Not interested in toys ( yet ? )

Robyn

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Hello,

I have a new baby eclectus, had him just over a week now, he is 15 weeks old. He doesnt seem interested in playing with toys though. I have been doing a lot of reading how they love toys and Ive still yet to see it.
He seems to be a very happy boy, and is learning to use his wings and landing in certain spots. Still trying to work out his favourite foods although he loves grapes to bits and sort of does little sounds almost like growling when he is eating them, but I know I cant give him a lot of grapes. He likes to make little sounds after dinner when he is starting to settle before bed, even when he has started to fall asleep he is almost talking ( parrot chatter ) in his sleep , it seems to us anyway and sooooooooo cute.
But he seems to want to be around us all the time , we have given him heaps of attention and he stays with us the majority of everyday. I have tried to use toys when with him, but he just seems content to sit with us and stare at times, although I did try to discourage this , loves to sit on our shoulder and almost has his face in ours observing our faces, loves cuddling us when he is nestled on our chests.
We can see he is a very happy baby and loves his showers but all the things I had read , isnt quite him with toys or food.
Help much appreciated,
Robyn
 
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Auggie's Dad

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Sounds like you could be describing Auggie here too - especially the grapes and sounds, except I'd say its more like pig grunts than growls while he's eating them.

If he is more social and not a toy-liking bird is that a problem? Have you tried non-bird toys... like a set of keys, or a spoon, an empty water bottle, socks, or pens and pencils. These are the real parrot toys, most of those things they sell in pet stores are just for looks (and to make money for the store).
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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Hi there ,
Thank you for your quick reply. I wouldnt mind Jack being sociable which he seems to be. Before I bought him I went and bought some parrot toys then started to realise that even some baby toys which were cheaper were quite fine also, but he isnt interested in any of them. I will try a few other things as you mentioned.
Is it wise to keep him out of his cage the whole time we are at home or should he also spend some time in his cage whilst we are home also ? He doesnt like being in his cage when we are home and is only interested in trying to get out to be with us, I have just started to leave him in his cage whilst we are home just a couple of times to see how he goes. My working week is only 12 hrs pw ( 3 half days pw ) , 2 of those days are just 5 hrs each , so I have a lot of time at home to spend with him, would like him to be used to his cage whilst Im at work on the 2 5 hr days. He was out of his cage in the first week with us to see how he went , we werent sure what to expect when I got home on the 1st day that he had the run of the house for the first time. When I did get home I called him , he always answers with his little squawks. I come in the door saying " where's jack , where's jack " he wasnt on his play gym, wasnt on his table top perch and I was a little scared, headed toward the kitchen and again I called out " where's jack " and I see this little green head pop up with a little squawk , he was in the kitchen sink. But I mainly had him out because I had to borrow a cage , much smaller than I would have hoped , whilst his new massive cage turned up, didnt want him in such a tiny cage for 5 hrs. Now that he has his 3 level large cage , I feel he should get used to being in this whilst nobody is home.

Robyn
 

Auggie's Dad

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Should he spend time in the cage while people are home? That depends.

There are some things that need to be done that a parrot shouldn't be around, such as cleaning and most cooking, while doing these he should be either in his cage or locked away in another room. There will also be those occasional circumstances when a stranger needs to come through the home (utility repair and the like); you'd certainly want him in the cage then - so it is good for him to get used to having to spend some time alone in his cage even when you are home. To teach this well though they should be VERY short periods at first: put him in his cage, go make a cup of coffee/tea/etc, then come back and let him out and praise him if/when he is quite and comfortable.

Other that this 'training' there is really no reason for him to be in his cage when the family is home unless you need some bird-free time. As long as he is getting enough sleep (parrots need more than we do: at least 8 hrs at night and often a good daytime nap) then the more outside of cage time the better.

A good handful of parrot owners do not even have a cage for their birds, they just roam around like one of the family. While many people have success with this there are many risks to be aware of - all in all I think a cage is an important safe-zone for a bird, just leave the cage open and available so if he wants to go in it he has that option.
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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Hello,
Thanks for that , I have been leaving in him in his cage whilst home for short periods and whilst doing some cleaning. I do know that when strangers come it wouldnt be a good idea , he might be comfortable with meeting them , so it seemed with a couple , but the strangers I have found are a little scared of him and his little squawks of excitement.
Thanks for that ,
Robyn
 

wuvzbirdies

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PEN CAPS!!! OMG my Russell loves them, he could chew on one for hours, but the hundreds of dollars worth of toys I bought before I knew any better are in perfect condition providing homes for the dust bunnies!!!! He also likes the paper towel roll, my used water bottles, he also prefers inexpensive cat toys, right now he working on destroying a ball with a jingly bell inside. Don't waste your money on buying "parrot" toys.
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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Thanks for that,

