Toe tapping/wingflipping

jess.reco

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Sep 16, 2014
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Downunder - Australia
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Tequila - Solomon Island
Tequila my female eccy spent the whole night toe tapping and wingflipping. She's never done this before... Her background.....

I feed her a mix of food that's all blended together.. Quinona, wholegrain pasta beans and plenty of veg. I started her on that a month ago. I also brought a male home. I've had tequila for 3 years and she's always had my attention. When I brought the boy home she was moved into a bigger cage outside. She was previously inside. I also put her in the same cage as the male but she was more interested in me.
Since then she is back inside and has my attention... I think that she's stressed out and that could be the cause. She has also just finished her annual mault.
 

labell

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Feb 17, 2014
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5
East
Here is the thing with eclectus. It can be something in the diet that is bad and they have a response but it can also happen with too much of a GOOD thing with them.
I once had a male do that and I was stumped he was given an excellent diet. Turns out it was from too many blueberries of all things. I eat them pretty much daily in a smoothie I make for myself so I gave them to him everyday too. After a while too much of something must have built up, within days of stopping the frequent blueberries he stopped wing flapping and toe tapping.

So I would really take a look at what she has been eating if there is one thing that maybe is going in everyday..
 

Birdman666

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Sep 18, 2013
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San Antonio, TX
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Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
Yeah. That is a diet related disorder. It's generally not stress. These are diet sensitive birds...

And over supplementation of vitamins, or too much of one thing and not enough of some others, or allergic reaction to something.

Has anything changed in what you've fed her recently? Is she picking out certain things and eating too much of it?

Watch the diet, and go back to basics on the food issues.

I would eliminate ingredients and gradually add them back in, until you find the cause.

Hard molts can make them twitchy, but toe tap is related to diet/vitamin imbalances, and allergies.

Check the land of vos site. They've got a number of articles on this one... Carolyn is the Eckie Guru!

Land of Vos - General Care and Information Articles/Talk/Weaning/Aloe/General/Entertainment

If any of the ingredients you've been using contain spirolina discontinue feeding that one first.

Also increasing calcium seems to help. Try feeding scrambled egg with the shell of the egg crushed up and mixed in.

And Carolyn also recommends aloe detox for this as well... but she recommends that one period... (that's who I heard it from.)
 
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jess.reco

jess.reco

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Tequila - Solomon Island
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Thanks!! I'll check out the website.

I have recently changed her diet so I think that's it. I'll have to go back to the basics.
 
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jess.reco

jess.reco

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Tequila - Solomon Island
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Could it be the pellets I feed her? She gets them at night but has never had an.issue. she's been on it for a year.

Its only the chop that I've started to make. I started a month ago but its all fresh food?(
 

Anansi

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Dec 18, 2013
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Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
It could most certainly be the pellets. Eclectus parrots have longer digestive tracts than other parrots, which means a more efficient means of nutrient extraction. So while pellets are good for most other parrots, any significant amount would be too rich for an ekkie. Because they wind up extracting far more from them.

Personally I only allow my ekkies between 5 & 10 for the entire day. And that's Harrison's Adult Coarse. Some might even say to give them none at all.
 

Birdman666

Well-known member
Sep 18, 2013
9,904
258
San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
Yeah, I agree. Eckies don't always do well on pellets.

I'd pull the pellets first, if I were looking for answers.
 

drlisaort

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Nov 3, 2012
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Hollywood, Florida
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Oliver, Male (SI) Eclectus
When Oliver first came home...back two years ago...(he was five months old) he toe- tapped/wing-flipped. The breeder for sure was giving him a considerable amount of seed and pellets along with fresh fruits and veggies. I slowly changed his diet to 95% fresh fruits, veggies, starch,and protein and within a week it stopped. I give him 5% seeds/pellets and other dry goodies for his forage wheel only...
 
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jess.reco

jess.reco

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Tequila - Solomon Island
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So she's still toe tapping!!: ( I changed her diet back 4 days ago to what it was originally when there was no issues. She isn't on any pellets.. As we speak she's toe tapping ������ I don't know if it will take a while for her to transition back to her old diet??
 

Birdman666

Well-known member
Sep 18, 2013
9,904
258
San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
I am not sure on this one.

If I had to guess, I'd guess food allergy of some sort, but I am really not qualified to answer this. Sorry.
 

labell

New member
Feb 17, 2014
1,988
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East
Go to Land Of Vos and type in "Elimination diet" it will give you step by step on the diet you should give and the days to wait to add new foods so you can pin point exactly what is causing the issue.
 

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