Hormonal?

[Navre]

My GCC has a hatch date of January of 2014. She is on a solar schedule. As we approach the shortest days of the year, she is starting to get hormonal. She is trying to mate with some of the toys on her cage, she is regurgitating for me, which she doesn't usually do, and she has been attacking my wife.

I brought home a new bird last week. She is a 25-year-old+ Hispaniolan Amazon. She is female and pretty disabled. She has fatty liver disease, the limited use of one foot and no use of the other. I thought that it was the introduction of the new bird that was causing my GCC to get territorial.

But today, my friend told me that her male GCC is acting hormonal. He is regurgitating food, and this is not something he normally does. He is about 6 years old and is not on a solar schedule. He is her only bird.

I'm wondering if I'm missing something here. It so close to the solstice that I figured it would be worth looking into that as a possible factor.

[Pajarita]

Is she getting complete darkness at night or is it possible that she is exposed to some light?

Could her seed mix be too rich?

The solstice does affect them but, in my personal experience, the effect is only seen about three weeks after it happens (mid January) when there is already a difference of 20 minutes more in daylight hours (this is when some parrots in captivity go through a partial molt -as if preparing for the breeding season).

It could be just a combination of little things... her age (she is going on 2 which is the age when they are completely sexually mature so her coming breeding season will be a doozy), Tanya joining the household (and the corresponding jealousy that would bring), her full spectrum might be too blue (I personally think that one should use a lower Ktemp during the resting season - try putting a regular light bulb instead of the full spectrum), and, if she is getting a bit too much protein and a bit of light during the night, it could bring her into an early breeding condition.

Mine is fine and as mellow as she can be though, no signs of her getting hormonal or anything...

[Navre]

Sometimes she does get some light at night. If the neighbor inexplicably turns on his dining room lights and leaves them on, it will light up the room she is in. It will be dark when I go to bed, but then sometime in the middle of the night, those lights go on and stay on all night.

I avoid pulling the shades or covering her, because I want her to get the full effect of sunrise.

She sleeps in a hut, and the openings are perpendicular to the offending Windows. I was hoping they that would give her enough shelter from the light.

[liz]

Mine are pre hormonal. Their personalities are getting softer and cuter. My pets go through their hormonal period a lot different than others. They are just "aint right".