I wish I didnt follow too many things I read before getting Jack. I did spend quite a bit of money on a couple of his toys, one was $50 alone , the foraging ring of fortunes toy. It seems he couldnt care less. I will look for bits of junk ( safe cheap stuff ) around the house that he can easily play with , at the moment though he just seems interested in just being around us.
I know he is a happy boy but he seems to be getting a little louder in his squawks and they are becoming more frequent. I was prepared for the noise but wasnt prepared for it as much as he is starting to do at the moment, he seems to get very excited. He loves the attention and cuddles we give him, maybe we are giving him too much attention ???

Robyn
 

wuvzbirdies

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I know he is a happy boy but he seems to be getting a little louder in his squawks and they are becoming more frequent. I was prepared for the noise but wasnt prepared for it as much as he is starting to do at the moment, he seems to get very excited. He loves the attention and cuddles we give him, maybe we are giving him too much attention ???

There’s no such thing as too much attention, as long as it’s not while he’s doing something naughty! The Eclectus is known for such noise during feeding time and since he’s still a baby it’s possible he’s looking for the breeder who handfed him, I don’t think you’ve had him long enough for him to associate you with feedings. It's not unusual at all for an Eclectus to be noisy/vocal around feeding time. A happy Ecky will play quietly most of the time but can be very loud when they want to be, especially when they are not given adequate attention from their human flock in which case doesn’t seem to be the problem. When I was younger (early 20’s) I had a roommate who had one, it was a female and everytime my roommate came home she would squawk until after she was fed because she associated the roommate with feedings. Honestly I couldn’t take it so I moved and I don’t know if it ever stopped. This is all of course based on personal experience I’m sure someone with more knowledge will chime in.
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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It seems my baby Jack has totally turned around ( for now ). I was getting a bit worried about his squawks getting louder and much more frequent. Today he was a totally different little boy, very much like the 1st week I bought him home. The only difference to today was , this morning I decided to try him with some weet bix as a late brekky , I work on wednesday just 2 hours in the morning 8 - 10. So when I got home I thought I woud try some weet bix for him and spoon fed him this time, as he is still on 1 feed at night. I was reading some messages on here last night about feeding weetbix. Im sure he thought it was his normal dinner meal at first. he scoffed the lot down , after this , he was a happy content boy the rest of the day. Im only guessing at this point, maybe the more frequent squawks was him telling me he was hungry. I also tried a strawberry this afternoon and have now found another fruit he LOVES besides grapes. So tonight I took a couple of new piccys which I have posted on here, showing Jack sitting with me , and actually pushing against me , leaning toward my face for cuddles tonight. I just couldnt let that go , told my daughter to take the pics.
Not sure why though on my photos , some of them are showing up as all black until you click on it ???
Not only only was the weetbix and strawberry a bit hit today but tonight he was actually playing with me , of all things a small tin that has a lid, he could have saved me a fair bit of money on the parrot toys I bought, this little tin was free with a bag of almonds lol.
Robyn
 
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FlockOfPixels

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I know he is a happy boy but he seems to be getting a little louder in his squawks and they are becoming more frequent. I was prepared for the noise but wasnt prepared for it as much as he is starting to do at the moment, he seems to get very excited. He loves the attention and cuddles we give him, maybe we are giving him too much attention ???

There’s no such thing as too much attention, as long as it’s not while he’s doing something naughty! The Eclectus is known for such noise during feeding time and since he’s still a baby it’s possible he’s looking for the breeder who handfed him, I don’t think you’ve had him long enough for him to associate you with feedings. It's not unusual at all for an Eclectus to be noisy/vocal around feeding time. A happy Ecky will play quietly most of the time but can be very loud when they want to be, especially when they are not given adequate attention from their human flock in which case doesn’t seem to be the problem. When I was younger (early 20’s) I had a roommate who had one, it was a female and everytime my roommate came home she would squawk until after she was fed because she associated the roommate with feedings. Honestly I couldn’t take it so I moved and I don’t know if it ever stopped. This is all of course based on personal experience I’m sure someone with more knowledge will chime in.
Actually there is such thing as TOO much attention. There is no such thing as to much out of cage time however. Cuddling and touching can be construed as sexual in nature as they get older. Your Ekkie is young yet where mine is 25 years of age and man can he get hormonal. Letting him play on his own is not a bad thing.
There can arrive many problems from hugging/cuddling if to much. We are by nature as humans, touchie and feely, Birds are not. The only time they are affectionate with each other is during times of breeding. Imagine them going through a constant state of arousal. Now me as a guy is pretty much aware this is a constant for me and most guys.. but for birds there is an actual season, like for deer.. there is the rut and such. Birds are not meant to go through this constantly.

