Miss Baby's got a 'tude!

[donna1064]

Baby's 9 months now, flight feathers are coming in, but not all of them yet.

But yesterday and today she's been a little nippy, which is not how she normally is. I'm wondering, could it be cause of her flight feathers coming in, or could it be a seasonal/weather thing? It's been overcast here for 2 days in a row.

Thanks in advance for any feedback/opinions.

[Kirby]

I have noticed that Kirby definitely starts getting attitude when he find out he can semi-fly :p
I was amazed on how much he had changed when I let his flights grow in a bit. So off they came and he was back to Mr.Imma gonna get floofer cheeks if you baby talk me!!!

It could quite possibly be her age too.. I don't know what age they usually hit "puberty" and it could also be the change in seasons/temperature...

[mjm8321]

Female, 9 months old, days getting shorter, weather getting lousy. Miss Baby could very well be getting a bit hormonal. ;)

Lots of distraction, maybe some new toys and even Uv lighting could help.

[butterfly1061]

MJ, I was thinking the samething. Olivia was VERY nesty at 7 months old - bad girl :lol

[donna1064]

I was thinking about the uv lighting earlier today, and maybe putting it on a timer to go on and off at certain times-so I'm wondering what is the best kind of uv light to get? Would it be the regular flourescent lights? I've seen in bird talk magazine articles about full-spectrum lighting but when I googled it I came up with nothing.......:confused:

I'm going to wait a few more weeks till her feathers all come in and then take her to the vets for a clip-but in the meantime, I need to go get some nutriberries so I'll pick up some new toys too. In the meantime, I'll just have to wear gloves cuz thats the only way she will step up right now eventhough for some reason tonight she's being a perfect little angel....(guess that's more evidence that she may be in the throes of puberty) :rofl: but it could be cuz I had to be gone all day and so she just wants to be mama's little velcro birdie......

thanks for the feedback and advice, as usual this has got to be the best little corner of the internet when it comes to lovies!

[LauraO]

I've noticed that lovies about baby's age can get really bitey. I have a few of my hens get really bad at this age, but most have calmed down after they turned about a year old.

[graushill]

Hi Donna,

I've been meaning to reply to your post in the picture section, but I'll be effective and say it now: Baby's a beauty :). Her adult colouring is getting so pretty.

As for the full spectrum question, this is a very good article I've read in the resource library:

http://users.mikrotec.com/~pthrush/lighting/spectrum.html

Full spectrum is a good thing when the days are getting shorter.

Hope this helps a little!

Gloria

[Minna]

The kind of lights that people use for reptiles are generally what you're looking for, since I believe reptiles need the same UV that birds need from the sun.

[graushill]

The kind of lights that people use for reptiles are generally what you're looking for, since I believe reptiles need the same UV that birds need from the sun.

I'm no biologist so this is not from personal knowledge, but according to the articles I've read, birds and reptiles have actually very different requirements in this respect. To me it makes sense that it would be so, considering that birds are warm-blooded while reptiles are cold-blooded. Their dietary requirements are also different. In the article posted above they stress the difference quite a lot.

I know the article is quite long, but IMO it's very informative. Here are some quotes:

"For practical purposes, nothing smaller than a 2' double tube assembly should be used. Whatever the length, a dual tube configuration should always be employed. This fixture should be suspended a distance of at least two feet from the top surface of any cage or flight assembly. With a dual tube 48" assembly, up to four feet will suffice, ceiling height for multiple tube 96" fixtures."

"Under no normal circumstances should a light housing be placed closer than two feet from the top of a large cage or flight." I think Linda has said that placing the light too close and having it on for too long can result in cataracts.

"Use good judgement in routing electrical cables and suspension chains. All lighting systems should be on a timer to maintain a consistent photoperiod of approximately 12 hours per day. This timing should coincide with the natural rising of the sun in the mornings."

"Again, unless you are supplementing a bird with metabolic problems, the "closer is better" rule is neither beneficial or cost effective to the aviculturist. The real effect of lighting upon general health, new molt, feather appearance, and behaviors is brought about by a balanced avian visual spectrum. Supplement artificial lighting whenever possible with natural unfiltered sunlight, and feed a high quality balanced diet. "

Hope this helps a little,

Gloria

[donna1064]

actually, reptiles need black light or infra-red. Some tend to be nocturnal by nature so it seems they synthesize their vitamins by artificial moonlight rather than sunlight. Years ago we inadvertantly became gecko BREEDERS because my daughter's terrarium set-up was ideal for breeding (although we did'nt figure that out till the mama gecko was all of a sudden very fat (then very thin), and when we were cleaning out the terrarium we found a clutch of eggs and subsequently hatchlings!).