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Link to Information on Hormonal Behavior in Birds

JLcribber

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This article is definitely worth being "stucked" in the behavior section.
 

Sapphire Moon

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I am glad you posted these and I will be reading them as soon as I have a few minutes.
My U2 will pant when I hold her and touch her back. I try to not make this contact but it happens. The last couple of days she starts to pant when I stand in front of her cage. It seems to be happening more and more. I at first thought that she was ill but everything else seems fine. I am going to buy a scale and start weighing her just to be on the safe side as she likes to throw her food on the floor. I give her finger foods just to make sure she is getting some nourishment.
But again, thanks for the articles.

Our U2 is going through a major hormonal time right now and I just found a great article that goes into detail about what can be done and suggestions to help make things better.

I don't know if it's been posted here before but I thought I'd share. It's been the most informative one I've read so far.

Hormonal Behavior in Pet Birds - Pet Bird Behaviors Unraveled — For The Birds DVM — Avian Vet

Hormonal Behavior in Pet Birds - Therapeutic Remedies — For The Birds DVM — Avian Vet

Hormonal Behavior in Pet Birds - Conclusion — For The Birds DVM — Avian Vet
 

Annamacaw

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Great articles.... and perfect timing

Thanks!!!!
 

ortegah

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Great articles.... and perfect timing

Thanks!!!!
Of course it's perfect timing! All our birds are going all hormonal at once! :lol: I know that's why I was doing research :D
 

Lovebird57

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Thank you! I had already moved the paper to the tray instead of on top of the grate for my female lovie. She's doing much better. She's playing like a normal bird instead of shred monster. :dancing:

Now I have to figure out how to help Mango the male. He's so crazy about Mojo, the cockatiel. He's regurgitating constantly. If his cage is not next to his, he paces like crazy which drives me crazy. I think I need to try it again anyway.

The need to shorten their light is hard one here because of our schedules. Even though they are in the living room where all our activity is, I am leaving them covered longer in hopes of helping them. I love them so much. :heart:
 

rockoko

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Ooooh excellent articles!!

this is Rocky for the last couple years (the cavity seeking, she never reached the territorial part thank goodness):

Cavity Seeking
As reproductive drives escalate, many pet birds will begin to roam and explore seeking a cav-ity. The perceived cavity may be a closet, a drawer or a box. Many birds have attempted to set up housekeeping under a chair or a couch. Owners have found chair stuffing excavated and carpets ripped up by companion parrots driven to find a suitable nest site. Many owners have viewed this be-havior with great amusement and often facilitated the quest by allowing the bird to stake a claim to a certain spot. Cavity seeking should rather be viewed as a serious escalation of hormonally driven be-havior. Many Neotropical species will become very territorial and fiercely guard their homestead. Cav-ity seeking is often a sign of imminent ovulation in the female. Researchers at the University of Cali-fornia at Davis have investigated the importance of this hormonal drive in the cascade of physiologic changes that lead to oviposition. Studies there demonstrated testosterone levels crescendo to their peak levels in male Orange-winged Amazons during cavity exploration. This information dovetails per-fectly with the observed importance of cavity availability to many Neotropical species including Ama-zon parrots and macaws. Curtailing this behavior by not allowing the bird to wander is a simple and powerful solution. Without the cavity, the reproductive drive usually abates. In contrast, female birds that are permitted or encouraged to establish ownership of a "cavity" will often begin a long stint of unrelenting egg production. Often these female birds will lay several lifetimes worth of eggs and be-come quite stressed and - eventually - quite ill from the physiologic demands of egg production and incubation.
glad to know I've been doing it right keeping her mind off of going behind the oven and garbage can :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
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Saemma

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Ooooh excellent articles!!

this is Rocky for the last couple years (the cavity seeking, she never reached the territorial part thank goodness):



glad to know I've been doing it right keeping her mind off of going behind the oven and garbage can :eek: :eek: :eek:
:hug8:
 

ortegah

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Ooooh excellent articles!!

this is Rocky for the last couple years (the cavity seeking, she never reached the territorial part thank goodness):



glad to know I've been doing it right keeping her mind off of going behind the oven and garbage can :eek: :eek: :eek:
We have that issue with Emmett and Jellybean. Jellybean climbs under the dresser and laughs his head off and we all think it's cute until he attacks our feet and won't let us get him out.
 

