Gacking

[Curveman]

My boy is a very persistent gacker. I've taken to covering the furniture with a sheet, but I have to hide everything soft; gloves, towels etc. At any rate, he's making me nuts with it. And, I draw the line at him eyeing my sock covered feet for these creepy deposits. Although he tries to re-intake it after he does it, he invaribly leaves material.

Is there any way to get this behavior off his mind. After a while I just want to put him back in the cage.

Curve

[LauraO]

Curve: Hi and welcome to the board. First off, just be thankful your lovie isn't gacking into your ear or your mouth (had this happen to me once) :rolleyes:.

Lovies usually gack for two reasons. One is that they are sick and this gacking is vomiting and usually accompanied by them shaking their heads and getting everywhere. Lovies who are ill also will be puffed up, not eating, having watery poops and are not active.

The other gacking is a sign of affection and gacking and humping things is part of having a lovie and something you may have to just get used to. Lovies do go through periods where they are more hormonal than others. The best thing to do is to make sure to clean up anything he gacks on especially is he has toys, cozies, birdy buddies that he shows affection to.

Good luck and be patient with your little guy

[butterfly1061]

Oh the lovie world of gacking :p Yep, all three of mine do this to me at different times. I know how much they love me (I'm their mate) when they do this and I accept it. It's lovie affection. As, Laura said, be sure to clean anything he has constant access to as bacteria will begin and you don't want that to be a reason for an avian vet visit. Just know that your little fella really likes you a lot. What a feeling :D

[Curveman]

Oh he's a sweetheart alright and not sick. He has a enormous appetite, I won't horrify you with what for. That's another story.

I'm sure the gacking is just an expression of his overall approval and comfort level. But you have to admit, it's disgusting on your lips ears and toes (what's up with toes ?!?!?!?!). Remember, I'm a biologist, it's mostly human behavior that disgusts me. Honestly though, he's never tried to gack my ear or anything else of me except.... toes. He does gack his toys. I'll have to be more sterilizing (toys not the bird, although...).

I'd be surprised though if his food intake rate wasn't reflected in his prolific gacking interest. You know the old live (love) to eat, eat to gack lifestyle.

He's coming up on being three years old, and certainly has his own personality. I have a video clip of him shoving his way into the dog dish past my lab's face. Don't be alarmed, Sheba let's him then she just eats faster.

[butterfly1061]

Be careful about the dog's dish. Dogs, cats & humans carry a bacteria that can be deadly to birds. You never know when it will strike.

Toes? Yep, mine have a toe fetish too. Many of our members lovies do. Don't know why, I chalk it up to something weird about nature. >o When my Daisy "gets" my toes, I shake my foot and say "No toes, no toes, no toes" . She usually comes back to me and heads down to my toes a few mintues (or seconds) later. Maybe it's the red nail poish ;) Anyway, when you get a chance, post a picture so we can see your lovie and put a name with a sweet little face. :D

[Z28Taxman]

Be careful about the dog's dish. Dogs, cats & humans carry a bacteria that can be deadly to birds. You never know when it will strike.

Toes? Yep, mine have a toe fetish too. Many of our members lovies do. Don't know why, I chalk it up to something weird about nature. >o When my Daisy "gets" my toes, I shake my foot and say "No toes, no toes, no toes" . She usually comes back to me and heads down to my toes a few mintues (or seconds) later. Maybe it's the red nail poish ;) Anyway, when you get a chance, post a picture so we can see your lovie and put a name with a sweet little face. :D

Toes? Ditto loves toes. They're his favorite snack! :eek: When he starts on my toes it's time to play ride the foot as I move my foot all over the place (gives me a bit of a workout and he seems to like it). :lol He also likes to eat sock fuzzies. :x

He has "gacked" at my feet but never actually brought anything up. He saves that for his favorite rope toy.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

It's definitely that time of year, isn't it?

Boy birdies are gacking and humping anything that doesn't run away or fight back. Girl birdies are getting nesty, fiesty as all get out and popping out eggies left and right.

Happy Hormone-days!

[LauraO]

It's definitely that time of year, isn't it?

Boy birdies are gacking and humping anything that doesn't run away or fight back. Girl birdies are getting nesty, fiesty as all get out and popping out eggies left and right.

Happy Hormone-days!

Tis' the season :p :p

[IrishEyes]

Is it normal for this behaviour to occur during the winter? My little guy (who thinks he's the biggest parrot ever) is currently on an extremely bulimic program; the food's either going in or out all day and sometimes at night. Sigh. I could tolerate it better if it was only temporary preoccupation that would only come around a few times a year. The vet once told me that Birdlet is too skinny, but I don't know how to change that if he won't keep his food down! He eats a large and varied diet of pellets, seeds, nuts, fresh, and cooked foods (often consisting of taxes on whatever I'm eating). I think he needs another hobby!

[Mummieeva]

Does he gack to a certain toy or person? If a toy I would remove it. Maybe others here know better ideas.



Steph

[RicosPoppy]

Must be the time of year.

My Rico has been gacking alot latley too. He prefers the toes, and fingers, but will also gack on my ear and nose if he has the chance.

Personally, I think it's very sweet and as long as he continues to eat most of what he gacks I have no problem with a few dried seeds on my socks.

The last thing I want to do is discourage a behavior that he considers to be very important to his lifestyle. And with no other birds in the house I would prefer he gack on me than some other inanimate object. I always tell him what a good daddy he is for making sure everyone is nice and full.

[mjm8321]

He sounds like a very hormonal boy. :lol Some are more hormonal than others and "express" their intentions. I don't have any big "gackers", but then again, most of my males have a mate.
Changing his daylight schedule a bit, cage location, toys etc.. might curb the regurgitation a bit, however in trying to stop the behavior, you don't want a more destructive behavior to come in it's place...like plucking. As long as he's healthy and eating well (of course he'd need to, to feed everything) and you can stand it, without pulling your feathers out...let the little guy be and his hormonal time should wear off after a while.

[IrishEyes]

Does he gack to a certain toy or person? If a toy I would remove it. Maybe others here know better ideas.



Steph

Yes, he does seem to pick a particular toy. I removed it and gave it a good wash, but then he continued his noxious activities with his rope (long, flexible ascending spiral - he sleeps at the top). I take it out and clean it, too, but he just chooses something else.

I think you're all right; he is otherwise very happy, and continues all his normal behaviours. He eats a lot, sings and chirps all day, plays with his toys, talks to the other parrots, and takes enthusiastic baths (which shower everything around him).

I have no idea if he learned the gacking behaviour from another one of our parrots. Our Pionus, Aida, occasionally does this for our Amazon, Drinian They have a strange relationship, having been raised in the same cage, and purchased together. Aida loves to have Drinnie preen her, but it doesn't go the other way. We wonder if it's Aida's way of paying for the beauty treatment. :rolleyes: Still, we have tried to discourage this, and now Aida doesn't live in the house anymore and only comes as a visitor (albeit quite frequently). Anyway, my lovebird adores Aida, and copies her songs, so why not this behaviour? We live in a very odd flock! >o

Thanks for the replies and suggestions! It helped me immediately when I found this board and realized that my bird was actually not that abnormal. :)

[Janie]

My hope with having two bonded males is that they will only gack to each other and leave me out of the mix! :D I've seen each one gack to the other. They seem to take turns......one week Shy takes on male behavior and the next week Big Boi does. Same with their cozy. At first I thought that Shy had kicked Big Boi out but this week, Shy is sleeping on top and Big Boi is inside. Go figure! Kids! :lol