Discouraging Breeding Behaviors
© Laura Fratoni – Eddie’s Aviary -reproduce only with permission please
Have a Pet Linnie? Are you fearful your male pet may become aggressive towards you if he becomes hormonal, or have a hen you don’t want to lay eggs? Then this is the article for you!
Breeding Triggers Simply Explained: 3 Things notoriously trigger psitticines (hookbill parrots) to turn on hormones: 1. Light – any light source (through a window, full spectrum, or even ambient) in excess of 12 hours a day is a trigger as it mimics the summer season which is the fertile time, hence… breeding. 2. Feeding – high protein foods, feeding in excess of what they will consume in the day, and feeding fresh (cooked, chop, sprouts) mimics the fertile grow season (fantastic to feed young) which is in itself a trigger 3. Temperature – though Linnies happily breed in most any temperature, temps between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit should be considered a “sweet spot”.
Light: Provide your pet bird no more than 10-12 hours a day of light from any source (ambient counts). This can be difficult, especially in summer months.
Vitamin D3 supplements should be used as natural sunlight is impossible with indoor birds. Most contain calcium which can “build up” your hens and make them want to lay over time in some instances. This makes following these rules important.
Be mindful of ambient temperatures when covering with light block blankets as they can trap heat. A separate “sleep cage” can be utilized to provide your bird with the darkness they require, away from television or ambient light we often use in our homes after dark.
Feeding: In the wild, animals want to raise babies when the weather warms, days lengthen, and it is the “wet” or rainy season so food is in abundance. They seek moist and nutritionally dense foods (high in protein) to ease regurgitation to feed their babies and help them grow. In our domestic pets, we LOVE to feed them fresh foods, and often! When trying to avoid breeding behaviors, it is important to keep in mind that you can still feed a diverse and complete diet without triggering them. You just must keep in mind a few rules: 1. Frequency: Keep fresh offerings to no more than 2-3x per week, and feed only as much as the birds will consume in a couple of hours. We all tend to overserve that plate of good stuff, but the abundance of food (more than they need) can serve as a trigger. 2. Egg Foods are great for times of molt, but if you feed them free choice each day, they can increase breeding hormones in your birds because it is added protein, and so easy to feed to a mate or a baby…. It is a trigger. Be mindful if using an “austerity diet” (an article on this will be posted as a sticky in the breeding section) to prevent your birds from breeding, as when you slip up and feed regular… it serves as a trigger.
Temperature: Linnies can be enticed to breed in any temperature, so that is why it is important to watch the other triggers that are easier to control. Linnies, though notoriously more difficult to trigger than other species, they will happily breed in 50 degree Farrenheit – 80 degree F temps. Higher than 80 degrees, the nestbox can become too hot. Temperature is much more difficult to control than light length and feeding, so focus on those.
Spray Baths: Keeping our birds’ feathers clean is imperative to their ability to regulate their temperature, keep their feathers shiny and tight, but… those daily baths mimic the rainy season, so yes…. can be a trigger. High humidity can do the same, but we find those daily baths can push them over the “edge”, and if you don’t desire that… limit baths to 2-3x a week max.
Items in the Cage: What we place inside our birds cages can serve as breeding triggers. Covering the grate with newspaper is a trigger as they will get down into it and shred it, which is a trigger. “Sleep Huts” have been widely discouraged because of the potential danger with threads tangling. The often unmentioned issue with them is that they mimic a nest and can be a trigger, so should not be used. Toys that your bird may like to shred can also be a trigger, such as “bird kabobs”.
High calcium levels within a hen can bulk them up, and create a desire to lay to shed excess calcium. Be mindful of how much calcium your birds need to maintain a proper functioning nervous system, muscle and skeletal system, but do not overdo it.
Companions: If you have two birds of the opposite sex caged together, that will serve as a trigger. Opposite sex birds will pair bond, and WILL produce breeding hormones, possible problem over preening, and egg laying. If keeping Linnies as strictly pets, it is recommended that you DNA test prior to purchase, and keep only same sex pairs. Opposite sex birds should be caged independently.
Human Interaction: We all like to snuggle and cuddle our pets, but some forms of “petting” are considered breeding behaviors by our bonded Linnies. Stroking them over the back is a big no-no. It mimics a male “treading” the hen and can entice them to lay which is scary for most pet owners. We are adding a stickie for what to do when you hen gets “egg butt” or lays one.
Be mindful of how you “scritch” and cuddle your Linnie as these signs of affection can be misconstrued as enticement to breed.
Conclusion: Keeping a pet bird you want to remain a cuddly, great pet and not egg laying, follow these rules: 1. Keep only same sex birds together. 2. Don’t cuddle or stroke your bird excessively 3. Keep them out of dark places such as couch cushions, inside your shirt, or in dangerous sleep huts, reconsider covering floor grates with newspaper. 4. Do not feed fresh foods more than a few times a week, and be sure to only feed an amount they consume in a couple of hours 5. Don’t bathe them daily 6. Egg food should be provided only in times of molt 7. Limit light (ambient counts) to no more than 10-12 hours daily.
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© Laura Fratoni – Eddie’s Aviary -reproduce only with permission please
Have a Pet Linnie? Are you fearful your male pet may become aggressive towards you if he becomes hormonal, or have a hen you don’t want to lay eggs? Then this is the article for you!
