Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:36 am Post subject: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers.
Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever.
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
Richard Davies wrote:
Quote:
I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever. Any idea what's going on here?
Have you offered him any? Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
Richard Davies wrote:
Quote:
I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever. Any idea what's going on here?
Maybe he thinks you're trying to poison yourself. It may smell bad to a parrot. The obvious solution is to go into another room to take your sedative.
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:09 am Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 15:36:00 +0000, Richard Davies <nospam@nospam.com> posted:
Quote:
I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers.
Maybe he knows that means bedtime and he's throwing a little tantrum because he doesn't want the day to end. Or maybe he's tired and wants to be in his cage, sleeping by that point. Perhaps putting him in his cage and turning out the lights in his room before you settle down and drink your tea would be wise.
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:26:06 -0500, Jerry Avins <jya@ieee.org> wrote:
Quote:
Richard Davies wrote: I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever. Any idea what's going on here? Have you offered him any?
No, he has never shown interest in any of my hot drinks before. I wouldn't want to give him valerian root tea anyway - I know how sleepy it makes me. For all I know, it could kill him. A couple of Christmases ago, he managed to take a few very small sips of tequila before I could stop him and he went a bit squiffy, couldn't hold onto his perch or hold his wings straight. It looked like he was feeling extremely sorry for himself the next day.
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:38 pm Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:26:37 -0700, Louis Boyd <boyd@apt0.sao.arizona.edu> wrote:
Quote:
Richard Davies wrote: I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever. Any idea what's going on here? Maybe he thinks you're trying to poison yourself. It may smell bad to a ----snipped--- >8
Yeah, it does have quite a strong aroma - but I didn't think that birds had a sense of smell...
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:54 pm Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 17:09:46 GMT, Starlight <homehealth_rnDELETE@yahoo.com> wrote:
Quote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 15:36:00 +0000, Richard Davies <nospam@nospam.com posted: I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Maybe he knows that means bedtime and he's throwing a little tantrum because he doesn't want the day to end. Or maybe he's tired and wants to be in his cage, sleeping by that point. Perhaps putting him in his cage and turning out the lights in his room before you settle down and drink your tea would be wise.
Yeah, I've gotta stop spoiling him - he likes to sit up with me on my knee 'till 2am watching TV or standing on top of my monitor as I surf and trying to distract me. It's very hard to get Jimmy to do anything that he doesn't want to do (like go back to his cage - sometimes I just chain his leg to my bedpost and let him sleep there). My nan is great with him - but he knows that he can take liberties with me beacuse I've always been soft with him ever since we were kids (yup, the parrot grew up with me).
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
Good one, it may be the cup you are using? Strange either way. I had a friend and his little kid put on a BLUE football helmet and his pet turkey in the backyard went crazy, the turkey kept jumping on the kids helmet. Finally after running all over the yard the kid flung off the blue helmet and the turkey was fine. TRUE STORY...... Richard L.
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
Richard Davies wrote:
Quote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:26:37 -0700, Louis Boyd boyd@apt0.sao.arizona.edu> wrote: Richard Davies wrote: I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever. ----snipped--- >8
At least some birds must have a sense of smell. We had a budgie that would go absolutely nuts every time someone peeled an orange. He didn't have to see it or even be in the same room. So, I'm assuming he must have smelled it. In this case he loved oranges and wanted some to eat. Same thing happened when chopping celery, he wanted the celery leaves and could smell it from another room. So, could be the macaw is reacting to the smell, either good or bad. Ann
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:13 am Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
"Richard Davies" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message news:695rp1th01lfton596m33oasn4l9je6am7@4ax.com...
Quote:
I've been looking after my grandma's hyacinth macaw, Jimmy for a few days and I have noticed some rather odd behaviour from him. I drink valerian root tea every night to help me sleep (I'm an insomniac) but whenever Jimmy sees me with a cup of the stuff, he goes absolutely crazy, screeching loudly, pulling his feathers flat, bobbing his head up and down, jumping around his cage and (if he's out) swooping at me and trying to knock the cup from my hand or biting at my fingers. Normally, he's the dopiest, most placid big blue lump in the world - yet something about the valerian either really scares or really excites him and sets him off. I drink coffee, regular tea and other types of herbal tea around him with no effect whatsoever. Any idea what's going on here?
Valerian also comes in capsules. But they still smell something terrible.
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:11 am Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
On 13 Dec 2005 05:55:59 -0800, "toucanldy@aol.com" <toucanldy@aol.com> wrote:
Quote:
You've got to be kidding about chaining his leg to the bed post.
What's wrong with that? It's a four-foot chain (it's not as if he's going to be left dangling upside down from it if he wakes up in the night and falls) and it's for his own safety in a strange room at night if I can't get him back in his cage. He really doesn't mind it at all - my nan chains his leg to his T-stand at home if he decides that he wants to sleep on there.
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:49 am Post subject: Re: Macaw freaks out when I drink valarian root tea...
Richard Davies wrote: ...
Quote:
A couple of Christmases ago, he managed to take a few very small sips of tequila before I could stop him and he went a bit squiffy, couldn't hold onto his perch or hold his wings straight. It looked like he was feeling extremely sorry for himself the next day.
I think I already reported the time a pigeon I was raising drank about three ounces of white wine before I could reach him. I don't think he quite passed out in the end, but staggered and fell off the table. I caught him before he hit the floor and put him in an open box. He was fine in the morning. Adolescents are pretty resilient. Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
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