Discouraging Mating Behaviors

[Jonergin]

My Lilac-Crown has decided that it is now mating season in our house. For the last two weeks I have not been able to touch her without her going into that tell-tale squatting position and making that growling/begging sound. She's the only bird in the house and I have no intentions on breeding her ever. I don't want to have to not hold her, she's used to going all over the house with me. She's fully-flighted (per vet recommendation) so she'll come get me if I leave her out on top her cage. She calls and calls for me if I close her in the cage.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can let her know that that behavior is not wanted--without having to confine her to her cage?

Thanks in advance.

[Monica]

Besides making sure she gets 12-16 hours of sleep a night (longer recommended for those birds who go into breeding mode), moving her cage to a new location, and rearranging the cage drastically, and maybe reducing amount of seeds in diet, can't say there is much else you can do... other than to make sure she doesn't have a place to nest.

[janejacinto]

You can also give more showers, everyday or every other day with above suggestions.
Jane

[bb100]

Hi I have Lilac Crown Male Amazon that does the Jungle Boogie as I like to refer to it on his Perch or my Forearm if given the chance. I just ignore it since there's no stopping him once he gets into it.

[VictorLouis]

I've acquired a sweetheart Red-Lored that's a re-home to me. "She" is represented as having been female, but I honestly don't know. She was supposedly sexed over 20yrs. ago, but it's my understanding that DNA blood sexing is not that old of a technology in the avian community.

Anyhow, she L O V E S to be handled, almost like a cuddly cockatoo. So far so good. There comes a point where she lowers her head, and the clucking and coo-ing take on a strange character. I've put her on a table-top perch, and I've watched her chloaca (sp?) spasming and moving, almost as though her sounds were coming from that 'south' end. When I rest her on my chest, not able to view her rear, she sometimes juts her head in and out rapidly in the manner of a turtle constantly peeking out of its shell.

I'm assuming that those two actions are sexual in nature? When she gets that way, I need to stop so as to not confuse our relationship, correct?

[Cindy215]

Originally Posted by Jonergin

My Lilac-Crown has decided that it is now mating season in our house. For the last two weeks I have not been able to touch her without her going into that tell-tale squatting position and making that growling/begging sound. She's the only bird in the house and I have no intentions on breeding her ever. I don't want to have to not hold her, she's used to going all over the house with me. She's fully-flighted (per vet recommendation) so she'll come get me if I leave her out on top her cage. She calls and calls for me if I close her in the cage.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can let her know that that behavior is not wanted--without having to confine her to her cage?

Thanks in advance.

I totally agree with the flying it's essential to her physical and mental health. Especially now. And ESPECIALLY being an Amazon.

Well if you're in the Northern Hemisphere it IS breeding season untill the days reach the longest day of the year July 15 then they start getting shorter and she goes into molting season. Lighting is the number one factor combined with other things.

Here's advise I've posted for people in the OFF season so ignore the part about not being breeding season unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere.

I would do ALL the things on here and adjust her lighting to fewer hours per day to at maximum 13.75 hours per day as it is outside right now and if everything combined doesnt work then lower to 12.75 and see what happens.

I don't know how long her days are now so use your judgement and dont do anything wacky like quickly changing her to LONG nights. GO slow unless she's up a ridiculous amount of time....like 6 am till 10 or 11 pm that's terrible. Cut it right back to about 8 pm. Then see how she is. Just make sure you're doing the slow dusk and dawn thing and the light has to be BELOW them (window or lamp)....like the sun rising and setting. (see below)

It will take a couple weeks for her to get more steady but you may get lucky and see an improvement more quickly.

Make sure her Calcium is perfect. Speak with your vet about Calciboost/Calcivet twice a week. She's at risk for egg laying like this. Unless she's eating 85% pellets - really eating not playing around with them. You dont supplement man made vitamins with pellet eating birds. Calciboost is only available online (or phone) from some agents usually breeders. It's from Birdcare Company in UK. All my rescue friends and I think it's the best.

QUOTE:

It's not breeding season in the Northern Hemisphere so your bird is having a hormonal imbalance. That comes from the days being too long like simulating spring/summer.

If you follow a strict natural daylight schedule including dawn and dusk this wont happen. No artificial lights after about 3 pm. She needs to go to sleep in a darkish room, no human interruptions like tv, radio, computers , people talking etc. A cover really doesnt cut it. They have a sensor in the brain (pituitary gland) regulated by light that controls the hormones telling the body what "time of year it is". Thats how they make chickens lay eggs 24/7 in factory farms by leaving lights on all the time. Then they die about age 3.

Right now in Pa, my birds go to sleep at about 5:40 pm and wake up about 7 am EST. [***NOTE THIS WAS IN THE WINTER****]

You can simulate with a dimmer in a small lamp placed on the floor (to simulate the angle of the sun) but it's trickier. Walmart sells a dimmer you screw in where the bulb goes and has a dial to turn it down, down, then off. The ones you tap arent right they only have three options.

So essentially follow the light schedule that is going on in your state at all times of year. For people in extreme climates like Alaska you have to adjust I never had a bird there, though.

Also decrease protein (including seeds), and vitamin e, and raise the greens and veggies.

Also no stroking beaks, feet, back or butts. That's a mating signal.

Dont allow her to "nest" in dark spots like behind pillows, in shirts, in drawers, bookcases, under toekicks of the kitchen cabinets, in closets etc.

Move her around to brightly lit spots all day, encourage her AWAY from her cage (nest), get her to fly around and find enrichment to do not focus all day long on her hormonal urges.

Change the inside of the cage around, change toys, perches, swap food and water bowls etc. These things are subliminal messages that it's not a "safe" nest.

All these things together will work to snap her hormones back into place but the lighting is number one. Then when it's "really" breeding season, she'll have an easier time of it. I don't know her age but it will be a yearly thing in breeding season so you want to minimize her anxiety all year long so it's only a mild deal every year not something she is fighting all year long. Especially now since it's winter.

UNQUOTE

I hope she feels better soon, it's hard for them going through this and then right away the stress of a molt.