Strange 'tiel sounds... video

[flamepony12]

I was just wondering if anyone else's tiels make this sound?

She makes it when she's going to sleep. I'm not concerned, unless it's something to be concerned about? It kind of sounds like static tweets.

Sorry about the video, I don't have a mic so I just had to take a video. You might have to turn your volume up because it's kind of soft.

[K9soul]

Video isn't working for me, but it sounds like you are describing beak grinding, which is very normal, and a something tiels do when contented and sleepy . Dawn does it too

[CamCamPup33]

I have no idea what that is.. Bennie doesn't do it.. He grinds his beak yes, but this sounds more like a whine, to me..

I'm no help..

[flamepony12]

thanks guys, I also got a reply from PCB in general....

PCB says that it sounds like Baybi wants a boyfriend.

What she's doing is crouching, tweeting and ruffling her feathers.

[K9soul]

Ahh.. you threw me off when you said it was a noise she made when going to sleep . I know what sound you are talking about now.. Twi used to make that sound sometimes. If the video had played for me, I'm sure I would have recognized it.

[flamepony12]

Originally posted by K9soul
Ahh.. you threw me off when you said it was a noise she made when going to sleep .

hehe, sorry about that

[popcornbird]

She wants a mate.......for sure. LOL!!! Its a girl-birdie thing. Males don't do that.

[flamepony12]

Originally posted by popcornbird
She wants a mate.......for sure. LOL!!! Its a girl-birdie thing. Males don't do that.

Sorry, Baybi, ya can't have one! Hormones.

[K9soul]

Oh, I forgot to mention, but be sure and keep a close eye on her if she is displaying 'mating' behaviors... as Twi displayed those behaviors shortly before she layed her first egg, and afterwards became egg bound and died before anything could be done . You might want to put her in her cage and cover her up earlier at night for awhile and leave her covered till a bit later in the morning to help get her out of breeding mode (to simulate shorter, winter days). Limit the head scritchies for now as that is courtship behavior and could encourage her urges. Try not to give her an excess amount of soft/special foods, that can stimulate her behavior more as well.

I've had to do all of this to get Dawn out of breeding mode because she was continually laying eggs, and on top of there always being a risk for binding, it's hard on her health too. Just a few things to watch for and keep in mind

[flamepony12]

Originally posted by K9soul
Oh, I forgot to mention, but be sure and keep a close eye on her if she is displaying 'mating' behaviors... as Twi displayed those behaviors shortly before she layed her first egg, and afterwards became egg bound and died before anything could be done . You might want to put her in her cage and cover her up earlier at night for awhile and leave her covered till a bit later in the morning to help get her out of breeding mode (to simulate shorter, winter days). Limit the head scritchies for now as that is courtship behavior and could encourage her urges. Try not to give her an excess amount of soft/special foods, that can stimulate her behavior more as well.

Thanks! I will try to do the things you suggested. Do you think I should cover her immediately after she starts the sounds? (about 6 o'clock...) Right now I uncover her around 8 o'clock every morning... think I should do it around 8:20?

Thanks again!

[popcornbird]

Jessica, did doing those things help with Dawn's breeding behavior? I need to do those things too, now. My tiels are hardly EVER in the mood to mate...they rarely do it, but they do it during spring...and well.....that's exactly what they want to do right now. 'sigh'

I've been putting them to bed at 7pm and waking them up at 9:30am these past 2 days, and it seems to be working a little bit. They're not as hyper as they were two days ago, but they're still in the mating mood (though not as much). I'm seperating them as much as possible. I need to stop petting Muffin so much. I know it stimulates the behavior during spring-time. Problem is she won't leave me alone until I scritch her. LOL! She makes me feel guilty if I don't.

They do this every spring and it always passes, and then they calm down for the rest of the year, so I'm hoping I can turn their clocks around soon. Have to get them back to thinking its winter. He he he! Muffin has never laid an egg in the 5 1/2 years I've had her, so I'm hoping she won't....as she has been in this mood every spring for the past 3 years and never laid an egg. I just need to calm them down so they don't do it more. Must teach those birdies to abstain. LOL!

[K9soul]

Originally posted by popcornbird
Jessica, did doing those things help with Dawn's breeding behavior?

Yes, tremendously! Another thing I read that I didn't really mention before is to try to keep their daily food cup to where you refill it every day, instead of filling it to brimming full so that they think they have plenty of food to stock up on . At first, I'd throw a cover over her at 3 or 4 in the afternoon if she was showing a lot of the behavior. Gradually she let up and then I would cover her around 5:30 or 6, leave her covered till 8:30 to 9 in the morning. I put a nice dark material over her cage so it was really dark in there. Now I cover her generally around 7 or 8 at night, and have gradually let her have more head scritchies and shoulder time with me again. Dawn's behavior was REALLY ingrained, she really wanted to lay eggs, so it took awhile, but she did finally get to the point where she doesn't show much of that behavior anymore.

As far as Baybi, I'd cover her at the same general time every night for awhile, 5-6ish is pretty good, but if she is showing a lot of the behavior before around that time, it wouldn't hurt to cover her a little earlier. Every time she gets going, it's suddenly nighttime and time to go to sleep . It'll probably calm her biological clock and those behaviors will diminish and fade, and it's certainly preferable to stop her now before she starts trying to lay

[flamepony12]

okay, thanks for your advice! *goes to cover Baybi*