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Baby to adult. Will they still love me?

JLcribber

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It has the potential to teach you acceptance and patience.

I can't think of a better teacher to learn those two things. A large parrot will test your character to the limit.
 

Crazy4parrots

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Can someone Tell me The mature age of a lovie?
 

Cara

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This is a great thread. It's both scary and comforting to see people that are so thoughtful and smart about 'bird-keeping' ((Becky)) going through this. Scary to know that none of us know what we're in for, and comforting to know that others share my challenges and concerns. We are incredibly lucky because (other than Rocky), all of our birds are pretty good with both of us. Since I have one macaw that has been here since 4 months and others that came as adults, it's hard for me to target which behaviors are related to prior homes vs. the length of our relationship with the large macaws.

Rocky: when we brought him home, I was told that his previous beloved owner was a man, and that he generally seemed to be more comfortable with men. Clearly, that has not been the case. I think Rocky bases his choices on the individual rather than the gender or appearance, although I am 5'7" and keep my hair short, so maybe he thinks I'm a guy. Maybe he is drawn to men because they tend to be less fussy than women much of the time. I am less fussy than Jim, so maybe that's the secret. I am much more willing to let Rocky be Rocky. He doesn't like to be patted much, he doesn't like to be held for long. That's fine with me. Jim is a Too guy, and he just can't seem to grasp the fact that sometimes birds just want to hang out and not be mauled.

Pooka: Part of Becky's post that scared me was about her G2 starting to change allegiance at 17. Pooka is 11, and I sort of considered him mature enough to be 'settled' in his preferences. He will be a holy terror if he decides to get aggressive with someone. Right now, we are both more like his slaves than anything else. We are there to pat, feed, provide toys, pat, transport him around the house, pat, amuse him, pat. And did I mention that he wants to be patted a lot?

Zuni: I have to be very careful with Zuni when he's hormonal or having private time with Jim, but he is my pal when Jim is not in sight (or hearing). When he thinks he's hurt or nervous, he usually wants me rather than Jim. I think my relationship with him is less fraught than Jim's position as his 'mate'. The first few years after his hormones kicked in were a definite learning period and we had to adjust everything we did with him. He used to be the bird that we took to meet people, especially kids, and now I just don't trust him with strangers. I was bitten badly a few times until we established new behaviors with him. Now, as long as I recognize when to steer clear, we do well together.

Kirby: Our relationship has definitely changed over the years. He loves me most. If I'm not home he sucks up to Jim, but once I'm around he wants me. He definitely doesn't want to be cuddled as much or spun around by his feet or whatever. He still lets us get away with murder, but I have been trying to stop flipping him around quite so much because I'm not sure he enjoys it like he used to. Of course, he makes all kinds of outraged noises if I tug his tail, but as soon as I stop, he carefully positions himself to put that tail in my face - that is a game to him. Kirby is not hormonal at all, and he is er.... a little slow. These days, his favorite form of scritchles is to have me stand near the swing or a cage and he leans on me, closes his eyes and blisses out while I give him rubbings. I wonder if some day he will grow up and decide he doesn't love me anymore. Right now, he loves me even more than bananas. :laugh:

Sophia is great with both of us. She gurges for both of us when she's in the mood. At 16 1/2 and just the fact that she's SO consistently awesome makes me think that she's not going to change much. Even when she's nesty, she doesn't bite or get weird with anyone.

Chico is probably more attached to me, but he wants a bird mate. He likes to sit and play with towels with me, but he doesn't love to be patted or preened.

There are two things I have noticed over the years. The first is that with my trickiest birds, its more a matter of modifying the behavior of the humans than 'training' the bird. To a big extent, the birds are gonna do what they're gonna do. We have to develop ways to deal with it. Zuni knows how to step up and he knows some tricks and he understands a lot of what we say to him. When he 'goes M2", he's not thinking. It is up to me to recognize the signs and make the right move. The second thing is that it's very, very hard to convince folks to believe what people with years of experience are preaching. Young people don't want to hear that they should wait until they are settled to get a parrot. People with sweet babies refuse to believe that these changes ever happen to their bird. It's not true of everyone, but I've seen it over and over again. Jim was in complete denial about M2 behavior because Zuni was just 'such a sweet, loving baby'. Hah.
 

