Hormonal Macaw very aggressive...HELP!

[HarleyNMarley]

Hi!

Our blue and gold is a crazy hormonal aggressive bird.... not our mild mannered little princess we used to have.

A little history: We have two macaws Marley, the blue and gold who is 16 and Harley, a harlequin who is 14. My husband picked them out as eggs, and raised them with his ex-wife. When they divorced, the birds lived at his parents house for 3/4 years with very little interaction. They have always been in separate cages other than a few times when traveling. When I came into the picture they came to live with us, and I took over their care. Since that time, they receive daily interaction, time outside in cages and a well balanced diet.

The first year and for 2/3 years following, Marley showed typical "PMS" symptoms for a few days prior to laying an egg, then went back to normal behavior.

Family dynamics: Harley is a mamas boy and very unpredictable with others, while being very affectionate towards me. Marley "used too" be cool with just about anyone, being trained to take pictures at my husbands shows.

This past year, we have moved twice within 2 months, with the final move being into my husbands parents home after his father became paralyzed and his mom passed away from cancer. It has been extremely stressful on all of us, and I am sure the birds have picked up on it. Harley is pretty much the same, but Marley began showing "PMS" signs this summer, and continues to be very aggressive toward me and recently attacked my husband.

Is this something that we can work through with her? Or is she simply at a point where she wants to breed and that is that, nature is in control? At this point, I can't handle her at all, and my husband is leery, so she is left alone in her cage.

Because the two of them have been together their whole lives, I don't feel they should be separated (even though they don't share a cage).

Any advice is welcome.:17:

 

[GaleriaGila]

Hi!
Wellllllllllllllllllllll...
Ever since the Rickeybird hit sexual maturity at about 3-4 years of age, I've had to manage his hormones! If kept on too steady a long day, and too much light, he stayed "in the mood" (aggressive, even louder than usual, pleasuring himself on my neck ) year round. If I keep him on a natural light schedule... up with dawn, down with dusk, year around... THEN he's only a little monster rooster from July to September). He has his own room, so I can do that easily.
Hope this may help a little???????

P.S.
Some stability and peace and constancy may also help!
Good luck.

 

[evamacaw]

Kinda sounds like she is stressed and sensing stress with added hormones. I don't envy your difficulties.

 

[HarleyNMarley]

Thank you for your information. I think stress is a determining factor as well. Just not sure that will change anytime soon. I don't know what to do. She isn't happy and we aren't happy. I feel awful that she can't come out and interact with us. But at this point, it is just too dangerous.

 

[Solo]

Not handling is definitely NOT going to help or improve anything. I would say this is all stress based, between the moves and I'm sure the emotional changes in the house considering your families circumstances. I feel less inclined for it to be hormonal since this bird has been "mature" for quite some time, and this is unusual from her normal behavior during egg laying time. I would say for each move it can take up to 6 months or more to adjust. It's a huge change. Give her time and be patient with her, but she still NEEDS attention and interaction. If need be wrap a towel around your arm, or if she's stick trained use that and bring her into the common living area to socialize.


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[markallan]

Do you have photos of the birds? I'd love to see the Harlequin...

 

[Kentuckienne]

There's that sticky thread Big Beak-o-phobes guide to macaw beaks, which is very helpful. Another thing the author (birdman666) said in another post is to wrap a towel around one if both foreaerms, secure in place with an ace bandage, and then put on a long sleeve shirt to cover it up. I tried it with macaw Gus - he did try to give me a big bite, because I had got a little scared by him, but it didn't hurt at all. I was able to pick him right up. The towel gave me the confidence to walk up and ask him to step up firmly, and after that one bite he began to do it. Macaws like to bluff, and if they get away with it they can push the boundaries. So if you can protect yourself enough to handle Marley without fear, she will get the message that the game isn't working. If you don't handle her, you reinforce the idea that she's in control and can boss you around with the beak - and that won't wander off in any good direction.