How much does the parrot diet affecit its behavior

[Cozzy]

Receently I found out my Senegal and Uncape are more aggressive during winter I am not sure rather it is related to the diet or the molting.

The summer diet is
Harrsion High Protency Pellet + Hagen tropimix
The winter diet is
Harrsion High Protency Pellet + Hagen tropimix (Dry fuirt + nut) + vitakarft African Diet ( Seed mix )

Should I change the diet back to Summer diet?

[captwest]

Hey Cozzy, great pics by the way!!! You can try the diet thing but i don't think that that's your problem. I'd be willing to bet you a cold beer that it's a hormonal issue, i don't know the age of your birds but even if they're immature it could be the onset of breeding season.I'm not up onSenegal or Capes but the new world parrots (South/Central Americas,Amazon/Macaw type) are cavity nesters(hollow tree) and nest during the dry season (winter) so that their nest don't fill with water. During the rainy season the humidity is high and during the dry season the humidity is low, SO low humidity will sometimes set these birds off, i don't know if you have wet winters or dry in your area but maybe your heating unit is causing a extended period of low humidity, you might try a humidifier to boost the humidity and possibly short curcuit this natural cycle. Just my 2cents worth, good luck Richard PS yes diet also plays a part of this hormonal/breeding season, because it's the dry season fruit and green plant matter(vegs) are in low supply,SO nuts and seeds (high fat) are the normal food, i use a higher fat diet when i want to stimulate my birds to breed and maybe your change of diet is doing the same, perhaps a diet richer in fresh fruit / vegs during your winter would help reverse the natural cycle and make your pets less agressive,

[Cozzy]

Hey Cozzy, great pics by the way!!! You can try the diet thing but i don't think that that's your problem. I'd be willing to bet you a cold beer that it's a hormonal issue, i don't know the age of your birds but even if they're immature it could be the onset of breeding season.I'm not up onSenegal or Capes but the new world parrots (South/Central Americas,Amazon/Macaw type) are cavity nesters(hollow tree) and nest during the dry season (winter) so that their nest don't fill with water. During the rainy season the humidity is high and during the dry season the humidity is low, SO low humidity will sometimes set these birds off, i don't know if you have wet winters or dry in your area but maybe your heating unit is causing a extended period of low humidity, you might try a humidifier to boost the humidity and possibly short curcuit this natural cycle. Just my 2cents worth, good luck Richard PS yes diet also plays a part of this hormonal/breeding season, because it's the dry season fruit and green plant matter(vegs) are in low supply,SO nuts and seeds (high fat) are the normal food, i use a higher fat diet when i want to stimulate my birds to breed and maybe your change of diet is doing the same, perhaps a diet richer in fresh fruit / vegs during your winter would help reverse the natural cycle and make your pets less agressive,

Hey captwest,
Thank for you help, both of the bird around around 1.5 years old.

In fact our winter is not too cold around 10 Degree Celsius 49 Fahrenheit. Humidifier would not drop too much during winter. I don't use heater as well.

So do I feed them with high protency diet until they are 3-4 years old?

[captwest]

Hey Cozzy, i'm not familar with your brand of feed,the Hi-Po might mean more fat, i feed my young birds the breeder fomula (higher fat, made for breeding Pairs) til they slow down some (age 3-5) then switch to a maintence diet, i think that if your birds are flighted and out flying about , the higher fat diet is fine , and if it's cold and your birds need the fat ( to burn to keep warm) then it's fine.Otherwise i would use the lower fat diet. Like i said before I'm not up on your birds ( senegal/cape) and maybe some others will chime in and help. I hope all this has helped, maybe read the label on your food bag and see what the difference is between the different formulas(Analysis ie;crude fat %)

[Becco Lunatico]

