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Some Questions on How to Deal With a Hormonal Bird

SkytheGcc

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Hello!

My GCC, Sky, is reaching that age lol.

I was wondering a few things.

First off, if she bites unprompted, when we were having a good time, (due to mood swings I presume), I heard time-outs can be a good thing to try. However, I don't really know how to do that? Like do you just put them down or in the cage for a bit and then come back after? or should there be a specific non cage spot for time outs.

Second should snuggling not be allowed? I don't mean in hands touching her back and stuff, I mean her sitting on my shoulder or under my neck and just hanging out there. Sometimes she will kind of shove her face and/or body into my neck and rub on it. In kind of of a snuggly way, not a sexual way. she also licks me a lot, including shoving her face in my ear and licking that. I wouldn't think much of it other than her being random, but she hasn't done that until the past couple weeks, and during those weeks she's been having mood swings. Idk if the last part is bad or not, which is why I'm asking lol

any advice past this would be nice too! thanks
 

Wardy

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Mojo has just had quite a hormonal episode was cavity seeking and was a total pita. She bit me my wife and KiKi a few times so much so KiKi didnt go with her for a while.

First off, if she bites unprompted, when we were having a good time, (due to mood swings I presume), I heard time-outs can be a good thing to try.
Any biting at all if Mojo is on me she gets put down on the coffee table told no biting and then i turn my back on her not something i do so much now as she is well behaved on the whole i did have to do this a couple of times whist she was hormonal.

Second should snuggling not be allowed?
I didnt i just left her to her own devices so as not to worsen things.

I mean her sitting on my shoulder or under my neck and just hanging out there.
I dont allow the birds on my shoulders as if they do try and bite they are much to hard to control and remove i got bit once by Mojo my wife got bitten about half a dozen times she allows Mojo on her shoulders againt my advice.

my shoulder or under my neck and just hanging out there. Sometimes she will kind of shove her face and/or body into my neck and rub on it. In kind of of a snuggly way, not a sexual way. she also licks me a lot
I wouldnt allow any suggling i know you are saying this is not sexual can you be 100% sure ?

during those weeks she's been having mood swings
Mojo wasnt having moodswings she was a absolute nightmare with KiKi bearing the brunt so much so she didnt bother with her when out of the cage for a couple of weeks, if it is hormones give the bird more hours of darkness and cut out any warm soft food.
 

Fuzzy

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Ideally you don't want to get her so wound up/over excited that she ends up biting in the first place. The more she bites in a certain scenario the more she is learning to bite. If you think it is going that way, slow down, withdraw or freeze for a few seconds to remove reinforcement and let her calm down a little, then resume but in a calmer way. You could also have a foot toy ready so as to distract her.

Proper time outs don't work so well as by the time you have picked her up, carried her across the room and put her into a cage, the moment has been lost - she'll have no idea why you have put her into her cage. Mini time outs like putting the bird down for a few seconds or turning your back may work if it is immediate, but because they don't teach the bird what to DO, the most important part is to then cue another behaviour asap which can earn reinforcement (ideally the same reinforcement as the problem behaviour), and hopefully ends up displacing the problem behaviour.

Snuggling really means you are creating a pair bond with her. You might find this interesting:

 
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