What age do Lovebirds go through puberty?

[malibu]

I was thinking about this last night since Chica is about 4/5 months now and she has started to go under the blanket and if I move the blanket at all she lunges at me. I have only been bitten once and that was when I was trying to type on my laptop and she didn't like that and bit me. It wasn't too bad and it was mostly my fault for not paying attention to her body language.

Either way what age did your lovies go through puberty since this was a bit of a wake up call that Im going to have to deal with a hormonal parrot soon.

 

[Leih]

They reach sexual maturity around 10 months. My Aoife is a year and 5 months old, she just laid her first clutch (infertile) last month.

I think around 8 or 9 months she started being hormonal. And by hormonal I mean she started doing the wings out tail up pose and she would bite a lot. A girl a my parrot shop likened it to Aoife going through puberty and not knowing how to handle her hormones so she'd bite when I thought I hadn't even provoked her. As a single bird, Aoife came to think of me as her mate, so when she'd do the wings and nothing would come of it (ie mating) she'd bite me extra hard. So I approached this by increasing her dark time, she's on 13 hours of dark, frequent cage rearranging, and being extra observant of her body language. I mostly know what "turns her on" so I avoid it, but sometimes she still does wings, and then I quickly distract her away from it. She's always been cage Territorial, but when she layed her eggs she was awful! So, I think you have time and she probably was just being a snot. Sometimes Aoife's hanging out with me and she'll get startled and act like I was the source and just the worst! It's just part of bullheaded lovebird personality.

Do you provide her with any foraging? Keeping them busy is always a good idea. I switch toys weekly and when you move things in their cage they have to figure out how to navigate the new setting.

 

[malibu]

@Leih I hide nutriberries in paper towel so she can forage from there. Im still trying to find good toys that would be good for foraging. I move her cage stuff around about every 2 weeks or so.

I just get a little bit stressed when putting new toys in since two toys that she used to have in her cage stressed her out so she began to chew at her feet till she bled. I have since taken them out and shes fine.

 

[Leih]

Oh no! That's odd. Is she just afraid of new things?

 

[Leih]

A few things Aoife really likes are these foragers, or finger traps stuffed with stuff, or I drill holes in a balsa block and stuff treats and pellets in it. I often even just put some beads in her food dish so she has to push and pull them around to get to her food. These are from @Mizzely 's shop Lil Monsters.

Shawna, I just saw the bat forager! Will there be more or are you done with Halloween?

 

[Mizzely]

A few things Aoife really likes are these foragers, or finger traps stuffed with stuff, or I drill holes in a balsa block and stuff treats and pellets in it. I often even just put some beads in her food dish so she has to push and pull them around to get to her food. These are from @Mizzely 's shop Lil Monsters.

Shawna, I just saw the bat forager! Will there be more or are you done with Halloween?

Not done with Halloween! Just got absolutely slammed with orders the last couple days so I am still trying to check what I have on hand with what I have orders for so I don't oversell! I hopefully will have inventory updated later today/tonight

 

[malibu]

Oh no! That's odd. Is she just afraid of new things?

Possibly, she wasn't afraid of the other toys just the two.

 

[Zara]

Around 5 months old is about right. Every bird is different. I had one hen get hormonal at 5 months old and the other at about 7 months

 

[Duel]

Mine started doing his mating dance around cups (thinks he can mate with them) a while after turning a year old.

 

[Momo & Mido]

I just get a little bit stressed when putting new toys in since two toys that she used to have in her cage stressed her out so she began to chew at her feet till she bled. I have since taken them out and shes fine.

That's so sad! Maybe you can hang them on the outside of her cage? So she can play with them when she is outside the cage, but gets used to them when she is inside. But her age could also be a factor. I think they need to learn (how to) play with toys. Just keep trying I think.

 

[malibu]

@Momo & Mido I would hang them outside but there wall toys that go on the side. Once she's a bit older I'm going to reintroduce them and see if it goes over well.