This is going to be pretty short and to the point...mostly because I am two weeks into April already and also because the subject matter is relatively cut and dried....

We have been receiving numerous calls from bird owners complaining that their pet is screaming, picking and has aggression towards the family....

Simply, this is BREEDING SEASON and even though our pets have no mates, have been wonderful up to this point and generally a joy to behold...there are basic instincts in each of our birds that surface on a regular basis or sproradically like the wind.

If your generally sweet and loving pet has turned into a miserable, grumpy beast, it is probably due to breeding hormones...How do you help him/her along with these raging hormones? Here are some tips that might shorten this behavior or at least calm some of the symptoms:

• TEN TO TWELVE HOURS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS IS A MUST
• REMOVE ALL TOYS THAT MIGHT BE MORE THAN "JUST A TOY" (IF YOU GET MY DRIFT)
• SERVE ALL SOFT FOOD AT ROOM TEMPERATURE...DO NOT HEAT
• REMOVE PAPER, PAPER TOWELS ETC. FROM BOTTOM OF CAGE

BE PATIENT...THIS TOO WILL PASS

REASONS

In Spring, the days get longer so hormones are alerted to breeding time....by keeping to the winter schedule of ten to twelve hours of darkness, you calm the hormones.

By allowing your bird to cozy up to a toy in a mating fashion, again you are allowing hormones to take over.

When soft foods are served warm, you pet thinks it is time to feed the young and another hormone is brought to life.

Allowing the shredding of paper will also promote some feather picking..."Feathering your nest" is what is transpiring here...a mixture of feathers and paper makes for a wonderful, cozy nest.

Hope this helps....don't take any aggressive behaviour as personal...your bird is trying to be sweet again, but the hormones are raging.

anne