Springtime, hormones etc.

[TurboTiel]

Hello AA!
It's been a while.
Spring is officially here, we all know that means.. an increased level of hormones in our feathery friends.
I wanted to know, is there a way to calm the hormones down a bit?
I have two male tiels and they're a nightmare right now.
My oldest tiel Turbo, screams constantly and won't calm down.
Dusty is being very angry and wants to pick a fight with Turbo all the time.

This resulted in me separating both of them into their own cages, they're placed so they still can see each other.
I wanted to prevent any injuries which could occur when I'm out of the house.

What do you do to calm the hormones down?
Please keep a positive tone
Thank you all in advance!

 

[CeciliaZ]

Not sure what to do to calm the hormones down - but I separate mine if I think they will hurt each other. This is a very hormonal year for a couple of my tiels - have not seen it this bad in the years that I have had them. One of them is almost 10 years old.

 

[cassiesdad]

There's not really a whole lot we can do concerning hormone season...all I can recommend is more patience...and a good sense of humor, because "silly season" can drive you nuts...

 

[TurboTiel]

There's not really a whole lot we can do concerning hormone season...all I can recommend is more patience...and a good sense of humor, because "silly season" can drive you nuts...

Ah yeah, time to listen to the same tone all over for 5 hours straight
I must admit, it can be quite entertaining <3

 

[Hawk12237]

Lol.....what do I do for the birds hormones????Buy an EXTRA bottle of wine for wife, and I'll take a double please!!!! You'll need it!

 

[Hawk12237]

Not sure what to do to calm the hormones down - but I separate mine if I think they will hurt each other. This is a very hormonal year for a couple of my tiels - have not seen it this bad in the years that I have had them. One of them is almost 10 years old.

There is a pet safe way to calm them, provided for poultry and animals, Valerian is in it. I need to find out from vet if it's safe for parrots. I forget what the name of it is.

 

[Hawk12237]

Hello AA!
It's been a while.
Spring is officially here, we all know that means.. an increased level of hormones in our feathery friends.
I wanted to know, is there a way to calm the hormones down a bit?
I have two male tiels and they're a nightmare right now.
My oldest tiel Turbo, screams constantly and won't calm down.
Dusty is being very angry and wants to pick a fight with Turbo all the time.

This resulted in me separating both of them into their own cages, they're placed so they still can see each other.
I wanted to prevent any injuries which could occur when I'm out of the house.

What do you do to calm the hormones down?
Please keep a positive tone
Thank you all in advance!

I heard hemp seeds has a calming effect on birds.

 

[Tara81]

Keeping their minds occupied, two weeks of longer nights, moving the cage, changing toys, changing their perch setup, making them forage for food, removing nest areas, cardboard boxes they can “nest” in, giving them more to do, training them to fly to you more often(wear them out haha ) . Change their environment to where it’s just a little uncomfortable for them so they don’t feel it’s breeding conditions.

 

[TurboTiel]

Keeping their minds occupied, two weeks of longer nights, moving the cage, changing toys, changing their perch setup, making them forage for food, removing nest areas, cardboard boxes they can “nest” in, giving them more to do, training them to fly to you more often(wear them out haha ) . Change their environment to where it’s just a little uncomfortable for them so they don’t feel it’s breeding conditions.

I'll try moving around a bit in their cages, might help a little bit but thank you very much!

 

[AviaryByTheSea]

What do you do to calm the hormones down?
Please keep a positive tone
Thank you all in advance!

I posted this in another thread about egg laying... which is really a hormonal response to environmental cues... obviously your male birds won't lay eggs, but it will reduce their instinct and hormonal response from this same environmental signals that it is time mate... it should help some.

Birds instinctually respond to specific environmental cues that may stimulate reproductive activity like nesting and egg laying. Some or all of the following environmental signals may contribute to mating and egglaying:

Long day length - reduce daylight by providing a strict 10 hours of daylight and longer sleeping periods.

The presence of a mate - reduce or eliminate exposure to the mate (real or perceived). A perceived mate could be: another bird housed in the same cage, (or person) in the same room or within hearing distance. A perceived mate could possibly be an inanimate object like a favorite toy or mirror.

Avoid interacting with the bird that may stimulate reproductive activities such as rubbing the back, under the wings, around the vent, or the neck.

Warm temperatures - reduce the temperature if possible.

Rain - stop spraying or allowing baths.

Abundant food supply - reduce the quantity of available food.

Remove nesting material such as shredded paper and any dark hallow cavities like a coconut shell/husk with an opening that the bird may perceive as a nest box.

Some other things you can do...

If your bird is laying eggs or has laid eggs already... Allow eggs to remain in the cage for at least a couple weeks (can be replaced with fakes.)

Switch cage location. This change may distract or stress the bird out of its nesting or breeding behavior, particularly if it no longer feels safe. Moving a cage to the center of a room can sometimes do the trick.

Offer calcium-rich foods such as boiled egg with the shell and dark, leafy greens, reduce seed intake and improve nutrition by converting your bird to a healthy diet that includes a formulated pellet.

 

[TurboTiel]

I posted this in another thread about egg laying... which is really a hormonal response to environmental cues... obviously your male birds won't lay eggs, but it will reduce their instinct and hormonal response from this same environmental signals that it is time mate... it should help some.

Birds instinctually respond to specific environmental cues that may stimulate reproductive activity like nesting and egg laying. Some or all of the following environmental signals may contribute to mating and egglaying:

Long day length - reduce daylight by providing a strict 10 hours of daylight and longer sleeping periods.

The presence of a mate - reduce or eliminate exposure to the mate (real or perceived). A perceived mate could be: another bird housed in the same cage, (or person) in the same room or within hearing distance. A perceived mate could possibly be an inanimate object like a favorite toy or mirror.

Avoid interacting with the bird that may stimulate reproductive activities such as rubbing the back, under the wings, around the vent, or the neck.

Warm temperatures - reduce the temperature if possible.

Rain - stop spraying or allowing baths.

Abundant food supply - reduce the quantity of available food.

Remove nesting material such as shredded paper and any dark hallow cavities like a coconut shell/husk with an opening that the bird may perceive as a nest box.

Some other things you can do...

If your bird is laying eggs or has laid eggs already... Allow eggs to remain in the cage for at least a couple weeks (can be replaced with fakes.)

Switch cage location. This change may distract or stress the bird out of its nesting or breeding behavior, particularly if it no longer feels safe. Moving a cage to the center of a room can sometimes do the trick.

Offer calcium-rich foods such as boiled egg with the shell and dark, leafy greens, reduce seed intake and improve nutrition by converting your bird to a healthy diet that includes a formulated pellet.

Thank you so much for this!
This was really helpful!