Ekki's and Free Time....

Theoo · Jun 11, 2012

I am wanting to get an Ekki and am on a waiting list. I would like to do all I can though to make sure it's a good fit with my life style. How doable does this sound to you guys...

I leave for work at 9am and don't get back till 9:45pm. No one is home to play with him for that time. I read you need to spend at least 2 hours a day with him. I know some of you are at home full time and can't imagine being away from him that long but I also ask you think realistically. When I get home at 9:45 he will be out with me till I go to bed around 12-1am. Then be with me all weekend. Do you think that would be enough for him to be happy?
Keep in mind he will have a nice big cage and lots of toys... I do seek to spoil

Molcan2 · Jun 11, 2012

Do you work those type of hours only 3days a week? If so you should be fine, if your doing that 5days a week then i would suggest holding off on getting any type of bird. Ekkies in particular live in large social groups. If your working those hours 3days a week it would be fine, anything more than that i think would be to much and would not be in the birds best interest. No matter how many toys you have, they wont replace companionship, ekkis can be prone to feather chewing and plucking.

Molcan2 · Jun 11, 2012

What kind of work do you do? Would you be able to take the bird with you? A friend of a friend of mine is a hair dresser and she takes her ekkie to work with her every day.

Also, birds rise when the sun does and go to sleep when its sets. Keeping a bird up until 1am is not good for the bird. They also require around 10-12hrs of undisturbed sleep at night.

I dont stay at home, i work 7a-7p three times a week. Being realistic is not that you have to work but understanding that the welfare of the bird needs to come first, even if that means not getting one.

Theoo · Jun 11, 2012

My reference to realism was in the context of not working but whether I would be able to have an Ekki with my schedule.

So I work 2 days 10-8 Monday and wedensday. Then Tuesday is only 2-8pm and thursady and Friday is off and then one more full day, 10-6 on Saturday and I am off Sunday.

It would seem that reaches a fair minimum. Some day I may even be able to take him to work as well.

So your birds have to wake up with the sun and go to bed with the sun?

AngelSeri · Jun 11, 2012

Most birds instinctively wake with the sunrise & go to sleep at sunset. If your bird doesn't get the opportunity to get the sleep he needs, behavioral or possibly even health issues can arise, so keeping him up til midnight or so is not a good idea. I know my ekkie is moody if he isn't able to get a peaceful night of sleep. If you're able to take the bird with you to work & let him rest when you get home, then my opinion is that he would probably get adequate attention. If you have to leave him home, it might be better to wait until you have some different hours at work. Toys & a big cage won't substitute for your personal attention. Also, an ekkie should be fed fresh meals at least twice a day, without letting them sit more than a few hours to prevent bacteria growth, so you may have a hard time keeping him on a decent feeding schedule with those hours.

Theoo · Jun 11, 2012

So basically birds are not for single people who have jobs. You would think that would be addressed on all the sites that say what birds need. All I see after dozens of hours of reading is that they need a few hours out of their cage for supervised play/social time. but according to the majority here, it's really that you have to have him with you most the time or be with him most the time. If that's true there sure are a lot of sites that need that update.

Thanks for your input guys!

AngelSeri · Jun 11, 2012

I don't think anyone is saying you can't have a bird if you work. I'm sure most bird owners do. It's just that a regular schedule and attention are very important in keeping your bird emotionally satisfied. No one wants to see you have to deal with a parrot that develops behavioral issues, that's all. Obviously every bird has its own personality, but some can be quite a handful to keep happy. More than some sites will tell you. Some may be ok with a few daylight hours with you out of the cage, but others can be more demanding. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.

Molcan2 · Jun 11, 2012

Theoo said:
So I work 2 days 10-8 Monday and wedensday. Then Tuesday is only 2-8pm and thursady and Friday is off and then one more full day, 10-6 on Saturday and I am off Sunday.

So your birds have to wake up with the sun and go to bed with the sun?

My birds go to bed at dusk or within an hour of dusk.

The first schedule you posted was 9am-9:45pm which is not good for birds if done all the time. The second post about your schedule is much better with having a bird.

mtdoramike · Jun 11, 2012

Hi,

Regarding Eclectus parrots. Male Eclectus don't handle change well. They prefer regular scheduled routine from feeding, water changing to play time and sleep time. If you deviate from that schedule, it could cause emotional issues such as plucking or over-preening his feathers. Eclectus are sensitive birds. Leaving your bird home unattended for 12 hours especially an eclectus could be a problem. They like to dunk their food in their water bowl and require constant water changes up to 5-6 times a day. I classify Eclectus as a high maintenance bird, even more so than other species such as an African Grey or Macaw.