Also vary the times they go to bed too. Make sure they get AT LEAST 10-12 hours of sleep a night. This is important. the times they go to bed during the winter should be earlier then when they go to bed during the summer and spring of course. This will give them a sense of a season then. So dawn to dusk is the usual time. Being I am in MN dusk comes REALLY early during the winter so I make sure it is about 7pm cst when my flock hits the sack so to speak. They wake up around 7 am then (which is around dawn here). This makes for a happy flock and one that is well rested and content. 10-12 hours of rest IS IMPORTANT most of all though. During the summer bring the bed time to around 9 pm. and waking up around 7 am still. This gives them the sense of a longer day and season too.

I hope this does not sound to harsh to the person I am quoting on here as it is not misinformation I am trying to spread. I am actually quoting a vet here :) One of the Owners of Parrot Island here in MN, her and her husband own Parrot Island and are EXTREMELY knowledgeable about birds and Ekkies even more so. Her name is Shari L Beaudoin.

-jon

(P.S I am trying to get them to start a blog on how to raise a flock as a family and also trying to get them to start a forum for advice too) :)
 

ataraxia

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he will have a better time out of cage exploring. none of my four really play with toys in the cage unless they are food related... instead prefer exploring. PLEASE!! make sure to ekkie proof your house if you allow this. if you do allow this mine seem to love electric cords, bottles and live plants. males are very inquisitive.

personally i dont think it is possible 2 have 2 much outside the cage time.
 

antoinette

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Hi there...
Mishka, my African Grey is 2 years old now.
When I got her new toys, I sat Mishka on my lap with the toy.
Her reaction was first scared.
I then placed them in her cage. She ignored some of them for weeks on end.
In her own time, she started sitting closer to them, them bitting them.
My suggestion (which I hope will assist you) is leave them in the cage.
When you put the bird back in the cage, say toy and let your hand touch it.
The bird will eventually get curious, and hopefully start playing with them.
Good luck
 

justwingingit

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Like some species of birds, Greys in particular can be uncomfortable or scared around new things. You could try placing the new toy near the cage, then on the outside of the cage and eventually inside the cage. You know your bird and how long this might take. With my Grey, Simon, she loves a cardboard box to play in. It does not seem to be gender specific. I recommended this to a client with a Grey and she said he loved it. When I am hand feeding babies, I place toys in with them at an early age and this seems to help them become familiar with playing and toys. Some people wait until their grown. They need to imagine the bird is like a child and how children develop with different age-appropriate toys.:blue:
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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Thanks guys for your messages,
It has been a while since I wrote that message about him not being interested in toys. Although he does play a little more now , he reallllly LOVES to climb, hang upside down and just run , which is quite funny to watch. He is talking now, saying hello, hello how you doing, hello how are u, and a few other things he is trying to say , he is always trying to get our 2 dogs attention and our cat. I put him on the floor and he actually runs to one of our dogs and jumps on his tail , holding it down to try and attack his tail. He loves to talk , but he tends to do it if we do not give him direct attention, and he giggles , god knows where he got that from hahahah. But he loves a particular swing in our house and loves to fly to it and hang upside down from it. Whilst writing this message he has actually flown to the back of my shoulders and said hello hahahah, these birds are soooooooo Cute, I always have a smile on my face, when my husband gets home from work he is actually saying hello to him from another room.
I took him to the vet recently just to get him checked over, to make sure I was doing everything right diet wise and such , as my dad thought his colours looked dull and still remembering what one breeder said to me about my choice of an eclectus as a first bird was a mistake, still in the back of my head, not forgotten. So the vet has actually told me that "TOO MUCH ATTENTION , IS NOT A GOOD THING. " He has told me that I have to cut it out , with the cuddling , kissing ( I cant help kissing my Jack ), and just hogging him. He said I have to share him , no matter how much I may want to keep him to myself, as this will not be good for him if I ever have to go away and later on I will have a bird with behaviour problems. This actually sort of makes sense, being a mum of 3 children , very close in age, now teens. It issimilar with kids, giving too much attention , they end up with a separation anxiety like when they have to start school, social problems. I have found he doesnt want to have anything to do with strangers and comes straight to me, I would have liked him to be social. This would make sense with too much attention. Im trying to do what the vet says , but it is hard. He is left to do what he wants , within reason, he loves his cage HEAPS and loves to play chasing across with me running to each end of it. The vet said there is nothing wrong with him, his colours is normal and no feathers are plucked . So it makes me feel good that I have done right so far. I had been having nightmares that I had Jack pulling out his feathers, but I think this was just a fear of mine.
He is absolutely gorgeous , love my birdy to bits, wanna sqeeze him till his eyes pop lolol. Im about to load 3 new photos that I found hilarious, something he did wrong whilst I was out, and family said they would leave it for me to " deal with " , we like to call him the beast hahahhaha
 

