So I went to go see the Eclectus today..

Sterling1113

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So as some of you may be following I went to go visit an Eclectus parrot I saw in an ad on craigslist today.
Well, first things first I was really shocked at the conditions. ALL the birds were in cages that were too small (Except the African Gray and Caique which weren't for sale, and the Goffin.) Some of the birds I saw include, but are not limited to: Sun Conure, Jenday conure, Red bellied parrot, mustache parakeet, derbyan parakeet, black headed caique, green cheek conure, and several others that I can't name off the top of my head..
And then here's this Eclectus in a cage in this crowded, loud room with two bowls of some sort of generic bird seed. The guy says "You can grab him, he doesn't bite." And just reaches in the cage and pulls him out like a football!! This guy grabbed the eclectus like someone would a wild chicken, hands over the wings and just pulling him out of the cage. And to my shock he DIDNT BITE.. he put his beak over his hand but he didn't put pressure. And he is awfully nervous of people.. I sat down with him on the ground and talked to him(Which I doubt he could hear, it was SO LOUD...) and I got him to step up. He's such a sweetie and he's so uncomfortable and stressed out in this place, it really broke my heart to leave. But we've pretty much decided on going with this guy, they're going to hold him for us and we should be able to get him home in about a month, tops. Maybe two weeks at earliest. I asked if he had any favorite treat that I could give him(I didn't expect him to know, he knows nothing of the Eclectus parrot obviously.) and he just said "We give him apples and bananas sometimes, but we don't have either right now. There's really nothing special about this bird."
NOTHING SPECIAL... about an ECLECTUS?? No wonder he used to pluck, I wouldn't be surprised if he still plucks!!!
Ugggghh it made me so sad... but we're hoping to get him and give him a healthy diet of FRESH food and lots of TLC and attention, he has such potential to be such a sweet bird and it's just covered in anxiety and fear. This poor guy..

I remember someone posting on my previous thread "It's good he will hold the bird for you, it sounds like he really cares about where he goes!!!" or something like that.. but that is definitely not the case.. he just gets enough money from his breeder pairs that this guy is nothing but extra. So we're going to put down a deposit some time next week and see him again, and then we just wait to bring him home..
 
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Terry57

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Awww, that poor baby:( I am SO thrilled taht you are going to bring him home. I have no idea how anyone can say that there is nothing special about an eclectus...they are such wonderful birds:)
I will be counting the days with you until you get him home and out of there. He is going to feel like he hit the lottery!
 
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Sterling1113

Sterling1113

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I just don't understand *why* this bird didn't bite. He would have had every reason to. But he just doesn't want to hurt anyone, it seems. Or maybe he was once punished for biting? I'm not sure. He's only 3 so he's still a baby and has lots of room to grow and recover.
I know some birds will be angels for the first few days after re-homing them and THEN they become nippy, as they're exploring with their beaks.. but I'm hoping that won't be the case. I don't think I'll give him much of a reason to really chomp down once he settles.
 

MikeyTN

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Like I was telling you before, when you bring him home start the training right away. Start with step up and have him sit with you so he can get adjusted to you. Keep on talking to him and do it multiple times per day. He will come around soon enough once he learns that he can trust you. Good luck! ;)
 
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Sterling1113

Sterling1113

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Like I was telling you before, when you bring him home start the training right away. Start with step up and have him sit with you so he can get adjusted to you. Keep on talking to him and do it multiple times per day. He will come around soon enough once he learns that he can trust you. Good luck! ;)

Thanks! Thing is he has NO idea how to step up, and I'm pretty sure he's had no training. Maybe just socializing cause he isn't mean but I'm not sure.. I have a clicker though so I can get him started on target training, and then step up.. however because of the diet they have him on he was totally disinterested in food. I'm hoping that will change once he has more fresh foods, and maybe he'll realize how yummy treats can be! A bird that isn't motivated by food or praise can be a tough one to teach though..
 

RavensGryf

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Sounds like he might be a good bird for you. If he's already 3 and is still slow to bite, that's a good sign about a steady personality.
It's pathetic he doesn't know about basic bird care. Not only are fresh foods beneficial to all parrots, but ESPECIALLY Eclectus, as they have a different digestive system from other parrots and it's absolutely mandatory for them if they're not to develop serious health problems. I really hope it works out for you!
 

MikeyTN

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When I brought JoJo and Gracie home, JoJo was the same but he will bite. That was the difference. He was older at 5 years old. He was terrified of hands and doesn't know how to step up. He freaks out when I go near home, so I got him out of the cage and started the step up training the very evening I got him home. Then I did it the next morning before going to work. Then when I got home I did it again and I did it two more times before going to bed. I did the training 4 times per day and at 25+ min intervals. He caught on within 3 days. Since that male doesn't bite, it would be easier to start. They were on all seed with pellets mixed diet, when I brought them home I already had pre-bought fruits and veggies the night before so I chop them up to let them try. They ate just fine so I start cutting off the seeds during the day and did a table spoon full of seeds, mainly the small seeds, during evening time. They've been with us for almost 3 years now and doing wonderful!
 

Anansi

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Good morning, Ashley. I'm glad to hear that you'll soon be getting an eclectus parrot. Especially one that needs to be pulled out of his current situation as badly as this one does. He's lucky to have been chosen by you, and I don't doubt he'll be very happy in your home.

He may be resistant to change with his diet, at first, but persistence and variety will be key in changing this.

Btw, you mentioned that he used to pluck. How do you know this? Is there evidence of it in his plumage now, or were you informed by the seller?
 
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Sterling1113

Sterling1113

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Good morning, Ashley. I'm glad to hear that you'll soon be getting an eclectus parrot. Especially one that needs to be pulled out of his current situation as badly as this one does. He's lucky to have been chosen by you, and I don't doubt he'll be very happy in your home.

He may be resistant to change with his diet, at first, but persistence and variety will be key in changing this.

Btw, you mentioned that he used to pluck. How do you know this? Is there evidence of it in his plumage now, or were you informed by the seller?

Thanks, and I'm really glad too. I'm hoping it will help that I didn't chase him like this guy did so he's not gonna see me and think "you came to my home and chased me around, I don't like you" kinda thing. He came to me. And you can see it on his feathers, the guy says he doesn't do it anymore and his friend is a vet and said he's in good health and told me I can speak with the friend if I like. I may do that, but I still feel like I should take him to a specialist. If this guy knew what he was talking about then he would know he shouldn't be eating just bird seed in a small cage. There's not really any bald spots that I could see, if course I didn't get that great a look at him either, but he's got down feathers on part of his chest and back between his wings so it definitely looks like he used to pluck. I can't say if he still does or not though. The guy said he has a spray he uses to make him more comfortable and pluck less, so I'll be taking that with me too as long as its healthy. He didn't mention what it was and for some reason I didn't ask hah.
 

aether-drifter

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I pray that you get that poor baby! So sad that some people think it's perfectly fine to treat parrots that way...I do think it sounds like he has a ton of potential. As you said, he's probably just terrified because of the environment. I'm sure he will open up to you once he realizes he's in a safe place with good people. He sounds like a sweetheart.
 

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