Petting under the wing a no no?!

[Addicted to Tequila]

So... if you rub my tummy I am gonna get all hot and bothered? Perhaps after a while... but come ON here!

Observe your bird. If it is displaying mating behaviors then stop... but I would not say that it should NEVER be done.

Heck, as stated before in other threads, my bird rolls over and goes to sleep when I do this. If anyone can post a picture of an upside-down bird sleeping while "being taken advantage of"... I will eat crow on this! 'Til then, I thinks the Queen, she doth protest too much. LOL

And he does not get nasty if I refuse to pet him, nor protest if I stop... hell, if I am really still - he continues sleeping!

[xafsmom]

Originally Posted by DarwinTheSun

And just to be devils advocate, I don't know if the locality of the reproductive organs has anything to do with it either, after all I don't get turned on my rubbing the skin over my ovaries...just a thought.

I might. If it was Zachary Levy doing the rubbing? hehe

See, I'm a firm believer in being able to fully touch my birds, so when this was brought up to me by a vet, I researched it some. I contacted several diplomat Avian vets, and the Avian Research Dept at UC Davis. According to them, direct stimulation over the reproductive organs does stimulate. I don't go all neurotic, I just like to know the ins and outs.

That doesn't stop me from petting them, but I don't direct all my petting attention under the wing in 'just that spot'. Who would? LOL But, if I had a bird that demanded under the wing pets and would get bitey without those pets, you bet I'd stop that nonsense right away.

But, as Robyn says below... er.. above...

If you SEE it's causing issues, stop touching there. LOL If it's not, then the bird clearly isn't affected by it to a great degree. There's a difference between petting and rubbing so much you're wearing out their feathers! LOL

[xafsmom]

Originally Posted by Addicted to Tequila

If anyone can post a picture of an upside-down bird sleeping while "being taken advantage of"... I will eat crow on this!

If I knock Xaf out and do that, you would only THINK he's sleeping and that'd count, right? Xaf does like to be blugeoned unconscious.. yes he does.

[Halo]

I'm waiting to see the pics of Dudders on his back snoozing and Xaf bludgeoned and taken advantage of!! LOL

I pet my birds, I love on my birds, and I have never had any of them go all sexual on me. I stay away from the tail and I don't go all nuts under their pits either LOL.

Then again we did have an umbrella too here before the birdie revolution took place that was seven and had never been discouraged but rather encouraged when she displayed sexual behavior and they thought it was cute when they would rub under her wings and she would start huffing and put her hand back to rub her no no spot. I on the other hand didn't find it too appealing... especially when she would do these sort of things and rub on my kids. She taught me a lot and I certainly don't want any of my birds acting like that! As a matter of fact I have a very stupid and unnecessary fear of u2s because of her to the point where we were asked to take two in and I'm seriously thinking hell no! I do realize it's not a u2 thing but needless to say it was a really bad experience.

[guest1717171]

i dont pet chickie baby under her wings
only because she is very persistent and will try to trick me into doing it LOL
she will lower her head and enjoy a few seconds of good head scritching then WOOSH she whips her butt around and raises her wings
i tell he no way! im not scratching you there....then she looks over her shoulder at me like GUAH! How dare you!

but she gets over it in a few minutes and will try it over and over again...though she is starting to realize when i say no she isnt getting it...and she gives up

now wasabi and boogie dont care
i can scratch them anywhere and they just fall asleep, wasabi will fall asleep on his back and wiggle his legs like he is dreaming

i dont want to get my birds feeling all randy but i dont stress about it either
boogie is already horny enough...she (HE probably) does not need my help

[Halo]

OK I'm getting jealous now of all these birds sleeping on their backs waving their feetsies... it's not fair! LOL

[xafsmom]

I'm noticing a pattern here...

Under wing stroking the girls gets them all huffed...

Under the wing stroking with boys causes them to ...fall asleep.

Anyone else snickering just a bit? LOL

[guest1717171]

hehe
well testosterone is testosterone no matter what

[Addicted to Tequila]

It took a LOT of one-on-one time with Dudders for him to do the "fall asleep upside-down in my lap" routine.

To do this, a bird has to be completely vulnerable. They really have to trust not only that you will not hurt them, but that you will protect them from anything ELSE hurting them.

I spent at least 3 hours at a stretch (with 2-4 stretches on weekend days as well) for a good month to get Dudders to this point. We had to work up to it.

As I only have him and Rexy to work with (the BCC is still working on realizing I am not going to cook him for dinner! LOL), that was no problem.

Now he will sleep like that for as long as I let him... and protest being put in his "sleepy box" when I need to crash myself. He HAD a tent... but it was revamped into an open topped box due to a few territorial issues he already had to begin with. Problem was... with the tent... I could not get him out or even see the lunge coming! LOL

[xafsmom]

Considering the size of a Mitreds beak, that would be a bad thing, re; the lunge! LOL

I love when they trust so much that they just roll over ...and over and over and... you're scrambling to catch their little bodies before they hit the floor and blame you! LOL