pajarita

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[quote="Cara, post: 2126150, member: 8821] There are two things I have noticed over the years. The first is that with my trickiest birds, its more a matter of modifying the behavior of the humans than 'training' the bird. To a big extent, the birds are gonna do what they're gonna do. We have to develop ways to deal with it. Zuni knows how to step up and he knows some tricks and he understands a lot of what we say to him. When he 'goes M2", he's not thinking. It is up to me to recognize the signs and make the right move. The second thing is that it's very, very hard to convince folks to believe what people with years of experience are preaching. Young people don't want to hear that they should wait until they are settled to get a parrot. People with sweet babies refuse to believe that these changes ever happen to their bird. It's not true of everyone, but I've seen it over and over again. Jim was in complete denial about M2 behavior because Zuni was just 'such a sweet, loving baby'. Hah.[/quote]

So very true! And, of course, the fact that there are always people who really haven't had their bird for very long (and I am talking years and years here) that will tell them it's not true, that their bird is just fine not realizing that parrots are so long-lived that they can start changing in their late teens and even twenties doesn't help.
 

Macawnutz

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I wonder if some day he will grow up and decide he doesn't love me anymore. Right now, he loves me even more than bananas. :laugh:


Now that's love right? :rofl:

Our babies switched people already. Korbel and Maui are both three now. I handfed Korbel from 6 weeks and Maui came to us at 18 weeks weaned. Korbel found nobody in life tolerable but Mom. Maui was attached to my husband. ( Maui's handfeeder was a man ) so I bet that helped him choose a person. At about 2 years old Maui became very independant, really wanted nothing to do with extra cuddles and liked me much more than my husband. Korbel at three years old loves me if I am home by myself. If my husband is home I am the devil and if I try to get in his way he will bite. :rolleyes:

It really does not bother us one way or another. Korbel may change again and gosh knows.... hate us and only like my son? :rofl: We will move on and accept the changes. I think in the end people just need to realize it is a possibility and be willing to be flexible. I see so many new or young members jump onto the site with young macaws, sometimes quite a few of them. Not to name any names but where are they now? Did they also see like Maui and Korbel they can change earlier than hormones? I don't believe hormones to be the cause of our changes at all... just growing up. :)
 

Crazy4parrots

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So far no one has answered my question in this thread... :(
 

melissasparrots

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No one has answered my question :(
Most small birds are mature at about a year old give or take a few months. By two years old you should be seeing very mature behavior. However, do keep in mind that birds can switch bonds and show different behaviors even as adults.
 

Crazy4parrots

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That will explain Kiwi changes and mood swings as she is now 1 year & 9 months old... Baylee so far has been pretty stable and she is almost 4 years old....no mood swings or drastic changes in behavior. So it is possible Baylee will remain as she is :xflove:. Maybe she will change. Lets hope Baylee stays as she is and that Kiwi goes back to been sweet.
 

Crazy4parrots

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It is true new owners dont think their sweet parrot could change! My god mother who own Flappy dont she might change right now she is in the Honey moon phase she has been barely a month there and she acts calm and sweet and all..
 

macawpower58

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I don't know much about lovebirds, and someone earlier mentioned how quakers lived in large communal nests, and that might mitigate changes like we can see. Whether or not you'll see many of those changes I think may have a lot to do with species.....anyone else know about the smaller parrots?
 

macawpower58

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Pooka: Part of Becky's post that scared me was about her G2 starting to change allegiance at 17. Pooka is 11, and I sort of considered him mature enough to be 'settled' in his preferences. He will be a holy terror if he decides to get aggressive with someone. Right now, we are both more like his slaves than anything else. We are there to pat, feed, provide toys, pat, transport him around the house, pat, amuse him, pat. And did I mention that he wants to be patted a lot?


I still see changes in my G2, she's not as crazy playful or as high strung as before, though her changes are happening much more slowly than when the heavy hormone changes hit. Right now I'm again her loved one. But, I'm also the only one living in my home right now. ;) Her nippyness is not bad right now, and it's easy to see when she's heading that direction. No outright attacks in quite sometime. I'm not sure what I'd see if she had another person to woo. She's in her early 20's now. Even her feather destructive behavior has calmed somewhat. Perhaps the season's have some bearing on that.
 

Crazy4parrots

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I don't know much about lovebirds, and someone earlier mentioned how quakers lived in large communal nests, and that might mitigate changes like we can see. Whether or not you'll see many of those changes I think may have a lot to do with species.....anyone else know about the smaller parrots?
Flappy is a budgie not a lovie :) With Baylee i didnt see any change but with Kiwi i had seen minor changes. I think small parrots changes too but not like big parrots.
 

