hormonal or not?

[Andreafoster]

i’m probably being over worried, Mimi, my young conure, a male(i think!)young enough to be hormonal for the first time. the thing is he’s off his food( he’s never off his food), he’s calling for me all the time & following me around. biting my neck ( i don’t allow him on my neck). he just what me in the room, even if he doesn’ to socialise. his weight is normal(60 to 80 grams). this has been going on for a week, because he seems normal, well up to now. i haven’t gone to the vet.

 

[chris-md]

How old is he?

 

[wrench13]

Yeah that's my question too. Green cheek conures and hit puberty around a year, but that time frame is different for each individual. SOme hit it at 7 months, some 14 months. It depends on the individual.

 

[Andreafoster]

How old is he?

he is 16-17 months

 

[chris-md]

yeah, this is definitely puberty.

You can’t “train” hormonal biting away, unfortunately. It’s an innate behavior training cannot touch.

Your job now is to not make it worse: you can’t train it away, but you CAN reinforce it so that, once the hormones abate, you have a biting case on your hands.

if he bites, give a sharp “NO!” Though don’t make a scene (hooting and hollering over the pain - he can learn to see you as a fun squeak toy if you carry on) and birdie goes on time out. Not punishment, just a combination of shunning and chance to wind down a little bit. Preferably a bird safe place he doesn’t quit like to be, bathroom countertop or something. Leave him for 1 minute, then retrieve him and resume your day. Repeat as necessary.

you really just have to give it time. This too shall pass, in time (6-12 months typically). You will get some version of your sweet boy back on the other side of all this. It’s a right of passage most of us have to endure.

 

[Andreafoster]

yeah, this is definitely puberty.

You can’t “train” hormonal biting away, unfortunately. It’s an innate behavior training cannot touch.

Your job now is to not make it worse: you can’t train it away, but you CAN reinforce it so that, once the hormones abate, you have a biting case on your hands.

if he bites, give a sharp “NO!” Though don’t make a scene (hooting and hollering over the pain - he can learn to see you as a fun squeak toy if you carry on) and birdie goes on time out. Not punishment, just a combination of shunning and chance to wind down a little bit. Preferably a bird safe place he doesn’t quit like to be, bathroom countertop or something. Leave him for 1 minute, then retrieve him and resume your day. Repeat as necessary.

you really just have to give it time. This too shall pass, in time (6-12 months typically). You will get some version of your sweet boy back on the other side of all this. It’s a right of passage most of us have to endure.

wasn’t expecting it so soon. he’s now beginning to see my shoulder as a treat!

 

[chris-md]

If anything he’s a LATE bloomer. As my good friend Wrench noted above, they typically hit around 12 months or so. 1.5 years isn’t too unusual (arbitrary number, but let’s call “not too unusual” maybe 20% of the time), but is on the late side.