Nervous to bring home new baby! Tips?

MissAnnamarie

Member
Nov 2, 2018
30
5
North Dakota, US
Parrots
Basil, eclectus.
Melania, eclectus.
River, blue and gold macaw.
Lucky, quaker.
Marley, quaker.
Kiwi, lovebird.
Was planning on getting a male Eclectus last year around December, it ended up being a scam and we lost 900$.. I should have been more attentive.

Finally decided to get one once again, from a REPUTABLE breeder, they've been wonderful!

He's really young right now and will be ready around November, he will be shipped from Texas to North Dakota and I know that's a long trip.

Do you recommend putting him in the cage right away and leaving him alone for a day?
Opening his crate and continuing with our day like normal and let him come out by himself and interact a little?

Really nervous for him to come home even though it's still going to be a couple of months. I've done GALLONS of research but any tips for a new Eclectus owner would be greatly appreciated!

Also would love some name suggestions! I was going to name the one I was going to get Merlin, but I really like the name Atlas but would love to hear some suggestions and your guys' input!

Thank you for everything in advance!
 
Nov 17, 2017
42
13
Ulmarra NSW Aust
Parrots
2 Rainbow Loris.
Molly and Bosley. They both left home and have partners now. Come back to feed sometimes. Just have Sonny an Ecky... more than enough
When we got Sonny last year he was 8 weeks old. He only had a 1 hour trip in a box inside our car. He was reared with his sister so must have been a bit lonely. He really did not want to be touched for about 5 days but giving him his formula in a spoon really helped. Made a big mess though. He stayed on his formula for a few weeks and was slowly taken off. He never bit us at any time and has still never bitten anyone. I hope that you have the same results although the long trip will take it's toll I believe. Good luck. These birds love food !!!!
 

charmedbyekkie

New member
May 24, 2018
1,148
82
US/SG
Parrots
Cairo the Ekkie!
The first few days, let your little one decide what he's most comfortable with. If he has favourite toys from his previous family, put them in his cage. If he has standard food that he eats, feed that the first time before you transition to any new diet.

Some birds prefer to stay inside their cage, gauging their new environment and emotionally processing things. Other birds might fly around. Do keep a careful eye on him just in case he explores - a house is never fully-parrot-proofed after all. If he goes to you, you can treat him if he's not shy. If he doesn't want to go to you, that's also ok. Just be sure you have enough time planned in case you run into trouble getting him back in his cage for bedtime. Our little guy stepped up for a treat after a while, so we could easily put him to bed. But each is an individual.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
When I got my bird I couldn't get her to step up for 3 months (she was a re-home and she knew how but didn't trust me). If I was home, she was out though-- on the top of her cage with the door open so that she could come and go as she pleased. In her case, she didn't have any desire to fly (unless really startled) so she pretty much stayed put. I will say that early on, I didn't let her out before I went to work in the morning because I was on a time crunch which meant I couldn't wait for her to go back inside. After she started stepping up, then I was able to start letting her out before work etc (because I knew that I could physically put her back in the cage when it was time to go).

Pre-step-ups, it was a bit stressful because I never knew when she was going to go inside so thankfully, she put herself to bed around the same time each night (when I dimmed the lights). I would have some treats that you can use to con the bird back into the cage if you go this route though because you don't want to have to towel your bird early---it would be best if you wait to shut the door until the bird goes back in voluntarily...That way you aren't getting into any power struggles. If your bird is okay with getting picked up etc, then that is a different story and you won't need to worry as much about tricking him/her back inside.

I would make sure that when the bird does go inside that you don't always shut the door on him/her. You don't want your bird to think that every time it goes into the cage that it will have the door shut.

On my bird's first day home, I placed her on the top of her cage with the door open and food inside. She eventually went inside to eat and that allowed her to get familiar with her perch etc..

If yours is still super young, you will have other things to consider in terms of climbing ability etc. Assuming your baby is fully weaned, I imagine that they will able to perch just fine, but I haven't owned an eclectus specifically.
 
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Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
He may want you to cuddle him and reassure him, or he may want time to adjust to it all. Like Charmedbyekkie said follow his lead.
Congratulations! You must be so excited!!! I like Atlas and Merlin
Sorry you got scammed, can you share a bit of what happened do others can avoid? Only if you want to.
Hi North Dakota! You guys never seem to make the national news, so I'm always wondering what are they up to??
 
OP
MissAnnamarie

MissAnnamarie

Member
Nov 2, 2018
30
5
North Dakota, US
Parrots
Basil, eclectus.
Melania, eclectus.
River, blue and gold macaw.
Lucky, quaker.
Marley, quaker.
Kiwi, lovebird.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
He may want you to cuddle him and reassure him, or he may want time to adjust to it all. Like Charmedbyekkie said follow his lead.
Congratulations! You must be so excited!!! I like Atlas and Merlin
Sorry you got scammed, can you share a bit of what happened do others can avoid? Only if you want to.
Hi North Dakota! You guys never seem to make the national news, so I'm always wondering what are they up to??
I'm really excited! Do you think I should make a whole post about the scam somewhere?
North Dakota never has anything of interest, honestly the most irrelevant state, I live in the middle of town and I'm 2 blocks from a corn field!
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Fabulous advice above, I really have nothing to add other than make sure you’re well read on the eclectus diet. It can be work.

My only other recommendation is to remember positive reinforcement. Maybe birds will let you get away with more coercive handling than adults well, but only for so long. Don’t force interactions or else eventually your bird will start taking it out on you, and it will be a delayed reaction so you’re not sure what went wrong.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
He may want you to cuddle him and reassure him, or he may want time to adjust to it all. Like Charmedbyekkie said follow his lead.
Congratulations! You must be so excited!!! I like Atlas and Merlin
Sorry you got scammed, can you share a bit of what happened do others can avoid? Only if you want to.
Hi North Dakota! You guys never seem to make the national news, so I'm always wondering what are they up to??
I'm really excited! Do you think I should make a whole post about the scam somewhere?
North Dakota never has anything of interest, honestly the most irrelevant state, I live in the middle of town and I'm 2 blocks from a corn field!
Sure make a new thread about scams, probably others have been scammed too.
I grew up in southern Illinois, we owned a corn field lol so I could hear corn grow
 
OP
MissAnnamarie

MissAnnamarie

Member
Nov 2, 2018
30
5
North Dakota, US
Parrots
Basil, eclectus.
Melania, eclectus.
River, blue and gold macaw.
Lucky, quaker.
Marley, quaker.
Kiwi, lovebird.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #10
Thought you guys would like a picture of him!
1B3HyH5

https://imgur.com/a/1B3HyH5
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Oh my look at that little baby! You going to be so loved little boy!!
 

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