Jasper's First Few Days

katie_fleming

Active member
Oct 30, 2012
881
31
Montreal, Canada
Parrots
Jasper (6yr old Solomon Island Eclectus Parrot)
Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted any pics of Jasper yet - I keep collecting them on my camera but haven't transferred them yet. I'll do a big batch on the weekend :)

So I have a few questions about Jasper's behaviour/my techniques/etc. I think we're off to a great start but there are some things I'd like to ask about:

For the past 2 nights I've spent about 10 minutes with him teaching him to "step up". He is doing this perfectly, and caught on VERY quickly. Sometimes I reward him with a small pellet, other times just a vocal "good boy!". I'm very happy :)

Last night I decided I'd try and give him a little spray bath with a spray bottle. I sprayed into the cage very lightly and he didn't seem to like it. So I brought him to the bathroom, sat in the bath tub with him, and sprayed it beside him (not touching his body at all). Didn't care. I began to slowly spray above his head to let a little bit fall down, and more on his wings and suddenly he decided he didn't like it. Started to freak out a bit, and climbed up my arm as fast as he could onto my shoulder. For the rest of the night he seemed to be in a don't-come-near-me-mood and stayed on top of his cage. What did I do wrong? How can I try again? :(


After work each day I take him out and hold him (he comes right to me when I open the door) but after about 10-15 minutes he runs back to his cage, climbs up and either goes inside or on top of the cage. It's like he's had his fill and just wants to watch from the top of his cage. Is this normal? I feel like he's not getting enough "out of cage" time (even though he's on top of it). I talk to him the entire night and he scrapes his beak together (I assume that means he's content? He usually has a foot up when he's doing it).


Lastly, food. He's a little pig :) Please let me know if this is OK from what he's eating so far:



  • Blueberries
  • Won't touch Raspberries
  • Little bits of Apple (I had to eat it front of him before he'd try)
  • Brown rice (cooked)
  • One time I gave him a few pieces of a hard boiled egg - loved that. How much is safe per week?
  • Peppers (bell - different colours)
  • Cooked vegetable pasta
  • Corn (corn on the cob, frozen corn heated up)
  • Peas
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • I'm using up the pellets the breeder sent, they're the Radybush ones he seems to love them (used for training him the step-up)
  • Using up the seed mix the breeder sent (only about a tablespoon a day)
I think that's it for food...for breakfast (and it stays there throughout the day) it's RAW carrots, broccoli, corn (frozen corn, thawed out), and cut up peppers.

I also want to add he's NEVER bitten me. Beaks me and sometimes applies a little too much pressure but I say "no" firmly and he lets go immediately. Last night after the bath incident he started his "warning dance" on top of his cage so I knew to give him space. I figure as long as I read his language and KNOW he will bite then I can avoid it. So far so good, but he really is gentle.

I know this is a long read but I'd appreciate any feedback! First-time parrot owner and I'm not sure if I'm "doing it right".



Thanks :) :green2:
 
Last edited:

labell

New member
Feb 17, 2014
1,988
5
East
Jasper is a baby right? I would continue with the baths whether he likes them right now or not they are very important to an eclectus feather health. Avoiding them now will just make it more difficult in the future. Even starting out with a light mist a few times a week, he will get used to it and begin to enjoy them.

When teaching step up I think it is important to also teach them to step up onto a stick that way the issue you had with backing off when he was on top of the cage won't happen. When you want him off some where he needs to know that it is not an option but a requirement that he steps up either onto your hand or a stick every time not just when he feels like it.
 

labell

New member
Feb 17, 2014
1,988
5
East
There are really a lot of food ideas for eclectus on the website "Land of Vos" variety is really important try not to get in a rut feeding him the same items. For an eclectus even too much of a good thing is bad. The foods you listed are good but more variety as well. If you take advantage now while he is young and is a little piggy you can get him used to lots of new foods. Dark greens are an everyday thing around here alternating between Kale, Mustard Greens, Collard greens, Rainbow Chard, Itailian Parsley, Cilantro there are tons of great choices and dark greens are something they really do need.
 

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