Help, My bird has gone nuts!!!

[new2birds]

Quick History: My bird came to me in April while I was working in the yard. She has a band on her foot that tells me she was born in '05. From the time that I had her, she was my bird. She would do a little dance when she saw me and would get all excited and couldn't wait for me to take her out. She would sit on her perch and I would put my hand in and she would jump onto my finger. She spent the entire time with me and never showed a bit of interest in flying away from me or going back to her cage.

Present time: She has become nasty and defends her cage constantly. When anyone approaches the cage she jumps down off her perch and sits on the floor. Everytime I put my hand in the cage she attacks and bites to the point of drawing blood. My 16 y/o son who she couldn't stand is now able to put his hand in the cage and take her out, she spreads her wings when he reaches in. She loves to shred paper and tucks them into her wings, she also has one of those hammacks that the pet store told me she would love.
Once I do get her out of the cage, a long and strenuous process, she's fine as long as she is in another room. The minute she sees her cage she is making a bee line for it and refuses to come down or off of it. She hasn't built a nest or laid eggs, but is this the beginning? And how long is it going to last? Will I get my sweet little bird back?
can anyone give me any real good answers or advise?
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
new2birds

[Sweetpeaches]

i consider myself as a "newbie" to lovebirds also. and i can relate to your story. when i first brought my lovie home she was happy to hop on my finger when i put it in "her" cage to get her, but, as time passed "the cage" became her territory and my finger was an invasion. now i open her door and when she's ready she comes out and waits for me to hop onto my finger.

they are still sweet. it's just that now they know where their home is. and they know what they want. it's not about us. it's about them. learn to "read" you're birdie and you'll both be happy.

and i've learned through much reading that some birds tend to "bond" with certain family members. so maybe at this point your lovie loves your 16 year old son...???

[linda040899]

You still have your sweet lovebird! She's just decided to disguise herself as a nesty hen! :) Females are notoriously protective of their cages and when their minds begin to think eggs/family, everything is thrown out of proportion.

Her person of choice (mate) right now is your son. Can't explain what it is, but she sees him as her favorite and he's actually the trigger for the behavior you are seeing. Trust me. It could have been anyone........

The behavior you are seeing will continue as she lays her eggs and proceeds to incubate them. I'm betting that if you could gently pick her up and feel between her pelvic bones, they would be spread apart about the width of your thumb. This is in preparation for egg laying. A typical clutch is anywhere from 4-8 eggs and each bird is different. Incubation period is approximately 23 days so you will need to let her have her eggs until 23 days has passed after she lays her last egg. She may abandon them before that and then it's OK to remove them.

Hope this helps.

[Flapjack]

:blush: Awww, your son has a mate !!!:blush:
I feel honored that Jack chose me as his mate, since I'm technically Mom, having hadfed him. He could've chosen anyone.
I will say, that if my husband is in the room, Jack prefers to be on him, but he never does the dance with anyone but me :)
Sometimes all I have to do is walk up the the cage, and he starts vibrating and clicking and spinning.
Yes, I know he's probably a she, but it's hard for me to get used to saying that, LOL

[thebubbleking]

Boo is the same way and has chosen my girlfriend as her perfered parent sunshine is her mate but only my girlfriend can handle her or turn her upside down or anything involveing touching.
I feed them I give them treats, change their food and water make thier toys and talk and sing to them but boo still only lets mom handle her.
My girlfriend says it's because there can only be one queen b**ch in the house but i think it's because she was the first thing boo saw out of the egg and she did the hand feeding (my hands are to big and strong so i was scared to do it.)
Atleast sunshine is a daddys boy:D

[Jezzahbella]

Mine is doing the same thing but its alittle place between her cage, the wall, anda cover from a bin. She attacks anything that enters. It does seem like our birds are getting nesty.

[Gene]

Yup, have the same "problem" with Bekkie. Ouch, that girl can bite :roll: ! Usually I just open the cage door and talk to het until she climbs out on her own, onto my hand. It usually happens quite quickly but if she doesn't want to come out I leave her there, and when i get back she's running up and down to get out :lol ! So just a bit reverse psychology works for me :whistle: !
But she does have a few other places that she considers as her own, and should I DARE put my hand there... :rolleyes:

Just be patient and try to let her come out on her own terms...
Good luck!

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Yep, it's that time of year, when little girl lovebirds get nasty - oops! - I meant to say nesty.

With mine, it's not just the cage that she's territorial with. She believes that anything that can be hidden under or behind, belongs to HER. Nothing is safe. Pants legs, t-shirt sleeves, cabinet drawers, it's all fair game and I have to watch her carefully to make sure she doesn't get smooshed.

Crazy hormones take over and you have, as I do, a bird throwing a temper tantrum complete with flapping wings and her very best car-alarm type of screams, from the top of my head.

Have patience. :)

[Sweetpeaches]

jennifer, thanks for sharing about your lovie. i didn't realize that there was "a time of year" that hens act this way? how often does this happen? i have noticed quite a behavior change in peaches within the last few weeks....just like you mentioned...hiding inside my shirt, nightgown, sleeves, etc...wanting to sit on the top of my head and flap her wings like crazy and scream. honestly she flaps so hard i feel like i have a fan on top of my head...lol. i don't let her up there long though. and she's been pretty nippy lately, especially if i reach down to get something close to her.

[Kirby]

Sometimes all I have to do is walk up the the cage, and he starts vibrating and clicking and spinning.
Yes, I know he's probably a she, but it's hard for me to get used to saying that, LOL

Skittles will vibrate to the point her whole wings might fall off and she's clicking away on the bottom of her cage.

She only does this when we invade HER space... is this a threat:p

[Janie]

but he never does the dance with anyone but me :)
Sometimes all I have to do is walk up the the cage, and he starts vibrating and clicking and spinning.
Yes, I know he's probably a she, but it's hard for me to get used to saying that, LOL

Two of my males do that. The spinning and clicking. I have no doubts that Oliver is a male since he's never laid an egg in 11 years and the other one, Shy, was DNA'd male. Always the slight chance that "he" could be a "she" but he's now 2 1/2 and doesn't act like a hen at all (never once bitten anyone, :D) so I'm pretty sure the DNA was correct.

I always thought that was considered "male" behavior.....:confused:

[wilkiecoco]

as i sit here posting while kiwi clicks, dances, regurgs and swishy swishes for me, all I can say, I also thought that behaviour was a male thing. Like Janie said, :confused:

[carrier]

Janie,

Fenway often times will turn in slow circles while perched on my shoulders...is this the spinning that is being referred to?

She/he also will make smacking, clicking noises and occassionally vigorously flap his/her wings after each turn. Am I getting the swishy dance? :roll:

[Flapjack]

Well, I have always prayed Jack was a boy, and I've gotten some responses to the gender questions...
Some say that girls are the better tuckers (Jack tucks, but not that well)
Some say girls are more nippy (Jack has his moments)
Some say males and females "hump" (Jack is an expert)
Some say both do the dance, but only girls do it and also stick their butts up in the air while spinning and wing spreading (Jack does)
I've been too afraid to pluck feathers or short-cut a nail, so I haven't had him tested.
I'm still praying he's a boy, but I dunno...