male hormones and happy huts

[bookworm0550]

i have been taking out evolet's hut during the day and putting it in at night. should i not do that and just leave it out? i know when i leave it out at night, she will sleep underneath her food bowl. and what about the boys?? I know Pan likes it for security reasons so i want to keep it for him. But do boys go through their own "nesty" stage too or no? my vet told me that the boys will make a nest??? I have never read or heard about this before.

[thebubbleking]

Sunshine helps boo with nest building but he is terrible at it and boo gets on his case if he trys to help her lol
My tiel pohaku thinks his happy hut is strictly for swishy danceing lol

[momo]

I got told that cockatiel males build nests, to say to ladies.. "hey baby look what I made.."

Are the boys chewing paper?

[LovelySydney]

Oslo never tried to build nests and neither did GusGus - both had happy huts in their cages and LOVED them. I knew it was night time because Gus would get in his and Oslo would get on top of his, LOL. I miss those little buggers antics. I think you can leave the hut in for the boys especially if they enjoy the comfort of it. If you think E will just be nesty, leave it out - but poor thing sleeping under her food dish!!

[bookworm0550]

i know, i felt so bad for her tonight cuz she was just sleeping away on the floor. she looked so happy when i took the hut and put it in. she hopped right on in. she's a very sweet girl, but lately, she's been so bossy and feisty.

momo, they do chew paper, but they don't do anything w/ it. they chew and leave it....well, to be exact, they like to rip paper more than chew it. does that make sense? yeah, the vet was like, "joey's gonna build you a nest" but he hasn't.

[momo]

I am pretty sure elmo is a girl.. and she has her happy hut all of the time. I have read that you should take it out because they get nesty etc.. but she isn't too nesty. She chews paper like it's going out of fashion. Touch wood. no eggs or nest building yet. And it's been a year. I would keep it in there, that's just my personal opinion. We sleep better on a bed rather than on the floor. although they are animals we are allowed them to become accustomed to the good things in life, well that's what my mum tells me when she gives elmo a warm water bath.

Just make sure you check the bottom to see if she is getting a torpedo bum.

My vet also told me that lovebirds don't really play with toys, but I proved him wrong with Elmo and her ball obsession. I think you can tell your birds personality on whether they are showing nest building signs or if they are getting overtly territorial. But I personally don't touch her cage when shes' in it. because its her private area and her escape place.

[bookworm0550]

your vet really said that, that they don't play with toys? i mean, kinda true, but i think it's just cuz they know what's more fun: climbing on mommy!!!!!! Destroying the house!!!!! Ripping mom's magazines and books, she doesn't need them!!!!! chirping real loud!!!!!! Why play w/ toys when you can be disruptive and destructible? haha.

evie's not building a nest. she def rips and tucks them in her rump, but doesn't do much. they fall out and she doesn't even notice. i think i'll just leave it out during the day and put it in at night.

these birds sure are spoiled and have a good life. they don't even have to sleep on a perch!!! they have a nice cozy bed to sleep in. Now Jada didn't come w/ a hut and she doesn't seem to like them. she's been attacking everyone else's huts. so she's fine for now. when winter rolls around, i'll get her one so she'll be warm at night.

[momo]

Evie sounds exactly like Elmo.. she tucks.. I take it out from her tucking she doesn't care. She will make a croacking noise at me. She's been doing this since she was.. 5 months.. forever. As long as I've known her.

I think my vet is really good. he's a great person. maybe he hasn't had a lovie before. They are psychos. They don't look like psychos but they are.. chew chew.. break break.. yell yell.. hahaha. He was really surprised when I told him.. elmo grabs balls.. throws them.. chases them.. yells at them.. grabs it.. chases it.. throws it... hahaha.

[dieflying]

Since Evie is about Kath's age, I thought I'd throw in 2 cents. . . I take Kath's happy hut out during the day. I just figured it was best to keep her from seeing it as a nest right from the start rather than fight her over it should she begin to see it that way. She's more than happy to give it up in the morning and at night she doesn't even hop in it until she's done attacking the sheets I put over her cage.

Also, lovebirds not play with toys?? Kath goes nuts over crinkle balls, jingle balls, random pieces of straw, crumpled paper, she loves leather chews. . . that's silly :)

[Tango's_Mom]

Tango's a male, and I only put in his happy hut at night since when I left it in all the time he got really defensive of it. Quite apart from that, search through the forum and see some of the horror stories of what happens when birds get caught in stray threads or holes they've chewed in the huts, not to mention swallowing the fluff and fuzz and fabric is not healthy, not worth the risk leaving it in all day imo, at least at night, he's asleep and not destroying the hut, also I'm in the room all night as well so if he did get caught I imagine his screams would wake me, and that way he has somewhere cozy to sleep. Also by taking it out everyday that means I'm handling the hut and looking at it up close twice a day, so I can make sure there's no holes or lose threads and weak spots. It also gives him more space to move and play (not that he's lacking space by any stretch), and I think he gets more exercise without it since he doesn't spend all day with the hut, he also thinks it's good for the swishy dance lol.

[dieflying]

Quite apart from that, search through the forum and see some of the horror stories of what happens when birds get caught in stray threads or holes they've chewed in the huts, not to mention swallowing the fluff and fuzz and fabric is not healthy, not worth the risk leaving it in all day

yes! that was the other reason. i knew there was something else i wasn't keeping it in there for.

i read something about a bird gnawing its foot off, and it freaked me out so i don't like her having the hut when i'm not looking.