Ask Lafeber

Question:

October 16, 2020

Parrotlet followup


Thank you so much for your reply.
It was so informative and helpful and a great start to my adventure.

I found out last night that Peabee is a female.

Can you tell me if there are specific concerns I should be aware of?


Answer:

Hi Tammy,

Peabee is a cute name! I know you can’t wait to bring her home. Since she is a female, the main concerns are unwanted nesting behavior as she gets a year old and beyond. This makes it extra important to not give her anything that can resemble a nest, and also avoid giving her anything to shred like paper or cardboard. When you handle her, it is best to limit petting to her head and neck. When you pet her on the body, this is something only her mate would be allowed to do so it can be a hormone trigger. Single parrotlets are known to lay eggs, so avoiding hormone triggers is the best way to prevent this. As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, limit her daylight to 8-10 hours per day and cut back on offering fresh foods or table foods. Keep her busy with toys and rearrange her toys and perches regularly. You can also move the cage to different places in the room. These things are not ideal for nesting so she is less likely to get hormonal and lay eggs if she doesn’t feel like she has endless fresh foods or a stable place to nest.

Thanks for the update & congratulations!

Brenda

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