What percentage of birds...

[Nailrep]

...turn on their owners after they mature?

I posted this question on another thread yesterday and it was suggested that I start a new thread.

How many of you guys have or have had birds (and what kind) that went from loving to hating you permanently after it sexually matured?

I am dreading the potential that this might happen with Elvis. No signs of this yet. But he will be four in April. I hear that this is usually the year they start to become more aggressive.

I have committed my life to my two macaws. But it would break my heart if one decided to hate me.

 

[love4birds]

I raised Monkee, our pearly conure. She loved me when she was a baby and shortly after she was weaned. Then, after she'd been weaned for a month or so, she started hating me, still does. If I'm near her she puffs up, glares at me, and struts and bangs her beak on things. I think a lot of it is that I'm her 'mom' and she doesn't need/want me around anymore because she's all grown up. But I'm okay with that. She loves my sister and her buddy, Lucy, that's what matters

 

[Birdlover]

Most of mine came to me when they were older, but of the few that I have had since babies that are now mature only one has been a difficult relationship.

I handfed & raised my two Lilac Crowned amazons. Wyatt I kept because I just had to have her, she was my first amazon baby to raise and I couldnt part with her. Cecil was supposed to be sold but had a bad accident and so I made a deal that I would pay her medical expences but she would become mine (They may or may not be related, both are females, DNA sexed). They are best friends but I still can handle them and we have a good relationship.

My senegal parrot, Coke-a-moe I bought as a just weaned baby. Still have a good relationship with him but he is a stubborn, opinionated sennie Not unusual in any way, and we still get along just fine given some boundaries (stick training him did wonders). His sister, Dawn I raised for the breeder they both came from and she was a baby that didnt sell so I ended up keeping. She has actually gotten sweeter as time has gone on

Lancelot (Eleonora Cockatoo) - she has been a challenge and then some. I think much of it comes down to everything she went through as a baby (lots of medical problems). She also went through a seriously phobic stage but we have worked through it and she is 95% better. I wouldnt say she "hates" me but we definitely do not have the same relationship that we did before. She is VERY bonded to my DH, so it all still works out just fine but I do miss the relationship we once had very much.

Cassius is most likely the last bird I will have starting as a baby. So far he is only just entering into the maturing stage, so time will tell how our relationship will evolve, but I am not worried about losing the friendship we share

 

[Birdlover]

I raised Monkee, our pearly conure. She loved me when she was a baby and shortly after she was weaned. Then, after she'd been weaned for a month or so, she started hating me, still does. If I'm near her she puffs up, glares at me, and struts and bangs her beak on things. I think a lot of it is that I'm her 'mom' and she doesn't need/want me around anymore because she's all grown up. But I'm okay with that. She loves my sister and her buddy, Lucy, that's what matters

I had this exact same thing happen with a meyers parrot I raised for my mom. Didnt even wait to mature, she hated me once she weaned and would rip me apart given the chance

 

[tammie]

We have a TAG, Arnie; don't know if it's a male or female. But he's 17 years old now and hasn't laid an egg.
Anyway, I finished handfeeding him and he was great for about 7 years. I was the love of his life, he would reguritate on me, he would snuggle, he was perfect. One day he woke up and tried to bite me and after that he will not let me touch him. 10 years later, I still can't touch him. I can feed him, clean his cage and we can carry on an interesting conversation; but no touching. And, he loves my dh. DH is not (was not) a bird person, but he can do anything with Arnie. It hurts that I raised him and he now hates me; but we do enjoy talking to each other. He even tells me he loves me, go figure.

 

[Nailrep]

wow...thank God there is someone in the home that he will go to. I had this situation in reverse with Ringo. she really didn't like me as a baby. But as she's gotten older, she has changed her mind. So I'm not too concerned about her. It's Elvis I pray will remain sweet. I wouldn't dream of getting rid of either - even if the worst did happen. but it would make me consider it if they seemed happier elsewhere. I'm praying that day never happens!

 

[RandomWiktor]

My green cheek has gotten more cantankerous following sexual maturity overall, but he still prefers my company over that of other people. I made it a point to have a wide variety of people handle him, feed him, interact with him, etc. so maybe he doesn't consider me is "mom" but just another member of "the flock." My other birds were obtained as adults and are pretty good with me.

 

[Big Blues]

Fortunately none of our macaws have turned on us as they have matured. Our Conure pair, however, gave us a little grand baby and they have been happier not interacting with us after their baby hatched so we respect their choice of life style.

