Venus Update - She's Still A Raging Hormone

I haven't posted in a while about Venus. She is STILL trying to mate and lay eggs. So far no eggs but she is so hormonal I'm at a loss. If I bring her out of her cage she quickly tries to run from me to find a dark area. She's also screaming all day long, it kills the ears so I wear my ear buds all day. How long does puberty last in female ekkies????

I've also lost faith in my vet due to his vet tech I work with, he has an "annoyed" attitude like he doesn't want to deal with us. Yes I called him out on it. My issue with the vet, Dr. G, his staff block you from talking to the vet or scheduling appointments with him. This is understandable because last year he was very ill and he is still recovering. They have a new vet, I've never met him and he hasn't treated Venus. When I've taken Venus in for check ups (scheduled with the new vet), Dr. G comes in to treat her because he heard she was coming in. He's always treated her and he remembers her. I don't like being blocked by the staff when Dr. G is so openly seeing Venus when he hears she is there. I haven't permitted surgery on Venus' sinus because I've lost faith in this vet office so I'm in the process of moving her medical records to another avian vet office.

So we are riding things out. Venus is very healthy, just loud and has motives to what she wants. She's an opportunist and tries to get what she wants, a dark, nesty place. For her being so hormonal for 6 months now, I'm at a loss. I've got her on lock down and hate it, she's pretty much cage bound because if I let her out, she is trying to nest. She won't play with her toys, won't stay with me, she jumps to the floor and runs for the love seat.

That's where we are with her and I've been researching female Ekkie behavior.


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Tracy, I am so sorry that you and Venus are still going through this. I had really hoped that she had turned the corner. I don't blame you about being irritated at the staff at your vet's office, it's ridiculous that you are being blocked from the vet who obviously wants to see her! Wishing you the best of luck with the new vet, I hope someone can help her.

Wow, Tracy. I'm sorry to hear it's still so bad. Maya is currently 3.5 years old and she's never gone through so long a hormonal episode. Longest for her where her behavior was adversely affected was maybe 2-3 weeks. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, of course, as every bird is different and Venus' hormones may just tend to run at a significantly higher level.

As for the cage bound aspect, I would suggest, when time and circumstance allow, that you take her out every 10 minutes or so. Then, when she makes a run for a dark and nesty place, you put her on timeout for 10 minutes. Wash, rinse and repeat. Thing is, you want to build the association in her mind between these undesirable behaviors and being put on timeout.

I mention this because if she's currently more or less cage bound, there is no motivation for her to stop either the screaming or the dashes for the nesting areas. In her mind, when she comes out she figures that she has a small window of time to make her run for the nearest available "nesting hole". And when she's locked in her cage, she figures she'll just scream until you finally come to open the door. She might not yet have connected the dots and realized the causal relationship between her behavior over the last 6 months and her decreased out of cage time.

Another thing that springs to mind is that this change in vets might actually turn out to be a good thing. Fresh new eyes and all of that. Perhaps the new vet may be able to pinpoint another reason for her prolonged hormonal aggression, whether medical or environmental.

I know the current situation must be so frustrating. Hang in there, Tracy, and know that you've been a wonderful mom to Venus. Some little ones can just be a little more difficult to course correct than others. It's just a matter of finding the approach that works with her, you know?

Anansi said:

Wow, Tracy. I'm sorry to hear it's still so bad. Maya is currently 3.5 years old and she's never gone through so long a hormonal episode. Longest for her where her behavior was adversely affected was maybe 2-3 weeks. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, of course, as every bird is different and Venus' hormones may just tend to run at a significantly higher level.

As for the cage bound aspect, I would suggest, when time and circumstance allow, that you take her out every 10 minutes or so. Then, when she makes a run for a dark and nesty place, you put her on timeout for 10 minutes. Wash, rinse and repeat. Thing is, you want to build the association in her mind between these undesirable behaviors and being put on timeout.

I mention this because if she's currently more or less cage bound, there is no motivation for her to stop either the screaming or the dashes for the nesting areas. In her mind, when she comes out she figures that she has a small window of time to make her run for the nearest available "nesting hole". And when she's locked in her cage, she figures she'll just scream until you finally come to open the door. She might not yet have connected the dots and realized the causal relationship between her behavior over the last 6 months and her decreased out of cage time.

Another thing that springs to mind is that this change in vets might actually turn out to be a good thing. Fresh new eyes and all of that. Perhaps the new vet may be able to pinpoint another reason for her prolonged hormonal aggression, whether medical or environmental.

I know the current situation must be so frustrating. Hang in there, Tracy, and know that you've been a wonderful mom to Venus. Some little ones can just be a little more difficult to course correct than others. It's just a matter of finding the approach that works with her, you know?

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I have had to deal with some pretty out-of-control hormonal Amazons, but never the time line that you're dealing with. I have heard of Amazons pushing past three weeks, but never for this kind of time period. As suggested, it has to be medical or environmental, and a new set of eyes maybe a good answer.

FYI: You have a long time relationship with your current Vet that goes out of his way to see you and your Parrots when you are in. Please make an appointment with him and once he is in the room and working with your Parrot(s), push the tech(s) out of the room. Use whatever you want - personal matter, please leave, etc...! You have a long relationship with your Vet and what you are seeing is also being seen by other clients. His business and relationship with his clients is being hurt by overly protective techs and staff. You at least own him this effort! Just my two-cents!

My prays are with you!

Thanks Stephen and Sailboat. Great advise on both fronts. My vet I feel is going to retire in the next year. When I first saw him after returning from recovering my jaw dropped. He had lost so much weight and looked like he wasn't 100%. But I will talk with him because I want her medical records to take to the new vet.

And then Venus my little stinker, she came out of her cage this morning thru her food door as I was putting her breakfast bowl in. She rode my shoulder but when I sat down the opportunist made a dive, hit the floor running for the love seat. Poor Canelo was in her path by the love seat so she attacked him, one peck with wings open and every feather standing up, lolllllll!!! It happened so fast and poor Canelo jumped and was running to get as far from her as he could. She's a piece of work! Canelo wasn't injured, no broken skin just hurt feelings and boy can he sprint!


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