#hormonal behavior

Unfortunately, I see this a lot. It looks like your feathered friend has reached sexual maturity. It’s spring! And that means mating season… Hormones are to blame for a lot of the issues you’re describing. There are a few things you can do to minimize the hormone strikes and discourage any breeding behaviors.

This first and most important part is a change in diet. High-protein foods, nuts, and seeds can trigger these hormone spikes. And even soft, mushy, warm foods are known to encourage breeding behavior. I suggest you introduce a pellet diet if she isn’t on one already. Roudybush, Zupreem, or Harrison’s pellets are great choices! I personally feed my cockatiels Roudybush. You’ll also need to provide her with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. And absolutely no warm foods at all. 

Second, bedtime hours. Poor sleep patterns cause irritability and even aggressiveness. Quakers are tropical parrots and reside in regions near to the equator. This means they are biologically accustomed to a 12 hour day, with a 12 hour night. It’s sometimes difficult to remember to keep this bedtime consistent since as humans we don’t typically go to sleep as soon as the sun goes down. But it is very important they get a 12 hour night period. The more darkness you can provide, the happier she will be.

Lastly, try to avoid handling her too much. Excessive snuggles and touching her anyway on the body besides the head region is a big NO, NO. This does not mean you should isolate your parrot. She should still spend time with you and out of her cage. Keep her in a safe place where she won’t be “tempted” into snuggling or nesting behaviors. This can not only save you from being bitten but keep their romantic mood at a quieter level.

ive reduced daylight to ten hours but i guess i gotta go even less. i work during the day so it makes it really difficult to do without getting rid of most of her out-of cage time.

if i do 10-6:30 i can keep her out for about two hours bc mornings are when i play with the birds and i dont get back home till 6:30pm.....

any advice ?