Hey Cozzy, great pics by the way!!! You can try the diet thing but i don't think that that's your problem. I'd be willing to bet you a cold beer that it's a hormonal issue, i don't know the age of your birds but even if they're immature it could be the onset of breeding season.I'm not up onSenegal or Capes but the new world parrots (South/Central Americas,Amazon/Macaw type) are cavity nesters(hollow tree) and nest during the dry season (winter) so that their nest don't fill with water. During the rainy season the humidity is high and during the dry season the humidity is low, SO low humidity will sometimes set these birds off, i don't know if you have wet winters or dry in your area but maybe your heating unit is causing a extended period of low humidity, you might try a humidifier to boost the humidity and possibly short curcuit this natural cycle. Just my 2cents worth, good luck Richard PS yes diet also plays a part of this hormonal/breeding season, because it's the dry season fruit and green plant matter(vegs) are in low supply,SO nuts and seeds (high fat) are the normal food, i use a higher fat diet when i want to stimulate my birds to breed and maybe your change of diet is doing the same, perhaps a diet richer in fresh fruit / vegs during your winter would help reverse the natural cycle and make your pets less agressive,

Capt! Great info as usual!

[Mona]

I don't have an uncape but I do have Senegals. My hen becomes more nesty and aggressive during the rainy season. It is definitely rain that sets her off.

It is also definitely hormonal. She becomes more protective of "things" and certain areas that she might think could be a good place to make a nest. She also becomes a lot more protective of "me". She gets pretty jealous if I give the other birds attention.

It can be irritating but it does pass. I usually keep her out of my living space when she is like this. She can be sweet as pie one day and aggressive the next....so, it comes and goes....She's just very moody. It's a girl's perogative. When she's good, she's very, very good but when she's bad she's horrid.

Honestly, it is one of the reasons I adore her so much. To me, it just emphasizes how she is her own individual poisonality but if I can, I do pay attention to find ways to lessen the aggression as much as possible. Also, she is extremely expressive. One thing I do is look for anything that might be a trigger and get that completely out of the room. I also let her have certain areas to dig in and do her own "nesting" thing....because that will keep her busy for a while. Right now, she really likes a pair of black and white oven mitts. Preferred digging and nesting areas also change. I've had Babylon for 9 years now and what she likes and obsesses over changes from season to season and year to year.

Babylon has a lot of freedom because she has been fully flighted all of her life.....which means I have to be particularly observant for anything that might be a "trigger" and get it out of the room. If I can't do that, I keep her in her cage and let her out of her cage in "safe areas".

Diet CAN effect behavior. I have noticed that sunflowers will ramp her up too. You probably want to cut down on fatty foods or anything that will up the adrenaline.

Thanks

Mona

[Mona]

Oh...one thing I wanted to add. I think African birds and New World birds have different breeding seasons. I don't breed but years ago, I talked to a very experienced breeder who told me that Timneh greys will not breed unless we get a wet winter. I would guess that in Africa, since many regions have arid and rainy seasons.....rain is a trigger for food so it sets the birds up to want to nest.

Which makes living in Seattle a crap shoot at times.

Thx!

Mona

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I have no idea if this is applicable to birds, but in horses, "high" behavior is generally related to too many calories in the diet rather than the type of calorie, with one modifying exception. A lot of horse people superstitiously believe that certain foods make their horses excitable, but most of the research points to just plain taking in more energy than their lifestyle allows them to burn off calmly. In the case of cereal grains and horses, they break down earlier in the system and faster and the resultant sugars hit the bloodstream sooner and in a more concentrated dose which can make behavior a bit more uneven if large meals are fed -- I don't think avian digestive systems work that way, it seems to be more all one speed (and pretty quick). A final cause of excitability in horses is related to dietary deficiency -- a diet deficient in magnesium can cause excitability and nervousness.

Does any one know if any of these models has any applicability or analog for birds?

[Cozzy]

I don't have an uncape but I do have Senegals. My hen becomes more nesty and aggressive during the rainy season. It is definitely rain that sets her off.

It is also definitely hormonal. She becomes more protective of "things" and certain areas that she might think could be a good place to make a nest. She also becomes a lot more protective of "me". She gets pretty jealous if I give the other birds attention.

It can be irritating but it does pass. I usually keep her out of my living space when she is like this. She can be sweet as pie one day and aggressive the next....so, it comes and goes....She's just very moody. It's a girl's perogative. When she's good, she's very, very good but when she's bad she's horrid.

