Can birds be neutered?

[Dawnsfall]

I have read so much about problems with birds becoming aggressive and difficult when they become sexually mature, especially when their bodies are telling them it is breeding season. I know these issues are pretty easily handled with cats, dogs, and horses by having them fixed. Why isn't that done with birds?

[hsmoscout]

in one word, no.
EDIT: actually went through and read the post. It would be to hard to get them fixed, people see no point, I think.

[Dawnsfall]

Originally Posted by hsmoscout

in one word, no.
EDIT: actually went through and read the post. It would be to hard to get them fixed, people see no point, I think.

Why?

[xafsmom]

Yes, you can get a bird altered. However it's very costly -IF- you could find a vet that would do it without a medical reason. Further, it's a very risky surgery.

[Franciscus]

It may be due to the fact that male parrot testicles are in front of and slightly above their kidneys in their abdominal cavities. It's a lot harder to reach than those of mammals, which, as you probably know, are hanging in their scrotums outside their bodies. It's risky to operate on parrots, with a high death rate, I have a vague recollection of it being as high as 40 or 50%, but don't quote me on that.

[Monica]

Females are more often spayed than males.... (I've actually heard that there is no procedure for male parrots) in females, there may be chronic egg layers, hens that produce eggs too large to lay, or perhaps hens who create many eggs that they never lay - among other possible causes.

ParrotChronicles.com

[Lori~D]

Dont they do it in Chickens?? they are called Capons I tHink??

[brdfvr]

Originally Posted by Lori~D

Dont they do it in Chickens?? they are called Capons I tHink??

They can be hormonally altered. I think that's how they do it in chickens. Basically it's just applying large amounts female hormone (estrogen) while they are young so that they don't 'grow' into roosters when they reach maturity.

This article says it can be done surgically, but I believe chickens are much more hearty than our parrots most of the time.
What is a Capon?

[NotEnoughTime]

From what I've read, parrots (especially the larger ones) can be neutered or spayed but the rate of mortality is nowhere near tolerable at this point and the cost is high (laser surgery). The only reason to do so is for control of disease (at this point anyway).

Spaying a female parrot is also not quite as simple as a mammalian spay since the ovaries are (from what I've read) not "in one place" but are more "diffuse."

[Dawnsfall]

Thanks for the info. This is quite fascinating.