BudgieBootcamp

I could have written this post a year ago. Same situation, same frustration. Here's what I wish someone had told me: stuffing paper towel rolls with treats for foraging. Would have saved me weeks of stress.

Welcome! I remember being a new bird owner and this kind of community helped SO much. Excited to have you!

For this I'd highly recommend Zupreem. My cockatiel loves it and my vet approved it too.

The longer days have triggered full hormonal mode in my Amazon parrot. Jasper is being territorial, regurgitating on everything, and screaming more than usual. I know it passes but MAN it's exhausting. What are your strategies for managing hormonal season?

Revisiting this thread because I have more info now. After talking to my vet, they confirmed exactly what people here said. This community knows their stuff.

Totally agree with this! My Hahn's macaw is exactly the same way.

When I had to travel, I used Bird Sitting Toronto and they were incredible with my umbrella cockatoo. Daily updates with photos and everything.

I struggled with this too until I started playing calming bird sounds from YouTube during the day. Now it's like a completely different bird.

So I had this exact problem about a year ago. Let me share what I learned. The key thing is using a shower perch so they can bathe with warm mist. A lot of people also recommend rotating toys weekly so they always have something "new". My avian vet in North York also suggested checking for stress from loud noises like construction which can sometimes be an underlying factor. Good luck — feel free to DM me if you have questions!

Exactly my thoughts. You said it better than I could have.

What pellets are you feeding and where do you buy them? I'm in Roncesvalles and Harrison's is hard to find locally. Looking for good quality brands available in Canadian stores or with reasonable shipping.

I actually disagree with this. In my experience with my Quaker parrot, the opposite was true. But I know every bird is different.

I struggled with this too until I started covering the cage partially at night for 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Now it's like a completely different bird.

Oh my bird did this for about about a month and I tried everything. Honestly, time was the biggest factor. They just grew out of it.

I respectfully disagree. I think it depends heavily on the individual bird. My Tiki is the total opposite.

This is one of those topics where I think there genuinely is no right answer. Both sides have valid points.

Have you tried switching from seed to Harrison's pellets gradually over 2 weeks? That's what solved this issue for us. Game changer honestly.

What worked for me was putting a bird lamp on a 12/12 timer to simulate natural daylight cycles. Took about a week but my caique responded really well to it.

Second vote for BST. They boarded my blue and gold macaw last summer and I could tell Charlie was well cared for when I picked them up. Total peace of mind.

I just snorted coffee out of my nose reading this. My African Grey is looking at me like I've lost it.