sweethartza

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hi. need some advice. i don't know what's going on with my male mousebird - his name is Chirpoo. he is beginning to bite and doesn't take "no" very kindly. he can even attack my finger if i raise it to say no. is he going through hormones? he is one years old (human years).
 

waterfaller1

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hi. need some advice. i don't know what's going on with my male mousebird - his name is Chirpoo. he is beginning to bite and doesn't take "no" very kindly. he can even attack my finger if i raise it to say no. is he going through hormones? he is one years old (human years).
It is hormones, yes. Please start a post about this in the softbill section at the bottom of the forum.
 

KatherinesBirds

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I Really Liked this!:o: I bookmarked the whole thing. I don't let my Meyers shred and never have. I don't let my other birds shed either. They have chew toys and the ones that start to turn into a pile (like a nest) in the corner get cleaned up and moved. I also have removed the big, dark hooded ceramic feeders that Wiggles ties to fit his body into. This hormonal time will pass. No point in helping them make MORE HORMONES! Thanks for the articles and good reading!!!
Katherine
:heart:
 

AshleyFamily

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Thank you for posting this! its very timely for us, as Smokey has just in the last day or so started to pant, droop his wings out and cluck at me anytime I pick him up. I am at a bit of uncertainty, because our prior bird never did any of this... and we have only had Smokey for a week. He came to us with no feathering already, and on a seed only diet already, which we are in the process of changing. But he doesn't seem to really be into shredding things too much yet. I am just trying to learn as I go, really want to do the very best I can for him :)
 

jeme3

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Great information. Thank you for posting.

What I take from it is:
1. 12 hours of daylight/darkness
2. Keep weight under control. Slightly on the lean side is probably good.
3. Don't encourage/allow nesty behavior- shredding, hiding in dark places
4. Make them work for food- foraging, etc.
5. Flight is good, be careful
6. Don't overstimulate with too much cuddling and physical attention

Did I miss anything?
 

henpecked

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I think a large part of this article might be being missed, your bird is shredding paper and homonal because a) too well feed,soft foods ,high fat,etc b) too much close contact,c) not enough exerciser. The paper shredding etc is a symptom of too much abundance.In the wild there would be "leaner" times to take them out of the breeding/nesting behavior. In short if you want to get rid of the hormonal behavior put your bird on a diet.I agree with much of the article, but not being cuddly with my pet, might be hard.
 

sanja8888

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that was an amazing article! i recognize all of that in Ryo's behaviour right now! he keeps finding holes/dark places i never knew even existed, keeps getting into my cupboards, and under my blankets all the time! i thought he was just curious! although this sounds terrible my mom and i let him "masturbate" on our toes, we thought it was natural and that we shouldnt stop it but now we are going to! no wonder he is so protective of us and is viciously attacking my sister and dad!

But how do you dscourage attacking other members when he's protecting me and my mom? :lol:
 

greybird57

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Just don't pet there lower back it will tell the ormobird that you want to have sex and as everyone knows humans can't have sex with birds. So when the bird is showing
signs of hormon and the like back off or you will get bit. Give the bird and you some space till the hormons die down.:omg:
 

Charmaine Weir

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Unfortunately I have a very different situation. I got my WCP at 10 years old. He was extremely aggressive with me. I worked with him and he became my buddy, sometimes. He has always bonded to feet, mine. If my husband is here he won't come near my feet. He will pace and sometimes find a spot to pick out the carpet. If he doesn't get my feet every day and on his demand, he attacks me. Recently he realizes that he has flight, I clipped him about 2 years ago, so now if he gets beyond rage, he flies into my face to attack. He will climb anything and everything to get to me to get to my feet. He's shredded my shower curtains and is working on my bed skirt. I use a laser light to keep him out of my bedroom. But it sometimes has adverse effects and he flies around till he tries to land on my face. He's done a 60 degree turn about in behaviour and aggression but what more can I do????
 

LindaD

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Thanks so much for this article. I learned so much. My Moustache is going thru her 1st cycle and I have been wondering what to do to help her. Also to stay out of her way when she lunges and bites with crazy eyes pinning wildly! :wacky:
 
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