because I don't know exactly what to say.

Personally, I don't get the idea of cuddly sweet babies. Mine are all crazy and raucous like any true caique should be, lol!

I have not experiences the tail rubbing, just caiques surffing but that is more like rubbing around their top half of their body like from their feet up.

They can totally become obsessed with hands, when they do something I don't like to my hands I set them down and put my hands behind my back for a few seconds, the fun stops. Then a few seconds later the hands come back and as long as they are doing something I think is okay, the hands stay, if I don't like it then they go away again. This usually works well and works for nipping, biting, overexcited play and such so they can learn what they are allowed to do to hands and what they are not allowed to do.

It could be loneliness or separation anxiety since she is calling for you and eagerly awaiting your return. I have never kept a single caiques so I have not actually experienced this sort of behavior but I have seen it in birds who get separated from their mates.

I hope this at least give you a little context and direction. Congrats on your new caique.

 

[Nikomania]

My caique is anything but cuddly. Hormones wouldn't be hitting at this age.

Are you confusing the caique surfing behavior with hormones? Most caiques love to surf, or rub their face and bodies on various surfaces.

 

[Anji]

Thanks for the replies, all of you.
It’s definitely tail rubbing, she surfs too. This week I am being more proactive at taking my hands as soon as she does something I don’t want her to - biting too hard, tail rubbing. I’m also only petting her head and neck, as advised for hormonal birdies. I’m giving her more foraging to do and have started some training with her. It seems to be working (fingers crossed).

She‘s still super clingy, but I’m leaving her for short periods. Interestingly if she can hear noises in the house she continues to call, but if everything is quiet, she too is quiet, but sits patiently rather than play!

We’re having unusually warm, sunny weather, here in the UK. So I’m hoping that it is what is causing the tail rubbing, in which case it hopefully means it won’t be a long standing problem.

As it seems to be an unusual issue, I’ll report back with how she’s got on.

Thanks again