Re: HELP! Male Eclectus had a mental break!

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: : Hi! I copied a post that I read on this board. Posted on 4/24/00. I thought it sounded like your situation. There are follows ups between Karen and Mike and the lady answering. So you may want to scroll down for more info. I think your guy is going through puberty and a very, very stressfull series of changes. Pssst. They don't like change. I guess you know that. I know how upsetting this can be. I love my parrots and don't know what I would do in your situation. I had a hard enough time with my little conure when we moved into a new house. I had to laugh at your description of you fid banging his head and growling. Gee. He is a smart guy! It's like Hey! I am not happy here and you don't seem to get it!! Read on for real advise and scroll down for more info on the subject. You may want to flip to the FAQ section on this site and read the Intensive Love Therapy. Maybe some ideas there as well..... : ==================== : Hi Karen and Mike! : Sorry to take so long to get back to you re Louis! Do not be afraid! It sounds like hormones to me, and that is usually pretty easy to handle. There is a question here on Ask Polly that is similar to yours– you are not alone! The question is dated April 10th entitled "Biting" and my response is dated April 11th entitled "biting / 2 yr old male biting" (located right under the question). Although the male in that post is 2, I believe much of the information there is applicable to your situation, as what I call “hormonal behavior” tends to surface in the 2-4 age range – with 2 being probably about the earliest it is likely to start. Please take a minute and read the post and the response as I believe it may help you with many of your questions…..including suggestions for some techniques for handling a hormonal boy! : Out of curiosity, what is Louis’ subspecies (Vos, Red-side, Solomon Island, Grand, etc). There is a theory that the larger subspecies (Vos and Red-side) mature at a slightly older age than the smaller (Solomons and Grands) do. I don’t know if this is true. Our male SI, Chardy, started exhibiting hormonal behavior at about 2 years of age – sort of like human adolescence. He (rather suddenly) began to be interested in defending territory and trying to make courtship overtures to Cabby (our female), but still wasn’t sure if “girls have cooties”, if you know what I mean! Now he is going to be 4 at the end of May, likes girls and is trying to make us into eclectus breeders! : Some of my “cyber-friends” have been noticing that their eclectus are exhibiting some strong hormonal and courtship behaviors right now. Our eclectus are as well. While I don’t think Louis is in “overload”, I do think he is probably feeling his urges strongly, and is expressing them with territorial and sexual behaviors. Remember what his jobs are in Nature: COURTING AND MATING with a selected female, DEFENDING his mate and eggs/chicks in their nest hole (home), FEEDING his mate and chicks – and CALLING to his mate to let her know when he is home with some food. Louis’ hormones drive him to perform these jobs whether he has a mate or not, and whether he is in his natural environment or in the environment of the human home. What we can do to make these behaviors more manageable in our homes is to distract the boys from the undesirable behavior. You do not want to try to totally suppress the behavior – Louis needs to express it and can’t help but express it – but you do want to reduce the aggressive behavior toward humans – biting Karen, for example. : It is possible he has certain “territory” he defends most strongly. With Chardy, and I believe with many parrots, the top of the cage, or the cage itself is a Number One Hot Spot. The cage is your boy’s “home”, and the top of the cage or the entry to the cage, or the perches in the cage (especially ones near food dishes or favorite toys) are often the very best strategic places to “stand guard” and defend it! If that is where he is most aggressive, or where the aggressive behavior starts, then don’t allow him on top of his cage for several days to a week . Or you could virtually eliminate top-of-cage play, and nearly always take him directly to his playtree or play area for playtime each day (on top of the cage would be OK once in a while). Preferably this would be in a different room from the cage for playtime – somewhere where he will not be stimulated to “stand guard”. Often, this is all it takes to break the pattern. Yes, territoriality may continue in another area, but it should be much less intense and easier to distract him with toys, learning words, playing or a treat. : Keep in mind that boys may still do some “guarding” even when their hormones are not “intense” – it will just be less frequent and easier to break the pattern or distract them, even in “hot spot” areas. : We have been very successful with Chardy’s hormonal behavior. He is an absolute delight. I know Louis will be also….Please review the other post I referenced at the beginning of this letter and try some of the techniques and let me know how Louis responds. : About the “sex”. Some people are embarassed or disgusted or offended when their birds do this. Please don’t be. Louis is a natural creature and has to express this somehow. Some people get their boys a stuffed toy (I don’t know what kind). I would recommend you just let him “do his thing”. Many people find that it relieves quite a bit of their boy’s aggression. Chardy can get very grumpy if we try to “stop” him or “distract” him from it. But afterward, he is usually quite a sweet boy. I am serious! : About Louis’ behavior toward your Meyers’ – while Louis is being Mr. Intensity is probably not a good time to make introductions. While one of you plays with Louis, have the other of you play with the Meyers’. If one bird wants to play on the playtree, play with the other on your hand. When Mr. Intensity calms down a bit (maybe in a week), then begin the process of introducing the birds. There is a post that outlines the techniques for introducing birds to each other in a response entitled “Behavior & Discipline Questions”. The response (the top one) is dated January 9. The part about introducing parrots to each other is a couple of paragraphs down. : About his diet – You might try reducing the amount of Harrison’s pellets he receives for awhile and increasing the amount of fresh and/or cooked food he is offered. This is because Harrison’s contains spirulina, a very nutritious blue green algae that may be linked to hyperactive behavior in SOME eclectus. Our birds’ diet includes Harrisons pellets as a part of a diet that consists mostly of fresh and cooked foods and our birds do not seem to be affected by any hyperactivity. Foods that are high in beta carotene and fiber – like greens, yellow, red, or orange fruits and veggies, and dark green leafy ones – are especially good for eclectus. The Land of Vos site has a lot of great information about eclectus diet, even including some recipes to try. : If this note, or the other posts referenced do not answer your questions or help you with Louis, please be sure to write back! : Hope this information has been of help to you! : Al and Mary : Cabby and Chardy (SIE) : : : Our about 4-year old male eclectus has lately started biting Karen, the main caregiver, acting agressively toward her, constantly "awking", feeding his toys more than ever, not using his words at all and generally, being pretty much a pain in the neck. : : Any tips, or has anyone else been through a similar "stage"? I find it hard to believe that this is part of raising him. He is three years old!\ : : Sam

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