 

[Nailrep]

Fortunately none of our macaws have turned on us as they have matured. Our Conure pair, however, gave us a little grand baby and they have been happier not interacting with us after their baby hatched so we respect their choice of life style.

How old ar your macaw JR?

 

[Big Blues]

How old ar your macaw JR?

From 10 - 20 years of the ones that we know they ages, the others are rescues, likely older.

 

[akijoy]

I have read about this phenemona and am deathly terrified that it could happen.
I just can't imagine it. I know it's not a definite thing, and still don't understand why it happens to some and not others.
I can't help but think that we inadvertently must do something that signals the change of that relationship. Like maybe the bird is in a bad, hormonal mood, and we act in some surprised or different way that makes them see us in a different light that takes the relationship in a different direction. I don't know...just surmising. There's so much that is still not clear about parrots and their behavior.

I also notice too, that people that my birds didn't like before, may all of a sudden be found okay, and nothing apparent had changed. So who knows what goes on in their minds.

All I know is that if any of mine were to turn on me, I would be devastated! I hope it will never happen.

 

[Holiday]

The only thing I would add is something that another member told me once (I think it was BF, but don't want to misquote if it was someone else). This happened with a mini-macaw that she owns whose owner was way overbonded with the bird when it was young (spent hours cuddling, made the bird overdependent, etc). When it hit maturity, it wanted nothing to do with her and even attacked her. I remember her warning me not to overbond with Max so as to possibly avoid this. So, I scritch him, but I don't make him ridiculously reliant on me, or overcuddle him. I'm probably more affectionate with my rehomes because I know they're set.

 

[akijoy]

The only thing I would add is something that another member told me once (I think it was BF, but don't want to misquote if it was someone else). This happened with a mini-macaw that she owns whose owner was way overbonded with the bird when it was young (spent hours cuddling, made the bird overdependent, etc). When it hit maturity, it wanted nothing to do with her and even attacked her. I remember her warning me not to overbond with Max so as to possibly avoid this. So, I scritch him, but I don't make him ridiculously reliant on me, or overcuddle him. I'm probably more affectionate with my rehomes because I know they're set.

For a grey, what age would be maturity?
I am worried as I read this. Gertie was my 6 week old baby, and she is ridiculously close and overbonded to me. Will it make a difference that she is a female? She is 20 months old.

 

[Holiday]

Will it make a difference that she is a female?

Well, keep in mind that this was a different species. I don't know what gender it was either, but I think it was a male. I don't want to worry you, Monica. I just remember that story, because it scared the daylights out of me back when I got Max.

 

[akijoy]

Well, keep in mind that this was a different species. I don't know what gender it was either, but I think it was a male. I don't want to worry you, Monica. I just remember that story, because it scared the daylights out of me back when I got Max.

I'll let you know when and if this happens. Hopefully I will never have to make such a post.

I was thinking how strange and incomprehensible parrot behavior can be, until I was reminded by a friend how often this happens in human relationships too. It's true...so many times, I've heard countless friends despair that their grown children or friends have stopped liking them...."we were SO close, and I don't know what I did but now she acts like she hates me and hasn't talked to me in years!" So I guess we humans are just as enigmatic.

 

[Saemma]

This would be truly heartbreaking for me.

 

[JLcribber]

5 years old is a common number Monica. Not a rule of course.

Tika's previous owner got a divorce because he turned on her husband and life was unbearable for them. She tried to keep him for a few more years but she wanted to move on with her life and could not bring men into the house with out Tika going beserk.

That's when we got him. Of course they never told us he was a man hater until after we got him. I learned the hard way. He bonded immediately with my wife. It's been a long tough road but I am his friend today as long as my wife does not enter the room. Then I'm still dirt.

 

[akijoy]

You're one in a billion, John!

 

[Holiday]

Funny thing--I was just wondering too--I got Elvis at age 5, and I thought I was going to have all kinds of trouble, because she was bonded to the man who raised her from a chick. As it turned out, she bonded to me just fine. Maybe she was getting ready to take a turn anyway? Maybe that's one factor in why she was screaming in their household? (I don't want to oversimplify, because there was a lot of other stuff going on there, but still...makes you wonder).

 

[Holiday]

I just want to add that there are people who've had their parrots since they were babies, and their relationships are fine. Sometimes, I think we ought to all be sitting in a darkened room with lit flashlights under our chins when we discuss this topic