Cookie thinks he's a baby

[LauraO]

Well a few days ago my husband was preparing baby birdy formula under the watchful eye of Cookie. When he left upstairs I offered Cookie some of the leftover and he really liked it. Now everytime we make formula there he is...watching.....waiting.....for his very own syringe of food. He's getting as bad as a little baby. I hope he doesn't start making baby cries when I start making formula :x :D :x

[Janie]

Laura, I am giving my babies a little every 3 or 4 days! Not cause they need it but because it's so much fun to watch them gobble it up and I haven't had the pleasure of making formula in about 19 years! :D They do make quite a mess but the clean up is fun, too! Glad that Cookie is getting the baby treatment! :lol

[bellarains]

Laura,

That is just so sweet. I wonder if you handfeeding him will help form a bond?? You know they say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach :lol. Seriously though, it may help him trust you more.

[linda040899]

Laura,
It sounds like Cookie may have been handfed as a baby. All of my handfed birds, no exceptions, will go nuts when they see formula and a syringe. Dao is 15 and Georgia is 17. They will inhale it as quickly as I can offer it. Ginger, who is wild caught, can't quite figure it all out, although she watches when Harley and Alex gulp down the warm treat.

[jknezek]

One word of caution here (not to rain on this very cute parade) but warm liquidy foods in older parrots tends to stimulate sexual reactions... especially when given directly into their beaks (being fed by a mate) as opposed to them foraging for a warm veggie mix out of their bowl. While this may not be such a big deal in a lovie that thinks it's cute to play with toys or other lovies, it can be a major problem in larger parrots. Consistent regurgitation and sexual encounters is one of the leading reasons parrots end up in rescues (behind screaming and chewing of course). Not that I'm implying this would happen as it is clear everyone on this forum is crazy about their birdies. However you probably don't want Cookie to think you are his mate and are feeding him to stimulate his sexual appetite. Once a parrot goes down this path, it is very hard to change or distract him/her from his/her desire. Bonding is great, sexual stimulation can be problematic.

Jeremy

[BarbieH]

That's an excellent caution, Jeremy. :) A word to the wise is sufficient!

Thanks. :D

[jknezek]

breaks my heart to rain on the parade. especially since i have a hard time breaking myself of the habit of petting my ekkie on his back. another big sexual no-no. but it's about the only place he lets me. *sigh* going to get me in trouble one day....

[BarbieH]

I know, *sigh* sometimes I catch myself petting Sammy's back. He could never surprise me with eggs or anything, but still ... he's a bird and I'm not! I don't want him getting frustrated and developing habits like feather plucking. And larger birds can get downright dangerous when their hormones are roused. :eek:

[jknezek]

you hit the nail on the head. sexual maturity is so difficult for both the bird and the human. there are so many don'ts and even that won't guarantee any kind of easy transition. just like humans i guess. still, i get so sad when someone says they can't handle their "beloved" bird's sexual advances and are thinking of turning him/her into a breeder. just what we need, more parrots breeding simply because they aren't cuddly pets anymore. I'm not against breeding or responsible breeders, I'm just against it being thought of as an easy way out (oh, and I'm against the whole Kaytee Preferred Bird racket, that one does drive me nuts)...

[butterfly1061]

Too cute Laura! I still give Daisy formula (picky eater), but I feed it to her from a spoon or a very small storage container I mix it in. She gulps it down. Piper eats it the same way. He'll eat anything she eats :D

[BarbieH]

I'm not against breeding or responsible breeders, I'm just against it being thought of as an easy way out

HA!!! :lol It's not easy at all! :rofl:That's hilarious. :D

[LauraO]

Jeremy: Thanks for the word of warning. In my mind I was thinking he had a good handfeeding experience and it was a way to bond with him. I don't go out of my way to handfeed him and I will keep an eye out for any change in Cookies bahavior. I've seen a glimpse of how crazy he can get with the whole mirror issue, which we continue to struggle with. He knows where every darn mirror is in the house and continues to plot ways to get to them. He makes the most distinct and funny noises when he's looking at himself. The other night he was making them but there was no mirror around. I got up to find him standing on our stainless steal waffle maker cooing at himself :rolleyes:. Finally, we had to put it away in a dark corner. Boy this big birdy thing is a whole new birdy game, but fun none the less :cool:.

[bellarains]

Laura,

I've been know to make a few cooing noises myself where a waffle maker is concerned, YUMMMMMMM!!!!! :lol

[jknezek]

Barb that probably came out wrong when I said turning birds into a breeder was an easy way out... most people give or sell their birds TO a breeder if they are hormonal and don't want to handle it. They don't breed the birds themselves. I have no idea how hard it is since I'm not a breeder and don't have any desire to have eggs, large or small, from my birds. However, on the ekkie and large parrot lists I belong to I see all the time where someone feels "a breeding situation will be best for my bird since I can no longer handle XXXX." (Substitute screaming, chewing, regurgitating, masturbating, or other for the XXXX). That is what drives me crazy. There are some excellent methods for modifying behavior. As we all know, they are unbelievably time consuming and difficult and many people just don't want to put the effort in. So the birds go to become breeders and we have more parrots than homes, more parrots in shelters, more pluckers, more birds fed a seed only diet, and more problems. That's the point I was making. Sorry for the inaccurate impression.

Jeremy