Aaand Spring has Sprung *OUCH*

[Grey_Moon]

Sometimes I wish more than anything Jacko wasn't a hen she gets hormonal, I get hormonal---its an ugly mess sometimes.

Anyway, so spring is in full swing for miss Jaybird---and so of course she's plucking up a storm and wants nothing to do with me (at least I curbed her thinking I was her mate I guess) and is now trying to cruise the floor and crawl into the cubbyhole underneath her cage where I keep her toy basket to chew the snot out of it. My fault I guess she's been getting more than her fair share of my morning scrambled eggs. She's a lot more aloof and it kinda sucks (we got into a war today because she didn't want to step up from the floor---ow), the only trigger I can think of is eating richer food and pellets (she needs a certain amount of oil/fat/protein or her beak flakes pretty bad). She'll be on the roudybush rice diet starting in a few days exclusively to test for food allergies with nothing other than the rice treats...hopefully it'll calm her down cuz its low-fat and low-protein.

Michael, I never thought I'd be asking you about food management and managing hormonal behaviour, but here goes...HELP. I just, I want my bird back lol I want her to be motivated and attached to me instead of a must find nest machine

[Rokisha]

lol poor guy. I know I'll have to deal with that at some point myself.

[Michael]

Well seasonal hormonal activity is inevitable. The best we can do is not encourage more of it. Negative punishment and diet are a good start. Positive reinforcement for normal behavior (step up, recall, tricks, etc) is also good to distract from it. Avoid excessive touching, nesty places, and other triggers.

Not sure about the plucking aspect and what kind of nutritional demands that poses but strictly speaking in regards to food management, I'd cut back 5-10% from free feed without much hesitation. At first try diluting (less pellets, more vegetables). Then move onto quantity reduction (from free feed down to 3 daily feedings to 2 daily feedings to smaller portions twice daily). I don't think it's good to jump from free feed to limited twice daily portions but rather to test the steps along the way to find a balance. Results won't be visible for at least a few days to weeks. So don't think it isn't working just because you don't see instant results.

Some people just don't listen but I'm not making this up. Twice daily feedings, some training, flight, and moderated interaction time solves or reduces most "bird problems" like plucking, screaming, biting, etc. It's just a well rounded approach for optimal behavior and pet quality out of these animals. The worst thing possible is to give them everything they want cause them they don't do anything we want. Worse yet, overfeeding them makes them hyper and hormonal. No parrot in the wild gets to the weight/plumpness of a captive free fed parrot. Long term free feed is unnatural, unhealthy, and troublesome.

[Grey_Moon]

All right, I'll give it a shot---thanks

I'll have to leave some pellets for her free-access though at night or else she gets upset if she knows food isn't there--which makes the plucking worse.

[Michael]

Bird should be sleeping at night and not eating or plucking. Keep the cage in a quiet dark area (with night light only) and cover with a black sheet. Give that bird at least 12 hours of sleep. It's a complete system and not just one magic bullet solution.

[Grey_Moon]

Should be doesn't mean does lol.

She often wakes up at night (even if covered in a dark, quiet room completely by herself night-light or not) and will begin plucking. Judging by whats on the bottom of the sleep carrier in the morning being covered, being put to bed too long (she'd never sleep twelve hours in the dark by herself or otherwish) or not having access to water/food for the night makes her anxious.

So, unfortunately, I'd have to work around her anxieties as a plucker. Sleeping in an open carrier next to me with munchies and water as she wants seems to do the trick. If she starts picking at herself I mist her gently with some water and she settles back down to sleep.

I know its not perfect or what the experts say but you gotta do what you gotta do.

[liz]

I don't know what your daily schedule is.

I keep mine busy. I feed them low calorie stuff like romain, celery and etc. They have RoudyBush free choice. My amazons are fat and could use a diet of veggies.
When Rambo gets antsy I pick him up and put him on my right shoulder. That way he has to go where I go and not get into trouble or look for a nest.

My big problem is the noise. Rambo makes some awful noises while in season. Myrtle has picked up on them and copied. She has no idea what he is doing but will be making those noises from now on.

[Grey_Moon]

Will try that liz thanks, she actually ate some broccoli last night instead of flinging it everywhere (eats the stem, apparently the little tree ball parts are better to shred and fling like little green broccoli missiles )

Jacko's never uber loud her big thing is she never stays still and always wants a dark corner that I have to fight her out of.

[Andromeda]

Some people just don't listen but I'm not making this up. Twice daily feedings, some training, flight, and moderated interaction time solves or reduces most "bird problems" like plucking, screaming, biting, etc.

This is great advice. My brown-headed parrot plucks (only at night) and I have tried many, many things to try to get him to stop and the only thing that seems to have helped is clicker training. He still plucks, but not as frequently or as badly.

If the plucking is hormonal it can be treated by a vet with Lupron injections. I tried this with my brown-headed parrot because the plucking was extensive at first but it did not help. It does help with some birds but whether or not you think the plucking is severe enough to warrant injections is a judgement call.

[Crazypetlady]

Ive read giving them a phone book or hanging a new mop head in the cage might divert their need to preen off themselves and onto something else.