Theoo · Jun 11, 2012

Yea it's hard to fully quantify with all the variables. I have back up incase there is a problem with how much time I spend at work. Me thinks there is a way to keep the bird and make it about him and not what I want.

Molcan2 · Jun 11, 2012

Ekkies are high maintence and require a lot of time to care for them. Even though you have a 'back up' once behavioral problems like plucking and barbing start no matter what future home takes them they will more than likely continue that behavior for life. If there is any doubt that you have it must be taken care of before bringing a bird home. Owning a parrot is a lifelong commitment. If you think that its not 'working' because of your schedule then your mindset should be to get a different job not re-homing the bird. They are the exact thing as having a two year old child. You need to be 100% commited to the well being of the bird before your own wants. You said you were on a 'waiting' list. I hope you were'nt planning on a baby with the schedule you have. Babies require a TON of interaction and socialization. To keep a baby alone all the time would destroy it.

Oedipussrex · Jun 11, 2012

pickle picks at his feathers, so i would be (biasedly) worried about your future ekkies inconsistent schedule.
If you do decide to get one, make sure you play with his toys with him, and teach him to play. simply putting the toys in the cage isnt enough if he doesnt want to/ know how to use them.
generally i found that food is a big motivator for ekkies. so foraging toys are the most likely to be used, followed bu preening toys. It probably varies with individuals, but pickle is not destructive at all and wouldnt touch any wood blocks or chewing toys i give him.

JensFlock · Jun 11, 2012

I guess I'm going against the grain here, but I work crazy hours and I have a bunch of birds. I get home at 10pm and my guys stay up with me if they want to. It's their choice. Some nights we're all up till 2am and some nights they want to go to bed after I get home.
My guys definitely do NOT get up with the sun. They are not "morning birds" On the days I go in at 10am and I get up at 8 or so, they are still groggy when I'm feeding them. They look at me like I'm crazy for getting up that early.
One of my birds is a male ekkie. Having a normal schedule is not always the best thing for them. We have no set schedule for feeding, playing, etc. that way they don't expect things at a certain time. As long as they get enough sleep, which they do, they are just fine with my weird schedule.

Molcan2 · Jun 12, 2012

Thanks for posting that JensFlock! It shows the rest of us that are stuck in the 'this is the way we do things mode' that there (as there always is) is more than one way things can be done. I appreciate your post and I'm glad that you posted it. It shows an unconventional way of keeping birds that completely works. Thinking about the schedule more, I think of all the night time magic shows in Las Vegas that use birds and theirs are completely feathered and seem to be healthy.

Sorry if any of us seemed negative Theoo, its really because we just have the birds best interest at heart.

mtdoramike · Jun 12, 2012

Molcan2 said:
Thanks for posting that JensFlock! It shows the rest of us that are stuck in the 'this is the way we do things mode' that there (as there always is) is more than one way things can be done. I appreciate your post and I'm glad that you posted it. It shows an unconventional way of keeping birds that completely works. Thinking about the schedule more, I think of all the night time magic shows in Las Vegas that use birds and theirs are completely feathered and seem to be healthy.

Sorry if any of us seemed negative Theoo, its really because we just have the birds best interest at heart.

There are exceptions to every rule, but in most cases it is not the case. Let me add here some birds especially one's that are used to perform are very well trained birds. Also if you get a baby from a breeder and preferrably one that you have to wean yourself, you may be able to make schedules like that work with your bird as long as this is the way he was raised. The problem comes when circumstances in a persons life changes ever so slightly, like shift schedules, new additions to the home, moving and all kinds of other stuff that is really unforeseen creates a problem. This may not be a big problem for certain species, but for male Eclectus it is.

So if you can get a baby and train them to the schedule you want them to keep then there shouldn't be any problems.

Theoo · Jun 12, 2012

Thank you Molcan2 and jeansflock!

I know how it is when we get a schedule and feel "this is the way it must be" I am a nutritionist and I have to fight the urge to blast other concepts due to it being different from mine. While there are wrong concepts and things that need to be addressed, I try and keep in mind that different does not equal wrong.

This is a great community of people and all you guys have been super helpful!

Ekki's and Free Time....

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