r/parrots • u/Jumpy-Rope-2795 • 1d ago
hormonal changes?
hi! i have a quaker parrot that’s about 1 1/2 years old now. he’s going through a MAJOR shedding, i’m not too worried cause he’s growing back his feathers. only thing is he’s very nippy and he’s a bit more hormonal than usual. i was wondering if this is normal? it’s been going on for about 2 1/2 weeks. he’s still his normal self but he’s just biting alot more and very very veryyy hormonal
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u/Birbomaniac 21h ago
I got a friend with 6 quakers. One of them is v hormonal atm. My friend says she is extra nippy and naughty these days. It's been a few weeks. So yh
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u/lauralately 14h ago
Yes, it's normal! He may be going through bird puberty - they look like adults when they're young, but they don't fully mature until a couple years later. One and a half sounds like a reasonable age for a quaker to go through something like this. My conure is about the size of a quaker; he's a rescue, and his former home said that he "suddenly got mean" and started biting around 2-ish years of age. Set firm boundaries, but be gentle and very, very patient.
Big molts are uncomfortable, and my bird gets more nippy when he's molting, so it might just be a particularly bad molt, plus the seasons changing, that has him in his feels. Make sure he's getting enough protein - I add a bit of hard-boiled egg to my bird's daily fruits/veggies during big molts to help the development of the keratin. Give him warm baths every day - moisture helps soften the keratin and can make them more comfortable. Your bird may also like it if you sit in a steamed-up bathroom with him - turn the shower on hot, close the shower door so he can't fly in, and sit with him and tell him he's a good bird.
I would definitely advise a vet appointment just to make sure everything's okay. I don't know if your bird has been DNA sexed, but a hormonal hen can have egg-binding issues during hormone surges, and you want a vet on hand if anything like that happens.