Uh Oh

[Sher]

I posted last week asking what Henry (7 y/o U2) was doing when he was pecking and licking my hand. Well, I think I figured it out today. I believe he thinks I am his mate. (I'm uploading a video now)
He was just doing it again then stopped and made the regurgitate motion. Then he started swaying his tail back & forth.
IF this is what's going on, how do I stop it? I read not to pet him under the wings to much and everytime I handle him he lifts his wing to be petted. I give a little scratch here & there but thats it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/audio?v=uWI3NK50faA&feature=vm"]YouTube[/ame]

 

[Featheredsamurai]

The white cockatoos are very sensitive and famous for being hormonal. Only pet on the head, and the breast. Petting the breast is to feel the keel, muscle, and to tell if they are getting over weight or underweight(I do this, and weigh on a gram scale daily).

Do you do trick training? I love trick training, when a parrot starts being hormonal asking them to do a behavior can instantly change their mentally from hormones to "yay time to learn and work". The instant I take a clicker out my galah only wants to train, she doesn't even want to be pet lol.

 

[Sher]

I have been reading about the trick training as of late. I will start working on that.
I posted the video I was referring too but I am pretty sure I know the answer already- hormonal.
I read on another forum to STOP all cuddling and to let him sit near me but not on me. Do you agree?
Thanks for the info.

 

[MonicaMc]

What Copperarabian is talking about is to redirect the birds attention. Don't encourage the behavior or discourage it, simply redirect the birds attention to something that is not hormonal in nature (i.e. trick training) and encourage that. With time, an overly hormonal parrot can be taught to *not* be hormonal.


I would suggest reading through Lara Joseph's blog!
Lara Joseph | An avid avian training, behavior, and enrichment enthusiast.

 

[Sher]

Thank you MonicaMC! This has been driving me crazy for days & all I managed to do was confuse Henry.

 

[Kalidasa]

Lol! My conure does exactly the same thing, to the T. I just do something else, and she either forgets or does it in the closest inanimate object. The good thing is when she brings up bits of food, she just chews them and swallows them back down, no mess.

 

[Nocturnal]

The white cockatoos are very sensitive and famous for being hormonal. Only pet on the head, and the breast. Petting the breast is to feel the keel, muscle, and to tell if they are getting over weight or underweight(I do this, and weigh on a gram scale daily).

Do you do trick training? I love trick training, when a parrot starts being hormonal asking them to do a behavior can instantly change their mentally from hormones to "yay time to learn and work". The instant I take a clicker out my galah only wants to train, she doesn't even want to be pet lol.

How do you clicker train a cockatoo though? I have rarely met a single cockatoo who is interested in treats when you are there, and my hormonal boy will just drop anything you hand to him.

 

[MonicaMc]

A reward can be anything the bird enjoys and likes! It doesn't have to be treats! Treats are just a universal tool that works with many parrots! Because many parrots are food motivated! If you have a bird who doesn't seem food motivated, then you can try training first thing in the morning before feeding breakfast!

You can also use toys, verbal praise, scritches or anything else the bird enjoys! Any kind of "thing" or "action" that the bird finds rewarding!



Sher, it is confusing! Each bird can be trained differently and can react differently to various techniques so you have to figure out what works for your bird! And you have to be creative! Think outside the box! I would definitely start with Lara Joseph's blog to get some ideas on how to deal with hormonal behaviors and go from there!