Breeding Triggers Simply Explained: 3 Things notoriously trigger psitticines (hookbill parrots) to turn on hormones: 1. Light – any light source (through a window, full spectrum, or even ambient) in excess of 12 hours a day is a trigger as it mimics the summer season which is the fertile time, hence… breeding. 2. Feeding – high protein foods, feeding in excess of what they will consume in the day, and feeding fresh (cooked, chop, sprouts) mimics the fertile grow season (fantastic to feed young) which is in itself a trigger 3. Temperature – though Linnies happily breed in most any temperature, temps between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit should be considered a “sweet spot”.
Light: Provide your pet bird no more than 10-12 hours a day of light from any source (ambient counts). This can be difficult, especially in summer months.
Vitamin D3 supplements should be used as natural sunlight is impossible with indoor birds. Most contain calcium which can “build up” your hens and make them want to lay over time in some instances. This makes following these rules important.
Be mindful of ambient temperatures when covering with light block blankets as they can trap heat. A separate “sleep cage” can be utilized to provide your bird with the darkness they require, away from television or ambient light we often use in our homes after dark.
Feeding: In the wild, animals want to raise babies when the weather warms, days lengthen, and it is the “wet” or rainy season so food is in abundance. They seek moist and nutritionally dense foods (high in protein) to ease regurgitation to feed their babies and help them grow. In our domestic pets, we LOVE to feed them fresh foods, and often! When trying to avoid breeding behaviors, it is important to keep in mind that you can still feed a diverse and complete diet without triggering them. You just must keep in mind a few rules: 1. Frequency: Keep fresh offerings to no more than 2-3x per week, and feed only as much as the birds will consume in a couple of hours. We all tend to overserve that plate of good stuff, but the abundance of food (more than they need) can serve as a trigger. 2. Egg Foods are great for times of molt, but if you feed them free choice each day, they can increase breeding hormones in your birds because it is added protein, and so easy to feed to a mate or a baby…. It is a trigger. Be mindful if using an “austerity diet” (an article on this will be posted as a sticky in the breeding section) to prevent your birds from breeding, as when you slip up and feed regular… it serves as a trigger.
Temperature: Linnies can be enticed to breed in any temperature, so that is why it is important to watch the other triggers that are easier to control. Linnies, though notoriously more difficult to trigger than other species, they will happily breed in 50 degree Farrenheit – 80 degree F temps. Higher than 80 degrees, the nestbox can become too hot. Temperature is much more difficult to control than light length and feeding, so focus on those.
Spray Baths: Keeping our birds’ feathers clean is imperative to their ability to regulate their temperature, keep their feathers shiny and tight, but… those daily baths mimic the rainy season, so yes…. can be a trigger. High humidity can do the same, but we find those daily baths can push them over the “edge”, and if you don’t desire that… limit baths to 2-3x a week max.
Items in the Cage: What we place inside our birds cages can serve as breeding triggers. Covering the grate with newspaper is a trigger as they will get down into it and shred it, which is a trigger. “Sleep Huts” have been widely discouraged because of the potential danger with threads tangling. The often unmentioned issue with them is that they mimic a nest and can be a trigger, so should not be used. Toys that your bird may like to shred can also be a trigger, such as “bird kabobs”.
High calcium levels within a hen can bulk them up, and create a desire to lay to shed excess calcium. Be mindful of how much calcium your birds need to maintain a proper functioning nervous system, muscle and skeletal system, but do not overdo it.
Companions: If you have two birds of the opposite sex caged together, that will serve as a trigger. Opposite sex birds will pair bond, and WILL produce breeding hormones, possible problem over preening, and egg laying. If keeping Linnies as strictly pets, it is recommended that you DNA test prior to purchase, and keep only same sex pairs. Opposite sex birds should be caged independently.
Human Interaction: We all like to snuggle and cuddle our pets, but some forms of “petting” are considered breeding behaviors by our bonded Linnies. Stroking them over the back is a big no-no. It mimics a male “treading” the hen and can entice them to lay which is scary for most pet owners. We are adding a stickie for what to do when you hen gets “egg butt” or lays one.
Be mindful of how you “scritch” and cuddle your Linnie as these signs of affection can be misconstrued as enticement to breed.
Conclusion: Keeping a pet bird you want to remain a cuddly, great pet and not egg laying, follow these rules: 1. Keep only same sex birds together. 2. Don’t cuddle or stroke your bird excessively 3. Keep them out of dark places such as couch cushions, inside your shirt, or in dangerous sleep huts, reconsider covering floor grates with newspaper. 4. Do not feed fresh foods more than a few times a week, and be sure to only feed an amount they consume in a couple of hours 5. Don’t bathe them daily 6. Egg food should be provided only in times of molt 7. Limit light (ambient counts) to no more than 10-12 hours daily.
If you enjoy this Forum, or the Content found here helpful.... consider buying the author a coffee. Helps with website costs, and keeps motivation levels up for more late night work. Thank you
CLICK HERE to Buy Me A Coffee 
I have purchased small night cages for them to have a separate, boring, small space at night and not be together. But should I discourage this love act? I can't house them separately so I do let them out of the cage separately so they don't find themselves behind the sofa, together, in the dark.