Honestly, it is one of the reasons I adore her so much. To me, it just emphasizes how she is her own individual poisonality but if I can, I do pay attention to find ways to lessen the aggression as much as possible. Also, she is extremely expressive. One thing I do is look for anything that might be a trigger and get that completely out of the room. I also let her have certain areas to dig in and do her own "nesting" thing....because that will keep her busy for a while. Right now, she really likes a pair of black and white oven mitts. Preferred digging and nesting areas also change. I've had Babylon for 9 years now and what she likes and obsesses over changes from season to season and year to year.

Babylon has a lot of freedom because she has been fully flighted all of her life.....which means I have to be particularly observant for anything that might be a "trigger" and get it out of the room. If I can't do that, I keep her in her cage and let her out of her cage in "safe areas".

Diet CAN effect behavior. I have noticed that sunflowers will ramp her up too. You probably want to cut down on fatty foods or anything that will up the adrenaline.

Thanks

Mona

Hi Mona, I really like your description about the Senegal. Their emotion swing from day to day and yes this is the reason why I love them.
Do you think flight and non- flight pay an import role in the aggressiveness?

Thanks

[Mona]

Hi Cozy:

I don't know if flight has anything to do with aggressiveness. Personally, I believe that different species of parrots have behaviorial tendencies that are hardwired and that help them survive in their ecological niche. I also believe that all animals need exercise and NOTHING substitutes for flight.

I think senegals have heightened "fight or flight" tendencies that are hardwired. Personally, I would rather my bird flies than fights. I do believe that flight can help a bird work off a lot of energy that could become dysfunctional for them if they could not fly - especially in a home environment. The birds could become more nesty, more defensive of territory, and more rigid if they cannot fly. Flight is an expression. I like to say that Babylon "wears her heart on her wing". I always know what mood she is in because you can see it in how she flies.

Flight is also great for communication. An "aversive" is something that an animal wants to avoid. A flighted bird can and will avoid "aversives". A clipped bird often cannot and that can lead to a bite, frustration and aggression.

I have another male Senegal that bites. He was caged and clipped for probably eight years of his life and he can't help himself. He is like a hyper active dog. If something makes him nervous he chomps down and "asks questions later". After he chomps down, he reaches his foot up and asks me to scratch his head so I know he really can't help himself. He isn't mean. I think he was conditioned to bite like this because he was caged and clipped. Of course, who knows for sure?....maybe he would have been a biter no matter what.....but I do think I could have modified this tendency in him a lot easier if I had him when he was a lot younger. How many of us know dogs that were kept in small areas or leashed and have just become aggressive? Same thing can happen with birds.

Any way, Jack's previous owner let his wings grow and he flies in my house now. He's not really very aggressive when he's out of his cage and flying. He is one of my easiest birds to manage because he targets easy and other than skritches through his cage bar, I don't handle him....I target fly him. He is really cute and I enjoy him immensely. I just avoid holding him because I can't always predict when something makes him nervous and he bites down hard.

For all my birds, I am careful not to reinforce any sort of flight that looks like it could be aggressive. In other words, if I see one of my birds dive bomb a person or an object (or even a bird) I remove that person, object...or bird so this tendency is not inadvertantly reinforced. I think "dive bombing" is a "species tendency" but that doesn't mean it has to be aggressive. Babylon often flies with other birds and dips down and joins them in flight without aggression.....she's just flying and having a good time.

So...my bias is to say that I do not believe that flight increases the aggressive tendencies. I actually think it lessens them....but I can't prove it and it might just be the way I choose to see my birds. I do think that Senegals can have these little "terrier dog' tendencies that would be there clipped or not. I think it's better to keep them flighted and modify the tendencies so that you don't increase or cultivate aggression than it is to clip them. I don't think clipping helps aggression. I think it makes it worse. All it does is limit what the bird can do....which means that you take away the ability to modify and train some behaviors that make the bird a better companion.

Clipping does make it easier to control the birds; but I don't think that control modifies aggression...Sometimes control can make aggession worse. I'd rather live with my birds as birds....as they evolved to be.

Just my two cents....if it's even worth two cents.

Thanks!