Quaker hormones?

[NWQuakers]

Does anyone have experience or info about quaker hormones?

Since putting Lucky and Aubrey together, they have been going nuts with courtship displays.
Obviously it adds a bit of hassle to integrating a new bird with behavioral issues, not to mention dealing with Lucky.

We're working with them each separately a few times a day, just step ups, head scratches, showering, etc. ANd being out of sight of each other. So far, so good. Lucky enjoys human interaction, and Aubrey is learning to. Aubrey often tries to block Lucky from getting near us when they are both in their cage though.

But how long will they carry on the crazy cage-bottom antics and mate-protectiveness? Days? Weeks? More? Until someone lays an egg?

The whole idea behind getting another quaker was to provide Lucky with a birdy friend, and help a homeless bird, so I don't want to interfere by preventing them from acting naturally. I just want to know what to expect from them as a 'pair'.

 

[MikeyTN]

IF you separated them into separate cages that will help! As it will go on until they have babies.

 

[NWQuakers]

Time will tell I guess.

They seem to be having fun

In the meantime I'll keep looking for info from quaker experts/breeders. I'm sure the species has its own quirks in terms of courting/breeding behaviors.

Lucky sleeps in her happy hut, and hangs out there when she wants a break from AUbrey. And Aubrey sleeps on a perch across the cage from Lucky, snuggled up with a grooming toy. I have it set up with 2 'zones' so they can eat and play away from each other, but still in the same cage. And they have a play area on top of the cage when it's open. They often hang out together there, but also by themselves sometimes.

 

[NWQuakers]

They seem to be calming down some.
My partner & I are trying to get a routine going of taking them out for some step-ups and handling out of sight of each other. After a few minutes they both stop worrying about the other bird and enjoy the people time. Then we'll switch birds for a nother few minutes, and put them on top of the cage for a millet forage.

We started doing this also when they get too into the cage-bottom march & yell. It seems to get them out of the hormone zone in a positive way. I also found an Ottlite floor lamp I had in the garage and set it up to illuminate the part of the cage they treat like a nest area. The lamp is older, so probably not doing much in terms of full-spectrum, but I have some Joann's coupons & will get a new bulb this weekend.

Heading off to the pet store to look for more toys & such. I got rid of so many things that Mark never used, now I have to buy them all over again. Oh well. Shopping = foraging, right?

 

[NWQuakers]

Here are a couple of short clips of the racket they make, and Lucky scolding Aubrey. Last night they did the same routine, only with Aubrey doing more crazy dancing and Lucky telling her to 'talk nice, talk NICE!".

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPBhbVcfYTg]Lucky and Aubrey in the dark - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkpionKNf6M]Lucky and Aubrey, full-on hormones - YouTube[/ame]

 

[NWQuakers]

Ugh!
Not sure if Aubrey is going work out after all. S/he's just too rough on Lucky when they're together, and so hormonally wound up even in separate cages, it makes handling rough on me.

The age & size difference is too much I think.
I'm going to sleep on it, and think about contacting the gal who rescued Aubrey to see if she has any ideas for a better home

 

[aliray]

I think they are very cute together. I know when I played the first viedo it got me sweetie pie to chime in. I think he is still looking for someone who speaks the same language he does. Thanks for sharing, you made his night

 

[NWQuakers]

Aubrey bit Lucky's toe yesterday. Not bad enough for a vet trip, but a lot of blood for such a little birdy.

They are in separate cages again, and I let them out only when I'm there to watch. But Aubrey is just too rough and aggressive for Lucky, even in small doses. S/he goes into Lucky's cage and chases him around, keeps him from eating, etc. Sometimes they calm down and hang out though.

It's tough to work with Aubrey one-on-one with the raging hormones too. I think she might be better as an only Quaker, or in a household with a stay-at-home person.

When I 'interviewed' Aubrey it was in a big bird room full of big birds, and Aubrey wasn't too bad considering I was a stranger. The gal who had her said Aubrey had no problem interacting with her big birds either.

I hate to give up so soon, but poor Lucky is getting the short end of this, and I'd like to think Aubrey could find a better home where she can be worked with on a solo basis so hormones aren't an issue.
Anyway, I plan to email the gal today to let her know it's not working out. Hopefully Aubrey can go back there, but if she declines, I'll be trying to rehome her myself.