Plucking, Screaming and Aggression

[Merlee]

I was just wondering if genetics or allergies would be the reason behind plucking, screaming or aggression? The bird cannot tell us what the problem is so I am looking outside the box.

I know some people have done everything to ensure their fids are healthy mentally and physically by providing plenty of toys, the largest cages money can buy and healthy diets, but yet the owners are dealing with some sort of issue. Let's say plucking or barbering feathers.

Is it possible that many birds don't have good temperament from the parents and start having behavioral problems when something upsets them? Do you think birds should have pedigrees too? Sounds weird, but if people are going to have birds as pets, maybe more thought should be put into the process of which birds to breed who have better temperments if we want to continue domesticating them? If dog breeders do this, why not bird breeders? Just a thought.

 

[MonicaMc]

Your question ties into this thread....

http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/35012-hypothesis-breeders-creating-problem-birds.html



If the theory were true, then my mitred conure should not be acting like a typical conure. His parents were wild caught imports. Instead of acting like any other conure who's family generations can be traced several times within captivity, he should, in theory, be acting like a wild conure kept against his will... but he's not. He's loud, he's goofy, he's hilarious, he's cuddly, he's opinionated and nippy.... I consider him to be the epitome of the word "conure"!

 

[legal_eagle]

Yep, I think that birds have inborn temperaments, and that they are all good variations on a theme. Problems generally come from failure to take the temperament into account in an environment that is not natural to the bird. But that doesn't make the temperament bad or mean that birds should be bred for particular temperaments.

 

[MonicaMc]

Added some more info to the thread I put a link to which may be of some interest...

 

[goalerjones]

Thought this was going to be about your wedding night...

 

[Sammy01]

I was just wondering if genetics or allergies would be the reason behind plucking, screaming or aggression? The bird cannot tell us what the problem is so I am looking outside the box.

I know some people have done everything to ensure their fids are healthy mentally and physically by providing plenty of toys, the largest cages money can buy and healthy diets, but yet the owners are dealing with some sort of issue. Let's say plucking or barbering feathers.

Is it possible that many birds don't have good temperament from the parents and start having behavioral problems when something upsets them? Do you think birds should have pedigrees too? Sounds weird, but if people are going to have birds as pets, maybe more thought should be put into the process of which birds to breed who have better temperments if we want to continue domesticating them? If dog breeders do this, why not bird breeders? Just a thought.

I don't think genetics plays a role with bird personality as with mammals (http://chzb.gr/1dSTt01).

With parrots I've found that the parents have nothing to do with it really. I had two lovebird's who's parents were sweethearts but they were possessed by the devil. I've also been given wild parrots and a pigeon that were sweet. I think that with them it really comes down to the way they were raised and treated.