Cara

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I still see changes in my G2, she's not as crazy playful or as high strung as before, though her changes are happening much more slowly than when the heavy hormone changes hit. Right now I'm again her loved one. But, I'm also the only one living in my home right now. ;) Her nippyness is not bad right now, and it's easy to see when she's heading that direction. No outright attacks in quite sometime. I'm not sure what I'd see if she had another person to woo. She's in her early 20's now. Even her feather destructive behavior has calmed somewhat. Perhaps the season's have some bearing on that.
Pooka bites when he's fully flighted. I have to stop denying this connection. I want him to be flighted. Every time his flights grow out, he starts biting humans and being aggressive towards the macaws and bullying Zuni more than usual. After my second bad bite, I clip him and swear I won't let his wings grow out again. Then I cave, and we repeat the whole cycle. I had to admit to this pattern finally this year, even though I pretty much knew it. I keep a calendar of bird stuff every year - weights, vet visits, behavioral things. It's not so elaborate. Sometimes an entry will be "Zuni - PYSCHO!" or "Chico - dirty deed on play gym" :laugh: If a bite is bad enough, I remember to record it. In October there was an entry "Nailed by Pooka. Very bloody, hurts." Then there was another similar entry about 10 days later. A the few weeks before the bites, there were happy little notes about his flying. If I look back over the last four or five years, the two types of entries are always together. :(
 

macawpower58

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Yes, flight does give them some feisty behavior at times. I'm not really sure how I'd handle that. My Goffin hardly ever flies, usually only if she really wants somewhere.
 

Princessbella

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It is hard when what you get is not what you expect. I'm thinking it might me different with smaller birds. I've only had cockatiels, one that I handraised from 7 weeks old and they have both been my birds. The only difference is that Buddy would go to others and Bella is more of a Momma's bird. But maybe because both of them were only birds and since I live alone, they both got a lot of attention. Although it pains you to see your birds favor your daughters hopefully you can take comfort in the fact that if something should happen to you, your birds would be well taken care of. :heart: :heart:
 

Crazy4parrots

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Kiwi changes has been minor like She used to be all Sweet with me & Now she can't see me next to Baylee cause she attacks me. I'm in a love triangle. :sour: Kiwi see Baylee as her mate & Baylee see me as her mate! So now Kiwi hates me If she see me near Baylee. She used to love pellets (still eats them but not much) lol now she prefers Almonds & nuts.
Baylee liked nuts before and now prefers almonds & pellets. :lol:Baylee likes more men than women but since i live with my mom. Usually I'm her favorite person unless a man comes to visit o_O
 

Ankou

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I've also noticed with smaller birds, they seem far more apt to accept their parent figure as their mate if nothing else is available. Maybe it's because they breed so readily? I mean, in the wild they are at the bottom of the food chain so the drive to breed is pretty strong.

Peanut gave me some sass but nothing like people are having here with their large parrots.
Honestly I don't even remember Peanut trying to choose anyone but me and she never tried to shun me, she just decided every object in the known universe was hers and worth defending by force with very little provocation.

So I suppose my point is, with the little parrots, this isn't so much a worry as it is with the bigger ones for several reasons. If you are reading this because you are worried about your little ones, have love, have patience, have bribes, and I think you can work through this.
:hug8:
It's something to be aware of with all species, of course, but I guess I'd say it sounds like the difference between needing the patience of an above average person versus that of a saint. (At first I said normal patience for the little ones, then I remember how many are still left at rescues because people can't take it. :( )

Anyway, just add this to the list of many many reasons why I recommend small birds to younger people who seem responsible enough to handle a bird at all versus medium or larger ones. (Keep in mind, my opinion is biased since I've had Peanut since I was 13 and really feel anyone with enough patience and love could make room for their bird in their lives for many years... when I know that isn't always the case even if it is at first.)

@Baylee4ever
You might find my above ramblings to answer some of your concerns. :)
Also Peanut reached sexual maturity around a year old and was at her most difficult from 2-3 years. After that she settled down a little more each year but during hormonal times until she was around 6 she didn't like to leave her cage unguarded.
 

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I've had Joey for over 16 years, and I got him when he was four months old. I spend time with him every day, and he is more affectionate than ever. He has recently started falling asleep on my shoulder, after cuddling for a while. But sometimes he is not in the mood to be touched. I'm very happy with him.
 

macawpower58

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You're very lucky. I wish mine had stayed their sweet selves forever.
 
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