Its very hard to keep them on a strict schedule here. Their room is right next to the family room. We stay up until at least 11 sometimes later. Its loud in here and I cant avoid it. John is a stomper across the floor and the tv is loud. drives me nuts. If I try to put them down earlier Fa screams like murder. They wake up at the same time everyday. 7:30 shades go up. I dont turn the light on until after 9 though. I can roll with the occasional bites and screams thats not really the issue. Afa is obsessed with me. She has to be ON me at all times. She wont let me sit with the others unless I put her in her cage. Then she dumps food. She has plenty of good moments. She's happy under my chin for the most part. She preens beautifully and is happy to play in her cage. She loves beads and will play for hours. But then she becomes so obsessed she doesnt eat. So I have to take the beads away for awhile. She's just really neurotic. She did say a new sentence last night for the first time. I was taking Mr Buddy out for night time kisses and Occy says "STEP UP!" then Afa said "step up Mr Buddy!" in a very sweet tiny voice. So, she can be so sweet. I myself, just have really bad nerves. It doesnt take much to push my buttons. So Im trying to to learn to talk myself down when they all get pushy with me.

Oh Leigh! I am so sorry. Birds can be so tooty! I am afraid of what Ruby may become, there are so many scary things to read out there about macaws, but with the help of you all I feel we will be able to get through anything. Afa loves you and you love Afa, so hang in there. I am sure she didn't mean to fly in your pie. I think it must be hormones or something. We really have no business keeping these birds, but since we do I believe with enough love and understanding on both our parts things will work out. You are the best bird mom and Afa knows it. ps Ruby and I kinda laughed at it! sorry

Its ok, Im sure most people laughed at the image of the little white psycho puff flying into apple pie! Oh, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. An hour later I found a chunk of apple on my remote control. Ill be finding it for days Im sure.

Oh, Leigh!
This too shall pass.

OMG you guys! I so feel your pain. There must be something in the air right now. Harley is just learning to fly...still only has a couple of flight feathers in and he's crashing into everything!!! Then there is Maple who has decided it's fun to torture me with this insanely loud incessant scream repeated over and over for hours on end!!! I've been putting her in her cage for "time out" and bring her back out when she stops, but usually find her in there...having a little too much fun with her favorite toy...if ya know what I mean. LOL Besides the fact I had a friend over on Monday and for some reason she didn't like him and randomly took a chunk outta my shoulder as he walked in the living room.

So Leigh, to you I say...I LOVE my babies...and I mean absolutely ADORE them....but some days.... they make me sooooo upset!! I think that is totally normal. Maple almost has me in tears every time she screams like that and won't stop! I just feel like giving her away (although I never would lol...it's just a fleeting thought). So don't feel bad, I think a little pie in the face from a fly by attack would push me over the edge too.

Missi, it's difficult to maintain, especially this time of year with our short daylight hours. I hate it! Summer hours are much easier.

Having two adult, sexually mature birds here has been a learning process that's for sure. I am still figuring out what their personal triggers are that will make them hormonal and crumpy.

Trust me I have made plenty of mistakes and have screwed them up numerous times. But I do try my darndest to keep a schedule that best suits them. It's not healthy for them to remain in an extended hormonal state, so I make sure I'm home for their dinner and bedtime schedule.

It's become a habit to plan things after they are settled down for the night. If I have to cheat on their schedule a little bit to accommodate my schedule, I will feed dinner and put them to bed a little earlier. But I never do a late bedtime unless it's absolutely unavoidable. An increase in daylight hours for them is a trigger that the days are getting longer and it's time to breed.

They have their own room for sleeping which does help. I don't have children at home and we're pretty quiet.

Dinner is fed in their play cages about 90 minutes before sundown. They have one on one play time with me then they go to their sleep cages. They'll eat a little more in their sleep cages. When they're done eating a 2nd. time, have gone potty, gotten a drink, it's lights out. We're close to sun-down, but not spot on everyday.

I didn't laugh one bit Leigh.

Its ok.............I aint mad at ya...................no really.....Im not!

I guess I shouldn't say that my guys have all been nice to me and pretty calm this week.....

I dont have the larger birds just two small budgies and their sleep time is around 4:30 pm now to 8:30 am next morning. I dont lift cover until I hear them..

they seem to know when its bedtime here it gets very quiet I turn around and both are with heads under wing or eyes half shut...doesnt matter where they are. so its off to bed. and thye both go willingly. I just say Its bedtime. step up.....its getting lighter now here so time s may change. will wait and see.