Feather Plucking

Hi everyone,

I have put a deposit on a female Eclectus.

My biggest concern atm is feather plucking. The breeder said that almost certainly it will pluck unless I give it a partner before maturity. Is this the case? the problem is I want only one Eclectus for now, I may look at one in the future but it will be a hand reared baby also and will take a few years to mature (for example I get the male when the female is 2 yrs old and they won't be able to mate for another two years?).

Thanks for the feedback.

The main (out of quite a lot) reason for plucking is: boredom/lack of mental stimulation, stress, wrong diet, medical, or injuries.
Did you deposit on a handfed and reared baby? Are you planning on breeding them?

If she'll become a companion I wouldn't see any plucking issues, unless it's associated with medical conditions, given she has a large cage, a nice set up of various toys (not nesting materials) like foraging, and a lot of mental stimulation and out of cage time. Eclectus do have specific food requirements and neglecting them CAN cause plucking, but most likely, cause toe-tapping and wing flipping.

I would advise watching their behavior because you don't know wether they're like each other or not. I don't think having them in a same cage would be a smart idea - if that's what your'e thinking . The female will become extremely aggressive during breeding season. During out of cage time, both should be supervised or separated to stop attempts at mating.
What would happen if they laid a hatch?

I honestly think that the breeder is trying to make more money off of you, but that's my opinion. I never heard about them plucking without a mate, but maybe I need to research a bit more.

She is probably one of the biggest Eclectus breeders in Australia and does impressive shows and stuff. There was even a news story on the place: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=175FbT4OAlQ"]Parrots in Paradise with Dr. Harry Cooper on 7NEWS 12/03/2013 - YouTube[/ame]

She describes that having a single Eclectus causes 'imprinting" (thinking they're human) which results in them becoming hormonal stressed & sometimes cage aggressive. I also asked about the infamous male vs female debate and she was quick to say that there is 0 difference, just that when they come of age they can get hormonal. It was strange to hear her say that there is a high chance of plucking purely from not having a partner.

Edit: Nope not planning on breeding them, if it were up to me id just have one because I think companions can lose interest in humans once they have a feathered friend, as well as the additional maintenance. But I don't have enough to experience with birds to know for sure.

That doesn't even sound like something a breeder would say!

Eclectus are known to be one of the species inclined to pluck. Their diet is specialized, and they're sensitive in many ways. Are you dead set on an Eclectus? I mean they're wonderful birds, but if you're even having this apprehension, just remember there are SO many other beautiful species to choose from who are much less sensitive, and hardy against plucking.

One of my a-vets is an exclusively avian specialist, and only one of 10 in the United States. He says boredom is NOT the most common cause of plucking. That is a popular idea, but plucking is more commonly medical in nature. With Eclectus it can commonly be diet isn't right for the species, hormones, or metal toxicity which is far more common in any species than people realize.

I get the idea that breeder might be trying to make an extra buck, here, no matter how fancy her shows or the size of her breeding operation.

Now, to be fair, I don't know this woman. Perhaps that is her honest opinion. But that just seems like a carelessly generalized statement for someone to make. As well as quite convenient as a seller.

I'm also surprised she would tell you that there is zero difference between males and females. That's not true, either.

Granted, females aren't the feathery red rage monsters they are portrayed to be, but they do tend to be the more aggressive of the two, and they do have a far greater likelihood of becoming cage territorial.

This is due to the matriarchal nature of the eclectus social structure in the wild. The females search out and inhabit the nest. The females protect said nests from all intruders ranging from other birds to snakes. And the females are attended to by any number of male suitors who bring food to her at her nesting location.

In short, when it comes to ekkies, females RUN THINGS! So how could there not be a difference?

There are individual exceptions, of course, but for the most part you would have different approaches for the two. I don't think either is better as a pet than the other. They're just different. And as her person, it would be your job to understand those differences so as to give you both the best possible chance at a strong and lasting bond.

Oh, and as for your worry that having two means they lose interest in their human companion? Not necessarily so. If you form a strong enough bond, with LOTS of interaction, it will often remain strong even with the introduction of a new flock member. And this is coming from the proud owner of a male and female ekky. (Granted, I've only had the female, Maya, a little under 2 months, but both are VERY bonded to me already.)

Well, I find the females much more stunning than the males but originally I was going for the male as I thought they are less likely to be nippy/pluck and be more affectionate.

But I also have heard the females can be more independent and less needy than the males which is a good trait for my circumstances. Regardless it all comes down to the individual bird, I played with 3 different females and they were all VERY different. One was extremely nippy (in a playful manner) one was almost a statue and one just seemed normal. Also their appearance varied as well. I got one with a little bit of blue around its beak (very rare apparently, hopefully its not from bad breeding). She noted one semi clear claw which is apparently good for breeding & had a lot of blue eyeliner and large eyes. Was by far the most stunning of the 6-7 she had for sale. There were two very loud boys in the other cage that were already sold.

Iv just been reading some comparisons and got this from a post:

Females:
- con - can become moody when the hormones play up, be careful how to handle them then. But if handled right even a hormonal female eclectus can be a nice parrot that likes to be with you.
- con - when getting older they like to search for nesting places. It can be difficult to hold them away from these places.
- con - they can lay eggs, what again can cause problems like egg binding. BUT in most cases the egg laying goes normal and without problems.
- con - when in search for nesting places the females are more prone to shred wood (furniture, plinths etc.)
- pro - they like to be with people (more than the males)
- pro - In general they scream less than males and from personal experience they talk sooner. In our case all three females talk, where only one male talks.

Males:
- con - they scream more than females and they are loud. In general much more males are rehomed because of screaming and squeaking than females.
- con - more males do have feather picking problems than females. There are females that are plucked, but the number of males that do that are x-times higher.
- con - more prone to show partner behavior than females. Things like regurgitation and mating towards people can be a problem.
- con?! - much more independent than the females. They like to play more and do spent less time with you than females.
- pro - because the males are independent they do play more, are more active than the females.
- pro - easier going in family environment, where females are more likely to have a preference towards one or two persons.

If that were true id definitely prefer a female, but the problem is everyone has individual opinions on birds and you need to experience both to make an informed judgment. The only concrete facts that you can take into account for the male vs female debate are how they both are in the wild.

I find the female's really stunning as well, the red is my absolute favorite!

Theres also different subspecies, the common ones are the Solomon, Red Sided, and Vosmari. The major difference is either the size where some are larger or different colors---which is really subtle to a certain degree. They usually say Solomon are more family suited, but again, it comes to the individual personality.

EAI said:

I find the female's really stunning as well, the red is my absolute favorite!

Theres also different subspecies, the common ones are the Solomon, Red Sided, and Vosmari. The major difference is either the size where some are larger or different colors---which is really subtle to a certain degree. They usually say Solomon are more family suited, but again, it comes to the individual personality.

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Eclectus roratus polychloros, known as the New Guinea red-sided eclectus parrot.