Frantic budgie

[Flea_circus]

Hello everyone!
Recently I've been having problems with one of my four budgies' behavior, and I need advice.
It's a male budgie that, a couple of months ago, started plucking out the lower back feathers of his partner. He must be sexually frustrated, as his partner is a disabled budgie that cannot mate, their attempts have always been unsuccessful.
At the same time, he has an "obsession" towards another female budgie that is in the cage next to his. So, whenever I let him out, he immediately goes on the other cage trying to reach her (this also makes the other male mad, and they fight). I think this confirms that the problem is frustration in that sense.
I kept him apart from his partner for a month (using a net as a cage divider), and the moment I tried to put them back together (yesterday), he immediately tried to mate with her and - a few hours later - began plucking out her feathers. Needless to say, they are separated again now.
Do you have any suggestions on how I could calm him down?
Thanks in advance!

 

[wrench13]

Classic puberty/mating season behavior

On hormones (horror-mones, if you understand)

Parrots go thru puberty, just like humans do, because their internal metabolism tells the body –“Hey time to start thinking of babies”. When that happens, their little bodies get flooded for the first time with hormones. The when is only estimated, puberty can occur from 6 months or so for small parrots like budgies, cockatiels and parrotlets, with the larger parrots taking longer, progressively. Macaws and cockatoos, it could be a year or more before it starts. Puberty (and successive mating seasons) is not a precisely timed event. Depending on the individual parrot, it might occur earlier or later then the norm for that species, and other factors come into play on when it starts.

Like human children (and our parrots are so close in temperament to children), puberty can bring on all sorts of behavioral changes, which the parrot has absolutely no control over. One minute they are their normal selves and all of a sudden, BAM, they bite you, and the next second they are back to their normal selves. Mood swings like this are so common that for inexperienced parrot owners, this is the time when parrots are most often given up or surrendered. They can do a 180 degree turn and formerly the person who was THE person is now like yesterday’s news and the parrot might fixate on another member of the family (and it might not be one who actually likes parrots!). This does not happen every time, but it does happen, and the former favorite person needs to wheedle and scheme to get back into the parrots inner circle.

Some other behavior you might encounter:

• Trying to mate with objects like toys or food bowls, even your hand. Butt rubbing is what this looks like.
• Shredding paper, bedding, or any material that can be made into nest like stuff
• Seeking dark hidey places
• Being abnormally loud and making new clucking noises or others

Puberty can last anywhere from a few months to a year or so in larger parrots, again depending on species and the individual parrot. The 2 things to take away on this is that it will come to an end eventually and the other is to try and not let unwanted behavior become normal or habitual.

And now we come to mating season. Most parrots go through an annual mating season. Species like Eclectus parrots and a few other rare ones can have mating season at any time the environment produces mating triggers. For the rest, its once a year. Mating season is triggered by some things we can control and others that we cannot. The behavioral result of mating season is very similar to the ones displayed in puberty, with the exception of switching allegiances to a new person, which is rare. Uncontrollable rapid mood swings are pretty common and can vary with the intensity of the hormone release. Some years mating season can be pretty mild, and some are just killer for the poor parrot, as the drive to mate is frustrated (unless you are a breeder). The diurnal cycle of daylight to night time is one of the stronger triggers. Some folks keep their parrots on a day/night cycle that mirrors this, while others keep a 12hr day/night cycle. Either one has its pros and cons and we won’t get into that here.

Some things you can do to reduce (but never 100% eliminate) the effects of mating season are:

• Remove any shreddy type materials and limit access to them when the parrot is out of the cage
• Prevent access to dark hidey holes
• No touching the parrot anywhere except for the head and neck. This is a biggie as this can be interpreted as mating behavior by the parrot.
• Limit or remove sugar bearing foods, like fruits and high fructose foods like corn, any pasta, etc
• Lots of exercise – a tired parrot is less likely to indulge in mating behavior

Always keep in mind that the parrot has no control of itself during these periods! A bite received during them is 100% different than a bite you might get because the bird is angry with you. You should not use “shunning” or other methods to modify the behavior, because they have no more idea of why they bit you then you do. But, same as a normal bite, you should try to avoid being in a situation where the bite COULD occur. Cuddling with your parrot, giving/getting kisses or letting them near the face during mating season is likely not a good idea! Along these lines, during mating season, try to not let behavior like biting, humping or other outward signs become habitual.

Finally – always, always remember – “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”. Your loving friend is still in there and will be back!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hello everyone!
Recently I've been having problems with one of my four budgies' behavior, and I need advice.
It's a male budgie that, a couple of months ago, started plucking out the lower back feathers of his partner. He must be sexually frustrated, as his partner is a disabled budgie that cannot mate, their attempts have always been unsuccessful.
At the same time, he has an "obsession" towards another female budgie that is in the cage next to his. So, whenever I let him out, he immediately goes on the other cage trying to reach her (this also makes the other male mad, and they fight). I think this confirms that the problem is frustration in that sense.
I kept him apart from his partner for a month (using a net as a cage divider), and the moment I tried to put them back together (yesterday), he immediately tried to mate with her and - a few hours later - began plucking out her feathers. Needless to say, they are separated again now.
Do you have any suggestions on how I could calm him down?
Thanks in advance!

