Crop help - Eclectus

Hi,
First time breeding an eclectus baby. We have a two week old baby that we have just started hand rearing today. I was worried his crop is still full it feels very hard we took him our three hours ago and just checked him.

Are you able to call the breeder for help?

I am the breeder... first ever baby bit nervous

The Process for Hand-Raising Eclectus Parrots - Eclectus Parrot Information

http://www.scas.org.au/html/hand_rearing_part_1.html

Give these a try?

There will also be threads in the Eclectus Forum

While I do know that a crop that remains hard could be indicative of an issue, I really don't have expertise enough to speak with any authority on this particular topic. I have, however, moved your thread over to a sub-forum where you are likely to get more answers. (Breeding/Raising Parrots) There are members who frequent this sub-forum who are well-versed in hand feeding babies and would be better able to help you out.

I'm hoping the best for your ekkie baby, and I'll be watching to see how this turns out.

It sounds like a slow crop. Check things like the temperature of the formula, was it too cold? That can cause slow emptying. You also don't want it too hot either, a water bath with water at the appropriate temperature monitored with a thermometer is extremely important, as well as mixing it thoroughly throughout feeding to maintain a consistent temperature. Is he warm enough? They have trouble maintaining their body temperature and using a heating pad on low under half the bin he's in can help him regulate better, moving to either side when he's too warm or too cold. Thickness of the formula is important too, is it too thick with not enough water? He could be dehydrated causing a slow emptying crop as well.

There's a ton of variables at play here. Check the formula for temperature, and possibly make it a slight bit thinner during the next feeding, and make sure he's warm enough. Make sure he's pooping as well and check the consistency. If his crop is being overfilled and stretched you might also need to make a "crop bra" to help keep it in alignment. If it doesn't resolve soon, or happens again, he needs to go to the vet. He can very quickly become ill, with a sour crop that might need to be emptied by the vet.

Aquila is right.

If the crop is actually HARD you are in serious trouble and need to rush to the vet.

There are solutions I could suggest to problems you could be having, but I won't because a lot of those solutions really rely on the hand feeder having experience to make judgement calls, and you just don't have that yet. Please be sure you know how warm the baby should be, how warm the formula should be and how thick, and be sure you are monitoring these strictly. Please get to an experienced avian vet asap and keep us updated. Best of luck.


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At two weeks he should be in a brooder with regulated temperature and humidity not just in a bin with stuffed animals. If you are going to breed and take on the responsibility of raising the babies you must make all the proper equipment purchases prior to needing them. Hand feeding is not easy and there are a million things that can and do go wrong.

Unfortunately eclectus are one of the most difficult to hand feed as they do not have a really strong feeding response like say an Amazon or a Macaw. I have hand fed for over 25 yrs and I would never encourage anyone to start with eclectus. They prefer the formula on the warmer end but too warm and you can burn their crop.

If the crop is hard and not emptying in a few hours at that age you have a very serious problem called crop stasis that could prove deadly to the baby. I would encourage you to get the baby to a vet then once he is straightened around give him back to his parents. Or if he has since cleared then put him back right away and learn a lot more before attempting this. See if you can find or pay someone to mentor you.

Eclectus are one of the only parrots I know of that will allow co-parenting with humans. Let the parents feed the baby, you take it out daily to cuddle and snuggle with so it gets human contact and then put it back. There is no formula that can replicate what mom and dad can do and the eclectus that are co-parented between their parents and humans have the best of everything.

I am wishing the very best for your Ekkie baby, and and am thankful our incredibly talented and experienced surrogate parronts offered advice!

Are there other breeders you associate with to help manage the well-being of your baby?

Would love an update on the baby. Babies this young don't/can't stay in crisis long and things can go from bad to much worse very quickly. Please let us know if you have gotten the baby to the vet and if the crop is now moving food through.

Hold up... I just re-read your first post. Is his crop full from mommy or did you feed him? If it is mommy food it may take a little longer to go through him as it is chunks of their regurgitated food. Also it would be moving slower if it was food from parents or from you if he is not in a brooder. The nest box is kept nice and cozy warm from the parents, a bin would not retain the same heat and humidity that the nest box would. Please tell me you didn't put bird formula on top of food from the parents. If that is the case you may have made cement in there and a vet will be needed. Babies need to empty out between feedings. Have you hand fed any other type of parrot?

labell said:

Would love an update on the baby. Babies this young don't/can't stay in crisis long and things can go from bad to much worse very quickly. Please let us know if you have gotten the baby to the vet and if the crop is now moving food through.

Hold up... I just re-read your first post. Is his crop full from mommy or did you feed him? If it is mommy food it may take a little longer to go through him as it is chunks of their regurgitated food. Also it would be moving slower if it was food from parents or from you if he is not in a brooder. The nest box is kept nice and cozy warm from the parents, a bin would not retain the same heat and humidity that the nest box would. Please tell me you didn't put bird formula on top of food from the parents. If that is the case you may have made cement in there and a vet will be needed. Babies need to empty out between feedings. Have you hand fed any other type of parrot?

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Yeah, impaction was my other thought. If the baby ingested bedding or the parents didn't feed properly, or the situation you described. I'm very concerned as well!

Praying and hoping for an update


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Keep him worm... heating pads and box might work for that. the formula should be 105 degrees i believe. wait on it a little he might digest keep him worm tho

Ahmed.Milo said:

Keep him worm... heating pads and box might work for that. the formula should be 105 degrees i believe. wait on it a little he might digest keep him worm tho

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Sorry, no a heating pad and box are not okay for a two week old baby they cannot maintain a consistent heat and humidity which the baby needs at this age.
Please don't put out feeding temps if you are not sure. For an eclectus 105 is to cool, by the time you get the food into them it will have cooled way to much and will slow the crop down or make the baby refuse to eat. An eclectus baby will refuse food even when hungry if the formula is to cold. Temps need to be closer to 108 but you must be very careful that you have a very accurate digital thermometer and that it is not hotter than that and that you have it all in the baby before it drops to 106 at which temp most eclectus start getting fussy and not eating it as well. I have had to throw a batch away and make a second batch for the same feeding because it cooled too much on many occasions. There are way too many factors that are involved in hand feeding to be flippant at all about it. Even some one as experienced as I am does and should be nervous when hand feeding. Most other parrot babies take 105 to 106 formula just fine but eclectus are different in my experience and I have fed more than I can count.

Is there an update on this baby?


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