Cav-ity seeking is often a sign of imminent ovulation in the female. Many Neotropical species will become very territorial and fiercely guard their homestead. Cavity seeking should rather be viewed as a serious escalation of hormonally driven be-havior. Many owners have viewed this be-havior with great amusement and often facilitated the quest by allowing the bird to stake a claim to a certain spot. Owners have found chair stuffing excavated and carpets ripped up by companion parrots driven to find a suitable nest site. Many birds have attempted to set up housekeeping under a chair or a couch. The perceived cavity may be a closet, a drawer or a box. Cavity SeekingĪs reproductive drives escalate, many pet birds will begin to roam and explore seeking a cav-ity.
Preventing access to shreddable substrate will usually quickly defuse a hormonal drive.
In many cases this behavior is one of the earliest warning signs of hormonal behavior. In cases where a grate is not provided, all liners can be removed and the cage tray simply rinsed daily. As most cages are equipped with grates that prevent access to the cage floor, this behavior is usually easy to control. Typically regarded as benign, playful activity, shredding instead seems capable of initiating the cascade of hormones that directs reproductive behaviors. Shredding of paper, cardboard or other bedding material seems to mimic the intrinsic behaviors of nest preparation. One of the easiest remedies to derail reproductive drives is also one of the most powerful. Many owners initially anticipate a hardship or a loss of interactive time but instead find that the bird adapts within days to the new routine and quickly demonstrates that the change is a benefit. There is some evidence to support the theory that seasonal shifts are sensed by the rate of change of day length (like those that occur in spring and fall) rather than just keying off of a single day length.
This gland is likely the mechanism by which birds set their circadian rhythm. Birds have in their brains a finely tuned, light sensitive pin-eal gland. As most birds are from equatorial and subequa-torial latitudes where day length is roughly twelve hours year round, establishing a routine that follows a 12-hour day with a 12-hour night is ideal. Ideally the photoperiod would begin at dawn when most birds, covered or not, sense the new day and begin to stir. Restoration of a regular recurring day and night cycle usually results in a happier and healthier companion bird. Whether in the wild or in captivity, most birds demonstrate a remark-able periodicity to their days. If there is one single positive change that pet bird owners can make, it is returning the bird to a regularly recurring photoperiod. Reinforcing these recommendations with interesting information about the bird's origins and adaptations has proven to be an extremely useful tool.
#Cockatoo pet birds how to
But explanations about the mechanics of how to prevent recurrence is often poorly received and viewed as impossible or undesirable. Many veterinarians counseled clients about the role of physical contact in hormonal stimulation. Building on this, other management-based rec-ommendations, such as removal of the nest box and separation from the male, became common-place. When faced with the recurrent nature of these prob-lems, many companion psittacine owners become inpatient with the need for return visits and expen-sive injections.īased on Millam's research, recommendations to restore cockatiels to a short day photoperiod as a remedy to chronic egg laying became common. (21,22) It has become increasingly apparent that these therapies, though effective in the short term, may become inadequate as a long-term solution. Protracted egg laying, as is commonly exhibited in Budg-erigars, Cockatiels and Umbrella Cockatoos, is routinely treated with leuprolide acetate (Lupron®), a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, that acts by down-regulating pituitary GnRH recep-tors. Experienced clinicians routinely handle medical emergencies related to ovulation. Hormonal Behavior in Pet Birds - Therapeutic Remedies Table of ContentsĪvian veterinary medicine has become adept at developing effective therapeutic modalities for the most common manifestations of hormonal dysfunction. Home » Hormonal Behavior in Pet Birds - Therapeutic Remedies
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