What does his reluctant girlfriend do when he tries to pluck her feathers? How is she disabled? Female budgies usually don't hesitate to snap at any other budgie that "displeases" them. I assume you don't want to get different female cagemate for him and give the disabled female her own cage.

 

[Flea_circus]

Thank you both for the replies!

As for what @wrench13 said I'm glad that it's a temporary behavior. However, I think the male's (Charlie) insistence in attempting mating started slightly less than a year ago, as last summer the female (Celeste) laid several unfertile eggs.
So I don't really understand why it is lasting so long, and why the male started being aggressive in the middle of the winter, when there was less daylight.

About @DonnaBudgie's questions, I think Celeste's disability is called "slip claws". Basically, the toes that should be backwards grew forwards in both feet. She was born in my house, and when I realized how bad the situation was it was too late to fix it, even with a vet's help.
She's 4 now and it worsened over the years: it prevents her from jumping, climbing and even walking properly, and she can't even fly (I don't know if it's related to the disability or not). :/
So, she can't really stand up for herself when Charlie acts like that, she complains and sometimes tries to bite him, but he is faster so it doesn't work.
I would get another female for him, but currently the number and the size of the cages I can have is very limited (I live with my parents). Since I had to split their cage in half, now each budgie has only a 16/17 x 10 inches (42 x 25 cm) space and I feel guilty about this.

One thing I tried, three days ago, was to "switch" the pairs: the other two budgies I have are Sid, a 10-year-old male who is Celeste's widowed father, and Sandy, the 1-year-old female Charlie is obsessed with.
I thought that Charlie and Sandy could be a good match for each other, since they are both young, and that Sid would leave Celeste alone because he is old.
Well, if the first part was correct, the second was not... Sid tried to mate with Celeste too!
He only did it one time, he mainly focused on Sandy because he wanted to go back to her, but I was so taken off guard that I switched them back. I really don't know what to think.

I'm sorry for the long message, but I'm desperate for advice.

 

[Keet_Krazy]

Has Celeste been to a vet recently? Some budgies will pick on those who are unwell.
Celeste and Charlie seem like an incompatible pair.

 

[Flea_circus]

Thank you.
Yes, I took her to the vet about a month ago, as she has a hernia (probably a consequence of her posture, again because of her disability).
Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if the other budgies were aware that she has something wrong, to some degree.
When Celeste moves around the cage it's clear that she struggles, it might be clear to them too.
Then, could this be the reason why not only Charlie, but Sid too, try to mate with her so easily?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Thank you both for the replies!

As for what @wrench13 said I'm glad that it's a temporary behavior. However, I think the male's (Charlie) insistence in attempting mating started slightly less than a year ago, as last summer the female (Celeste) laid several unfertile eggs.
So I don't really understand why it is lasting so long, and why the male started being aggressive in the middle of the winter, when there was less daylight.

About @DonnaBudgie's questions, I think Celeste's disability is called "slip claws". Basically, the toes that should be backwards grew forwards in both feet. She was born in my house, and when I realized how bad the situation was it was too late to fix it, even with a vet's help.
She's 4 now and it worsened over the years: it prevents her from jumping, climbing and even walking properly, and she can't even fly (I don't know if it's related to the disability or not). :/
So, she can't really stand up for herself when Charlie acts like that, she complains and sometimes tries to bite him, but he is faster so it doesn't work.
I would get another female for him, but currently the number and the size of the cages I can have is very limited (I live with my parents). Since I had to split their cage in half, now each budgie has only a 16/17 x 10 inches (42 x 25 cm) space and I feel guilty about this.

One thing I tried, three days ago, was to "switch" the pairs: the other two budgies I have are Sid, a 10-year-old male who is Celeste's widowed father, and Sandy, the 1-year-old female Charlie is obsessed with.
I thought that Charlie and Sandy could be a good match for each other, since they are both young, and that Sid would leave Celeste alone because he is old.
Well, if the first part was correct, the second was not... Sid tried to mate with Celeste too!
He only did it one time, he mainly focused on Sandy because he wanted to go back to her, but I was so taken off guard that I switched them back. I really don't know what to think.

I'm sorry for the long message, but I'm desperate for advice.

Poor Celeste! I had a budgie named Charlie and he was very fond of doing "the humpty dance" too but his focus was on one of his toys. Maybe you should re-home Charlie or house him somewhere where he can't see Celeste. Or put him with your male and put your two females together.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Poor Celeste! I had a budgie named Charlie and he was very fond of doing "the humpty dance" too but his focus was on one of his toys. Maybe you should re-home Charlie or house him somewhere where he can't see Celeste. Or put him with your male and put your two females together.

