New GCC Owner - Is petting on the back a terrible idea?

[Dinosrawr]

Hi everyone!

I just recently purchased my first GCC a month ago, and it's definitely been an interesting journey. Before purchasing Avery, I met a parrot enthusiast/trainer who told me that petting them on the back gets their hormones going and is a terrible idea.

Now, I've never pet Avery directly on the back, but I do kiss her (perhaps him? I'm waiting on the DNA test results) on the back/stomach/head during cuddle sessions. I've also started the initial training steps for being hand tame and comfortable with me grabbing her, and this involves me putting my hand completely over her back and wings. When I do this, she fluffs up and wants more, which makes me worried that I'm doing something that could stimulate her in the totally wrong way.

Any suggestions?

Ps: here's my baby in her cuddle cove
View attachment 8235

 

[Agapornis]

This is a question I have about my GCC's too! Also, does the back petting affect females more than males?

 

[Agapornis]

BTW Dino, your little Avery is adorable!

 

[Dinosrawr]

Thanks! I love her, despite her childish habits, hahaha. I tried finding information on it, but I didn't find very much relating to conures, and everything else was related to birds that were laying.

 

[Echo]

It's actually very good to get your bird used to be touched all over. It's good for them to be used to hands and makes vet visits easier when they are used to being handled everywhere.

The only time I would not recommend it is during breeding season when they get sexually aroused by your touch, so I would then pet mainly around the head and neck area.

 

[Calace]

I am so glad I joined this forum before I got my GCC (still another 9-12 weeks away! :17 I am much more confident that I will be a good mummy to him after all I have learnt here!

 

[Dinosrawr]

Thanks, Echo! I thought so, too. When Avery had her first vet visit, she held a grudge against me for a few days. She wasn't impressed with being handled all over for the check up, so I'm determined to make it more comfortable for both my bird and vet.

And Calace, it's great to have researched thoroughly! I did the same, but nothing ever prepares you for your bird's personality except your bird, hahaha! Or so I've found

 

[GCC2012]

This forum is great, another new bit of info for me! Do you guys know when breeding season is and from what age? Perseus loves his back and under wings being rubbed and I do it pretty much every day. I'm not sure. If Perseus is really a boy, I wasn't going to bother to check but maybe I should if breeding season has different effects for males and females?

 

[GCC2012]

Ps Avery is a stunner!

 

[Echo]

Male and female will display sexual behavior during breeding season. Usually, early Spring and late Summer/beginning of Fall is when mine will go to nest.

 

[Calace]

This forum is great, another new bit of info for me! Do you guys know when breeding season is and from what age? Perseus loves his back and under wings being rubbed and I do it pretty much every day. I'm not sure. If Perseus is really a boy, I wasn't going to bother to check but maybe I should if breeding season has different effects for males and females?

Breeding season here (NSW Australia) is just starting. The breeders I called said they have fertile eggs now. So I'm guessing that breeding season here starts in about early August and goes for a few months.

 

[GCC2012]

Oh wow well I guess Melbourne would be the same then, I better look into how their hormones change and what I should change, ie the nightly back scratches.....that's not going to go down well with Perseus!

 

[Echo]

They will usually be sexually mature after the age of 8 months.

 

[GCC2012]

So I guess it's the same in Melbourne then. I better do some more research here you guys have got me worried about what changes are coming! I don't want my baby to be an angry moody teenager, I remember being one and they're horrible!!!

 

[Kalidasa]

I think it's probably more of a potential problem with female birds, because the male climbs on her back while mating. I have a female, and I touch her everywhere with no problem, but I generally focus on the face, head and neck. But like echo stated, it's good to be able to touch them anywhere, in case you have to examine them for something...or in the case of harness training. Also while they're moulting it enables you to give them some relief by scratching them where they have pins. If your bird starts trying to hump your hand (and females do it too) then restrict touching to the head/neck and she'll cool off.

 

[GCC2012]

I read somewhere, I can't remember where now, that the females more 'back up' onto you when getting petted. Perseus does this big time! Like pokes his tail up and backs up with his (her?!) bum!
All you guys who know you have girls, is this the reaction you get? Or those who know they have boys too I guess they all may do it. As I said I can't remember which forum or website I read this from but as soon as I did I thought 'yup Perseus definitely does the back up action!'
I'm with you Kalidasa on the parlor tricks etc, I have no interest in starting a 'parrot sideshow' but now Percy has done his first attempts at flight I'll have to look into flight training. Plus i'd love to be able to take him out and about so will also look into harnesses etc.
He's about 11 months so right now I'm more focused on investigating the changes he may go through soon.

 

[GCC2012]

Just a side thought too: how long does the bitey moodiness go on during the hormonal period?
After we brought him home Perseus was very moody for about 3 weeks. He was ultra aggressive to me but not so much my Husband. I'm thinking perhaps the shop lied to us about his age (they said he was 6 months) and when we took him home he was actually entering that period and is now over it?
Does it always happen at the start of spring? If so that theory is blown out of the water as it was the start of Autumn when we brought him home.

 

[Kalidasa]

I read somewhere, I can't remember where now, that the females more 'back up' onto you when getting petted. Perseus does this big time! Like pokes his tail up and backs up with his (her?!) bum!
All you guys who know you have girls, is this the reaction you get? Or those who know they have boys too I guess they all may do it. As I said I can't remember which forum or website I read this from but as soon as I did I thought 'yup Perseus definitely does the back up action!'
I'm with you Kalidasa on the parlor tricks etc, I have no interest in starting a 'parrot sideshow' but now Percy has done his first attempts at flight I'll have to look into flight training. Plus i'd love to be able to take him out and about so will also look into harnesses etc.
He's about 11 months so right now I'm more focused on investigating the changes he may go through soon.

Yup the tail up thing with backing up is very female hormonal behavior. It's now moulting season, so many of our birds are moody, short-tempered and itchy.
Flight recall is important for flighted birds in case they get loose or confused or panicked they always come back to you and not the highest point they can find.
Make sure Perseus (love that name) gets plenty of baths...every day if possible. It relieves the discomfort and softens those hard pins so she can break them easier.

 

[Kalidasa]

Just a side thought too: how long does the bitey moodiness go on during the hormonal period?
After we brought him home Perseus was very moody for about 3 weeks. He was ultra aggressive to me but not so much my Husband. I'm thinking perhaps the shop lied to us about his age (they said he was 6 months) and when we took him home he was actually entering that period and is now over it?
Does it always happen at the start of spring? If so that theory is blown out of the water as it was the start of Autumn when we brought him home.

Generally they're like that for several weeks when you first bring them home, hormones or not...it's the shock of a new environment, pushing boundaries, establishing bonds, seeing who's who. The first several weeks they're usually on their worst behavior. A move even to a different side of a room is a huge deal for a bird, let alone an entire new home and people. With patience these things smooth out.

 

[Pajarita]

The problem with improper caresses is that most people find it very hard to keep a pet bird from not producing sexual hormones all year round because the diet is always rich enough for breeding and people work during the day so they keep the birds up after sunset (long days = breeding season) so although it is true that these caresses are worse during breeding season, you would have to make sure the bird is kept 100% attuned to the seasons in order to avoid them during specific times of the year instead of all year round.

The other problem with it is that only mates touch the back of their mates and hand-fed birds imprint to humans so you can end up with a bird which thinks of you as a mate and not as a flock member, something that can be quite troublesome as they get very possessive of their mates and aggressive toward anybody who they perceive as competition for their mate's affection.