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Ok so having read Shaunas great post about hormonal males I do have some questions about hormonal boys.

When???? What age??? I have always blamed bhaktis obnoxiousness at times on hormones but the reality is, I dont know what is really hormones and what is just bhakti wanting more attention than I can give him at the time and he thinks he deserves (which he does)

I would love to know this basic stuff

Bhakti is now 8 almost 9 amazing isn't it.

I would love the down and dirty on this.... unfortunately bhakti doesn't get as much attention and out of his cage time as he should and even less now that I am in school full time.....

I know to watch his signals and I know when he is getting overstimulated and a few years ago he would regurgitate on me at times but he hasn't done that in a long time.

I would love the basic info on hormones....
thanks
S

Hi there!

What age a bird is sexually mature depends on the bird and species. The smaller species mature sooner than the larger ones. Bkakti at age 8 (wow...times flies doesn't it?)..he should be mature and has been so for several years.....probably since about age 5.

Hormonal activity isn't a cut and dry thing unfortunately...that would be too easy! Much of it depends not only on the bird and the seasons outside but also on the environment you provide to your bird and how you handle him. And also keep in mind that a bird can be sexually stimulated by excessive petting or body rubbing and such without being all hormonally charged.

Basic hormonal signs that you can take to the bank as being hormonal would be nesty behaviors. Cockatoos enjoy chewing wood and can do so daily but you should notice an increase in that chewing with males. They can become obsessed with their chewing and you feel like you can't keep enough wood and things in their cages....or maybe its just a modest increase in some cases.

You may see them spending time on their cage bottom...not being sick but going to the cage floor, looking up at you and clicking and clacking. If they have the opportunity such as a paper bag in the cage, or an open box they may be spending lots of time in it, arranging it...even scratching like a chicken. Nesty things. You come into the room they want to show off their nest.

With hormones can come volatile moods but if we see our birds are becoming more excited than usual....we can easily control that by taking things down a notch for a few days or weeks. Such as playing on a hoop, whooping it up but then before things get out of hand...calming energy down. Often times if you can smooth the crest down...your bird will calm down some. Or pull out a favorite treat....taking that treat and eating it can be calming for a moment and then move the bird elsewhere. Possibilities of how you calm or handle situations are endless and you'll find what works best for you AND your bird. Birds can change their energy and direction almost instantly.

Biting, excessive screaming, plucking may all be related to hormonal activity at times BUT biting and excessive screaming in a healthy bird should only last a few days ....up to perhaps a week or two tops...but a few days is more the norm. That would be the hormonal peak, when moods are most volatile and biting is most often the result of us making a mistake (not a bird biting just because its hormonal...they don't get PMS, lol) ...not paying attention to body language and moods. Body language...you also should be aware that it varies and can vary tremendously in some cases. I've often been asked what to look for or what does this mean. Living with my guys taught me right away that no two birds really have the exact same language (although as they live together it can become similar)...and over the years working with TGF birds has only driven that home for me. No way IMO can we say if this happens, that bird will do X...UNLESS we know that bird personally. Often times there may be more than one meaning for an action as well so its important to know your birds overall mood and past history of the last days, weeks.

If biting or screaming become an everyday event....every week or month...the biting is not hormonally related but is a behavior problem your bird has learned and its been reinforced in some way. He may have learned it while he was hormonal but that doesn't make the problem hormonal. The only way to start solving the problem then is to stop looking at hormones and realize its a behavior that can be worked with.

As far as how often birds are hormonal...again will depend upon you and the environment that bird has. Its unfortunate but some homes are so stimulating that birds are hormonal 24/7....365 days a year and that's not healthy for the bird or the humans....not healthy relationships.

In normal cases how often hormones come into play depends on the species of bird. There are 21 species of cockatoos so one needs to research about their own species. for M2's it should be twice a year. For U2's its more.....perhaps 5 times a year. I lovingly refer to them as feathered rabbits.

One sign that a bird isn't hormonal would be if its molting heavily. A few months ago my guys all seemed to be getting a complete new set of head and crest feathers. Molting happens AFTER a hormonal peak. But with these guys that's a bit tricky since they're usually molting some...all of the time.

And.....some birds you may NEVER notice a hormonal change or it may be very slight. I have one male here, Winnie, that slides through most everything.....one day is as calm as the next. The only way I know he might be feeling his oats some is that he'll start clicking /clacking on the cage floor some......which he's actually learned from the other 'toos. That's also something to consider. With a flock, they learn from each other but if you have an only 'too....it'll do its own thing...and that thing might be different.

I'm sorry....clear as mud right? These are very intelligent birds...so nothing is ever or usually ever black and white from house to house. If you haven't noticed anything with Bhakti at this point...you may not.

And that time thing? I think it was around 1996, reading upatsix chatboards that I started to see a pattern emerge. Cockatoos with 24/7 people were having problems.....cockatoos with working families were not. Since that time, working with so many U2's and M2's and reviewing their histories I find the worst advice for a 'too is that its needs 24/7 from its human and/or it is demanding of attention (aren't all parrots deserving?...but 'toos have those big incredible make you feel guilty eyes and cute feathers over their beaks...so we put human interpretations on it). A 24/7 'too is most often taught to be a feathered human or cocka tumor...and that results in problems. A 'too that is taught to be independent, has time to be a bird, an enriched bird friendly environment, time given is quality time....very often does ok. So....don't feel quite so guilty about school. I say that only because I know you aren't ignoring him either.

hugs,

Shauna

Yes, I remember the days when people would give advise...things like..if you have a cockatoo you really can't work outside of the house...I'm so glad that some things have cleared over the years..

You think they've cleared..... Oh how I WISH! *sigh* That same stuff is still going around and still being advised. Its really unfortunate and overall... harmful to the birds. Almost daily I talk to people about it. Its an effort getting those 'too's unglued from their humans...and it ain't the bird that glued themselves but the human who taught them and was told it was the right thing. ;-(

Respect them as the wonderful incredible birds they are and my gosh...a whole new world opens up for both parties.

Shauna

Thank you, Shauna. That was really useful information and I feel like I learned some good stuff.

thanks Shauna,
I know its amazing that bhakti is 8 and there are times that he screams more than others but now that we have gotten over the hump that I went through with him, we have become very good at managing him...... and we actually enjoy each other more than before.

I will be honest and say that bhakti doesn't get alot of out of cage time.... I wish he could have more but at the same time I say that, he is in full feather, healthy as a horse, and is a talkative..... good guy... so I guess while I worry about him I guess we are doing something right.....

I had always known the basics about hormones and our boys but felt like I really didn't know what season or what age, the very basics, I knew to wwatch for chewing and biting and regurgitating and no petting below the belt (ummmm) I mean wings.... but it was the timing I didn't know.

thanks so much for the info. it will really help us.
S
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