The problem with getting budgies to stop trying to breed is that if food and water are plentiful they will breed year round. They don't have as much of a true breeding season like many big parrots do.

 

[Flea_circus]

Poor Celeste! I had a budgie named Charlie and he was very fond of doing "the humpty dance" too but his focus was on one of his toys. Maybe you should re-home Charlie or house him somewhere where he can't see Celeste. Or put him with your male and put your two females together.

Charlie seems like a popular name for budgies! I read that two of the oldest known budgies were named Charlie too...
Mine isn't really interested in toys unfortunately. If he was, maybe I wouldn't have this problem haha.
Anyway, thanks again!

Isn't it recommended to not house female budgies together? I thought they were too territorial...
But if there is a chance they will get along I can try. Some occasional bickering with Sandy would definitely be better than what Celeste has been going through lately.
And yes, while I hate the idea of rehoming Charlie I guess I'll have to do if nothing else works. :/

 

[Keet_Krazy]

Isn't it recommended to not house female budgies together? I thought they were too territorial...

Yes.
I personally do not like this idea. Putting a perfectly healthy girl in with a disabled one who cannot defend herself could end horribly.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Charlie seems like a popular name for budgies! I read that two of the oldest known budgies were named Charlie too...
Mine isn't really interested in toys unfortunately. If he was, maybe I wouldn't have this problem haha.
Anyway, thanks again!

Isn't it recommended to not house female budgies together? I thought they were too territorial...
But if there is a chance they will get along I can try. Some occasional bickering with Sandy would definitely be better than what Celeste has been going through lately.
And yes, while I hate the idea of rehoming Charlie I guess I'll have to do if nothing else works. :/

As a general rule female budgies don't get along but there are lots of exceptions so you won't know until you try. I'm almost more concerned about your two males getting along since they seem pretty into their girls but generally males get along well. There are always exceptions. Try it. But I would try to keep the girls' cage out of their line of sight.
I also hate having to re-home birds.

 

[Flea_circus]

Thanks!
Another option I'm considering is to bring Charlie with me to the city where I go to university. I always spend the weekdays there (while my family takes care of the budgies), and my roommates could keep an eye on him in my absence. My classes will be over at the end of May, so I would keep him there only for about 3 weeks.
Do you think he would suffer from loneliness too much? Or that it would be pointless? Maybe it would help him get distracted and focus on other "hobbies" ...

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Thanks!
Another option I'm considering is to bring Charlie with me to the city where I go to university. I always spend the weekdays there (while my family takes care of the budgies), and my roommates could keep an eye on him in my absence. My classes will be over at the end of May, so I would keep him there only for about 3 weeks.
Do you think he would suffer from loneliness too much? Or that it would be pointless? Maybe it would help him get distracted and focus on other "hobbies" ...

I think its a Great idea. He won't be lonely because everything (but you) will be new. My budgies like traveling. Not all do, of course. And maybe it will help break his obsession with the Girls. Just make SURE you roommates aren't careless when he's out of his cage.

 

[Flea_circus]

Thanks! I took Charlie to my university apartment this morning.
While travelling he wouldn't stop making call sounds... luckily, it only lasted an hour. He accepted some millet from my hands that helped calm him down temporarily, so it was okay, embarrasment aside.
As far as I know, it's the first time in his life that he doesn't have other budgies around, so I understand why he acts like this.
Now it's afternoon and while he still makes many call sounds he also got out of the cage, flew around the room, ate from my hand again and even warbled a bit a short time ago.
Hopefully he will get used to living here.

Can I ask you what kind of toys do your budgies like the most? Charlie still shows no interest towards the toys he has now...

 

[Birdfriendly]

Thanks! I took Charlie to my university apartment this morning.
While travelling he wouldn't stop making call sounds... luckily, it only lasted an hour. He accepted some millet from my hands that helped calm him down temporarily, so it was okay, embarrasment aside.
As far as I know, it's the first time in his life that he doesn't have other budgies around, so I understand why he acts like this.
Now it's afternoon and while he still makes many call sounds he also got out of the cage, flew around the room, ate from my hand again and even warbled a bit a short time ago.
Hopefully he will get used to living here.

Can I ask you what kind of toys do your budgies like the most? Charlie still shows no interest towards the toys he has now...

It's been 4 months since you took Charlie to school. I am curious how the story ended. Can you share an update on what has happened since to Charlie, Celeste, and the other two?

 

[Free as a bird]

Classic puberty/mating season behavior

On hormones (horror-mones, if you understand)

Good read.
I remember the first time one of my old cockatiels attacked me protecting her eggs. I was so sad cos she had never displayed such aggressive behaviour before but understood why.
Now I have 2 juvenile tiels, about 9 months old. I'm 95% sure one is a male but the other im not sure. It will be interesting to see what happens