Is it love or control tatic

[jwl]

Hello All

I am hoping to get some questions answered I have floating around in my head. This is in regards to my rather onery friend Gracie. She is one and a half years old now. We got her when she was 8 months. After the inital get to know each other with few nips and misunderstandings we became good friends. No so much for my wife but that has come along also. We play together a lot. She hangs upside down on my finger and make all kinds of noises. She will lay on her back in my hand feet up in the air and say dead bird. In the evenings she will sleep on my shoulder with her beak in my ear. All was going well until about two months ago. One day when we were having our morning breakfast together with the usual play time afterwords she started to act diffrent. She crouches down low and droop her wings down and out a little. She would make these funny kind of grunting sounds. This has continued to this day. Alough I get a little tired of this actions I understand that something is going on. The part that bothers me is that she is getting more agressive as time goes on. She is biting me each day. Sometimes not so hard but sometimes just before the point of blood. I can see she is frustrated but what do I do. When she bites me I give her a dirty face and say now then she gets a time out in her cage. My sweet loving friend is getting to where I do not want to handle her because she is getting so onery. She eats a good diet. She has a large cage and gets plenty of excercise. Any sugestions how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.

[Birdnut]

Hi jwl. Welcome to the forum.

 

Gracie still loves you. It's just that she's now coming onto you sexually. That is what these new behaviors mean.

 

You now need to avoid touching her anywhere on the body, as that is arousing and will make her feel frustrated, and she is becoming aggressive out of her frustration. Confine your petting to above the neck and just walk away when she displays these behaviors.

 

I'm sure others can give much more good advice for you.

[Jayd]

Birdnut reply is "Spot on", Make sure to say "I love you and Thank You when you walk away, then come back shortly as if nothing happened...

[jwl]

You guys are great thank you. That is what I thought was happening. However did not think they became sexualy active at a year and a half. It will be difficult because she love to play. How long will this go on and how often does it happen?

Edited October 18, 2010 by jwl

[Jayd]

Love lasts forever......

[Ray P]

My grey is not as bad as my zon. Cricket will bend down low wings up a little and grunt and shake. I just say take it easy cricket and walk away and when I see she is done I go back and give her a treat and a head rub and she is ok. You are her love and that schould make you feel good.

[Luvparrots]

Hi jwl, you should introduce yourself in the Welcome Room so we can all get to know you and hear more about Gracie.

[jwl]

Hi jwl, you should introduce yourself in the Welcome Room so we can all get to know you and hear more about Gracie.

 

Thank you I will

[danmcq]

At a year and a half old, your grey is not becoming sexually active. The behavior you see just means she loves you a lot. It is not sexual maturity and hormones until they are between 5 and 7 years old.

 

The change in personality you are seeing, is your baby is ... well not a baby any longer and you can view it as a child trying to figure out where what she wants versus what you want ends and she can get her way. At this age they are learning to interact more closely with the flock and see what is acceptable behavior or not and how the flock communicates when a conflict of interest pops up, like maybe she does not want to step-up or twirl on the finger and a bite is how they start letting you know that. They watch your reaction and if it is one that excites them with lots of Ow Ow Ow's from you and jumping or flinching a lot, they get a reward and will increase the behavior for more good times. This is just the start. Most go through terrible twos and boy will you be in for a time of learning how to get your message across or possibly accept her desire to NOT do what you want when you want her to. The dynamics will continue to change for the next 3 or 4 years as she ages to complete adult maturity.

 

We are here to help as you run in to these changes, if you need it.

[jwl]

So it sounds like the best way to handle this is like was posted above to not encourage her to get too excited. No play like usual. I know this sounds funny but she is he one that starts it. She shows me she wants to play. She will stand on my hand then flip upside down. Then when we play she wants more and more and the more agressive she gets the more we play until someone gets bit. Oh by the way that would be me.

[Luvparrots]

John when you play with Gracie, stay away from her tail/bum and her wings. When I tickle my grey, I only rub/pet her feet (it is always good to be able to handle your grey's feet in case they need some foot care) and scratch the top of her head and under her chin. Never for very long. If Gracie gets rough tell her to "be gentle" (I say this to Ana Grey as I gently stroke her and she understands what gentle means). If Gracie won't calm down, stop playing for a while and just talk to her.

[Jayd]

So it sounds like the best way to handle this is like was posted above to not encourage her to get too excited. No play like usual. I know this sounds funny but she is he one that starts it. She shows me she wants to play. She will stand on my hand then flip upside down. Then when we play she wants more and more and the more agressive she gets the more we play until someone gets bit. Oh by the way that would be me.

This is common, more so in Amazons, just take a time out.....

[jwl]

Thank you everyone for you comments. This already helped me by just understanding for sure what is going on and a plan to deal with it.