Auggie's Dad

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Yep, there is certainly such thing as too much attention. This really only comes up though in family environments where there is always someone home. As a single parrot parront it will never be an issue for me: the more time I can spend with Auggie the better - I sleep several hours a night and work many hours a day, he gets his alone time.

Make sure he gets rest, a good nights sleep and some good quite 'nap time' during the day, and definitely its good to get him interacting with other people if you can but also as long as he isn't aggressive towards others you can still be his main person - most birds do bond to one person.
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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I dod have a bit of a problem with him interacting with others, whilst he is happy to sit and watch eevrybody , he doesnt want their attention , I think its because I have been giving it to him non stop. He does though let my husband handle him and he quite likes my husband and does greet him ( from a distance, never speaks directly to us ) when he gets home , yelling hello, that is actually something he doesnt do with me. Im working on trying not to cuddle and kiss too much , as Im always doing as soon as I see him outside the cage, which is what the vet told me to stop doing all the time, hoping this will eventually fix his nervousness around strangers, even when its people he sees a bit through our house from a distance.
But it is difficult cuddling and kissing something sooo cute, lovable and something you love lots, very difficult. But if I will get a more social birdy out of it, than I will do it.
He loves to sit on my shoulder a lot of watch me do things, but Im trying to cut down on this quite a bit, as I dont want him hanging there all the time, its just not practical. So Im pushing him towards his swing hanging from our celing and he loves hanging upside down from it. Love the chasing game in the mornings though, he sits on top of his cage and I rrun to each of his cage and he runs really fast back and forth to try and beat me , it is sooo funny to see it.
He gets heaps of sleep, I make sure of that , I put him to bed between 8.30 - 9.00 every night , sometimes it could be 9.30 on weekends depending on what we are doing and he is up at 7.30 , so he gets a good 10 - 11 hours.
 

Tumbala's Girl

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Tumbala isn't interested in toys at all and he's 10 years old. I am his personal chew toy...or at least my shirts are. I have several bird shirts for him to chew on while he's hanging with me. One thing I found that he does like is hemp rope. I cut off a chunk (especially if I'm wearing something I don't want him to chew on) and tie a couple of knots in it and he will work really heard trying to get the knots out and shredds is and then I just throw it out when he's done. Of course if I put it in his cage...he won't even touch it. I have never seen him play with one toy in his cage. We did get him a TV so he wouldn't be too bored while we are gone durring the day. I still wish I could find something fun for him to do. I will keep trying.
 
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Robyn

Robyn

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Wow Tumbala never heard that before. So he likes to watch tv lol how cute. I thought initially my Jack was something quite different not wanting toys. I had bought him a huge stack when I got him 2 months ago, so was worried when he didnt take to them, fortunately now he has and climbs and chews over all of them. He loves to hang upside down the best on one of his swings. So you are his toy lol.
 

Tumbala's Girl

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Well the TV is a new thing because I was worried about him being bored while I'm gone...since he won't pay with any of his toys. I leave it on Animal Planet for him and he seems to like it. The other day he was so into whatever he was watching that he didn't even realize I was home! Usually he's screaming before I can get the front door closed! I walked into his room and he seemed suprised and had to come around to the other side of the cage. Usually he's waiting very impatiently for me to get in there and let him out! As far as me being his toy...I guess I don't know what to do about that. I really want to get him some kind of hanging gym but I think that it might be a waste of money. Unless it's on me he doesn't want it. He has destroyed a few of my things but I just try to wear those things when we are hanging out. :D :orange:
 

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