Green wing macaw hormone implant

[BellaTango]

Good morning and happy new year all! I’m new here and have a green wing macaw that I’m told is 2 yrs old however she is showing extreme hormonal signs. She is not egg laying but she has been very “bitey”, trying to climb to the floor and regurgitates on EVERYTHING! Examples would be toys, perches, towels, ropes and even her own wings. She was masturbating on her wing for about 2 wks and is and appears to have been for quite some time destroying her wing feathers. She’s not plucking them but bites them off. She’s unable to fly as a result and doesn’t even have enough of them left to glide so she falls off of things. A friend recommended an implant that will stop the nesting behavior and possibly relieve the anxiety resulting in her not destroying her wings. Has anyone else had these problems and if so what did you find helps. She is on a good diet of raw vegetables, nuts and a good pellet. She is also getting 12 hours of sleep every night.

 

[macawpower58]

IMO Implants are for extreme problems that hormones may escalate, mainly health problems.
Everyone of us with hormonal birds are seeing the same as you.
Mine crawls under the bed, and nests with little towels.
Can be nippy and behave unexpectedly.
I'd not use the implant myself unless health problems demanded action.

Others may feel differently, and will offer their opinions.
Don't forget, you may have fewer members on as it's a holiday.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Have you taken her to your vet? Sexual behavior to the extreme you describe is not normal in a two year old GW macaw. My female became sexually active at approx. 7 years of age. As youngsters they display some behaviors that might be interpreted as sexual, but that they are sexual is highly unlikely.

I recommend that you take her to your vet and explain carefully and completely the behavior she exhibits that concerns you. I would use a deslorelin implants would be my last option.

Sexual maturity	Small Macaws	4-6 years
	Large Macaws	5-7 years

Basic Information Sheet: Macaw - LafeberVet

Macaws are found in a variety of habitats throughout large areas of the Amazon Basin, such as gallery forests and mangrove swamps. Most macaws are listed on Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix I, however the blue and gold, green-winged, Hahn’s, noble...

lafeber.com

Sex And The Psittacine

 

[Toy]

My B&G (passed in August) was 2 when I got her. She fed everything from toys, to her feet, to her tail, to me. She never showed any other signs of breeding until she reached the age of 10. My new B&G Macaw, now 8 months old, has tried to feed me several times. It's best to ignore this & walk away.

Perhaps your bird is older than 2 years. How long have you had her? How much interaction does your bird get daily? Some require more interaction that others do.

Breeding season for macaws usually starts late October & runs into late February, March. During this time they are grumpy, feisty, bitey, etc. I'd suggest a vet visit to rule out any health issues. A last resort would be a hormone implant.

 

[BellaTango]

I’m mostly concerned with the destruction of her wings as she is falling off of her perches but if I put her on the floor she builds nests. Old if she’s actually 2 as I was only told this by the store and it seems all the big birds there “are 2 yrs old” but she has been pleasing herself for a couple of wks and I’ve had her about 3-4 months now.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Here is a video about imping a macaw. One of our members here had her Scarlet imped because he had damaged so many wing feather that he was constantly falling and when a new one would try to grow out it had no support from neighboring feathers. It worked perfectly and Maiu was soon flying like a bird again.

This video will give you an idea of how the imping is done - although it's an eagle. The same thing is done on parrots of all sizes.

Pretty simple and effective. All you need to do is find a veterinarian who does imping and get the feathers to do the imping with.

A Very Special Gift..... *Repost* | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[JustMyFids]

Hello! I have a GW who has almost identical behaviors and barbering. How is your GW doing?

 

[Shezbug]

Hello! I have a GW who has almost identical behaviors and barbering. How is your GW doing?

The OP has not been online here since 2021 so I do not think you will receive a reply.

 

[JustMyFids]

The OP has not been online here since 2021 so I do not think you will receive a reply.

Figured, thought it was worth a try tho!