# 4-year old male masturbating on food dish?



## Feli Mar (Mar 1, 2011)

Hey everyone,

I don't know where else to post this question. But since he's pleasuring himself on his food dish, I figured this is a good forum to post on! :blink:

Last year, I had a neat little coconut dish for Chuckie to use while he's outside of his cage so he wouldn't have to go into the cage for food. But after about a week, he started to rub his butt on the edge of the dish... the vet told me to take it away. He stopped the behavior until last week when he started again with his main food dish. :huh:
I read on another site that I should discourage this behavior because he could get an infection.
Does anyone have any suggestions to stop him from doing this?

Thanks in advance!!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

He's hormonal so you're going to have to increase his nighttime (12-14hrs of sleep a night), rearrange the cage so that its like a new environment, and if possible move the cage to another part of the room. This should throw him off and to keep up with it you can rearrange the cage every week.


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## Feli Mar (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you! I'll try that tonight!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It takes about two weeks for it fully take affect so he may still masturbate for a bit.


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## Feli Mar (Mar 1, 2011)

Hey everyone, I just thought I'd update you on Chuckie.

I started covering his cage earlier & rearranged the cage. It worked for about a month... until my grandmother came home and refused to turn off the lights and TV until 3am. >_<
Now he's doing it again. Any more suggestions??? If it wasn't his food dish, I'd just take it away, but it's a necessity.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Well for one thing.. he won't get an infection as long as you keep his food bowl clean. If the cage is located in a living area that gets a lot of attention.. what about moving the cage to a less active area? If he gets out of cage time and still has interaction with others.. it might be a good thing.


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## MistryUnique (Feb 3, 2012)

:blush: Okay....I think I've heard it all. 

I was explaining to my husband and kids what I had learned about the mating habits (after we got our first egg) and told them not to pet them on their back - new information for us! My husband says, "aaahhh....I wonder if that's why the chickens flock to me and just loooovve it when I pet their backs?" I thought that was great. So, maybe it IS the reason. :blush:

Misty :tiel1:


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

lol Well petting on the back can be a big hormone raiser with them.  Maybe he's the Hugh Heffner of Chickens?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*what I had learned about the mating habits (after we got our first egg) and told them not to pet them on their back -*
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Is it this bird that layed an egg?


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## MistryUnique (Feb 3, 2012)

No....we haven't been petting them on their back! There was definite "breeding behavior" from both of them....

Hugh Hefner of chickens....:rofl: Just another day on the "Chicken Ranch" (Have you seen the movie - Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?) I can't wait to tell him that! We have 15 or so chickens for eggs - and we've hand-raised them. My kids played with them every day, so they are used to being petted....now we know why! :blush:

Misty :tiel1:


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## Feli Mar (Mar 1, 2011)

Well he's out of his cage the majority of the day, the cage door is always open for him to come & go as he pleases. But lately he won't leave the cage.
I can't move the cage because the whole floor is one giant room & he's on one side of it in between the dining and living rooms... anywhere else and he'd be in the kitchen or a bedroom. 

Oh, and we don't pet him on his back at all.. if anyone does, I'm unaware of it. :/


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Just stick with trying what was suggested with the long nights treatments.  It will take a bit.. but you should see him settling in after awhile. Just remember that this is a completely normal behavior for Tiels. Male or female.. they will do this at different times and with different objects. You could always try changing his food/water bowls to a different type if you are really bothered by it.


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## Feli Mar (Mar 1, 2011)

Well I really don't care - it's natural for every animal. The only issues I have with it is that he chews on the side of the food dish so it's rigid & he can injure himself... he also leaves crumbs & shells all over the place (of course) and I don't want that to cause an "issue"..


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## Mommajo (Sep 10, 2011)

I think this is what Chester has been doing in his food dish. The cup is a half moon shape, so I went to the pet store and found a smaller square dish. Seems to be working so far--Knock wood  And I did see him try to get into the dish, but he couldn't fit.


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