my story/problem

Hi, so a few months ago I was looking online for a parrot cage (used). I stumbled on this "cage" that had a cag and an ekkie in the cage. I was looking for a cage because I was planning on adopting a parrot( specifically looking at ekkies or Greys) . The description said everything including birds and tree stand. So I drove 3 hours and picked up my new babies.

Sounds too good to be true right? Well no it really worked out well for the most part.

The person I got them from had them on pellets and said "I give them an orange or apple and they tear it up". Well, not so much. They will eat the pellets fine but since I myself eat fresh fruits and veggies and sprouts I figured I would add that to their meals. Neither of them are eating any of it. Apple's, oranges, grapes, mangoes, alfalfa, spinach, arugula, celery, carrots, or sprouts. Fresh, sliced, chopped, cooked it doesn't matter. I have found that my Ekkie will do just about anything for bananas and my grey is the same for almonds.


They are both beautifully feathered. I've had them a while now so I'm introducing my Dane to them now and that's going well, but I would like some help with the diets

Firstly, many congrats to your family additions!

I must admit, I've never heard or seen an AG and an Ekki housed together. Ekkis diet requirements are a bit more complicated than that of AGs, but if you can get BOTH of them to eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and sprouts, then that would be ideal, of course.

Please have a look at this thread, it contains tons of helpful info on how to get our babies to try different things.
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

Hi
Welcome
As Wendy mentioned the Eclectus diet is complicated, a good site to visit is "The Land of Vos", I'm finding tons of information there. Plus this site is full of experts for every kind of parrot known, and they are wonderful about sharing. Also there's a social group for Eclectus owners and in parrot information it's this thing called Sticky, breed specific information and so very useful. Just roam around a bit, get acclimated to the site and you'll find what you're looking for. Don't forget to post pics of your fids.

Here is a good article our Laura has written:
http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html

And here is a boatload of info all about Ekkis:
Land of Vos - FAQ's - Page 1

Welcome! We would love to see pics. What are their names?

Eclectus really need the types of food you are eating so please keep trying to offer it. Have you tried warming it? I cook brown rice or quinoa add their veggies with that and a good dollop of coconut oil and warm it in a pan. Not too hot of course, no one can refuse that, they dive in.

How exciting for you and your new babies! I'm wondering if you served your new addition warm, soft foods by spoon if you might not only form a nice bond but get them to eat real food. Although Oliver is more than two and a half years old, he goes totally bonkers for any hot mushy food and really is totally over the moon if I spoon feed him...guess it brings him back to his baby stage.

Congrats to you and to both your new additions! What a happy coincidence that you found both birds you wanted in the same place.

There's nothing I can add to the excellent diet advice you've already received, except to say with older birds, persistence pays and it's worth the trouble to convert your birds to a healthier diet.

Good luck, I wish you the best with your new adventure. Looking forward to updates.

It took me several weeks to get my girl (SI eclectus) to eat veggies and such as she should. What helped me was chopping everything SUPER small so it all kinda sticks together. Then mixing it with some cooked quinoa, which she loves. Also, mine is funny, she doesn't like anything right out of the fridge cold. It has to be warm or room temp. I just played around with it eventually got her eating more and more veggies.

Plenty of good advice has already given. The only thing I would add is to chop the veggies, green leaves (kale, spinach etc.) very finely and mix with the pellets. They will eat some of the veggies by accident and once they do reduce the ratio of pellets to veg. Also once they are comfortable with you around, eat with them and share your food with them. One corn kernel for you, one each for them. Birds eat in flocks so if you're eating it they will soon be eating it as well.

Well I've got him eating a more varied diet. We sat down and ate together. every time I wanted him to try something I said "try it". At first he'd take it and drop it I after a while I he tasted somethings and then after he liked some of it he went for it. I attached the words to it for when I'm introducing something new to him. As of now he's eating so much I'm not going to list it but he favors pomegranate, broccoli, guava, bananas, squash, and lentils. This is his first taste of corn. So I'm not overly concerned about feeding now.

Also about the grey and eclectus being housed together, tried it and it's not the best situation so they are going to be housed in seperate cages next to each other. I don't know what he was thinking but he had them for 8 years.

Kiwi has also started to talk a little bit more. when I get them out of the cage in the moring I move them to oopposite sides of the room so they talk to each other with me chiming in every once in a while .

Bottom line things got better.