Could really use some experienced help

Hello everyone,

This is gonna be a long one so please bear with me. First some background. My name is Quentin, and my girlfriend and I adopted her grandma's eclectus parrot about 2 weeks ago as she is now too old to take care of him. This is the first bird either of us has ever owned personally. Both been around birds, her more so than me, but we definitely aren't very sure what we're doing. He is mostly plucked except for his head and a few feathers on his wings, but as of right now he's doing fairly well and growing a decent amount of feathers. We've been researching as much as we can and are going to take him to the vet as soon as possible.

As for his history, her family believes he was bonded to her grandma's ex husband, as after the divorce is when the plucking first started, but that was about 10 years ago. He's been fed mostly pellets for I don't know how long, possibly most of his life. Grandma smoked cigarettes in the house, albeit very far away from him. His cage was not being properly cleaned at the time I met him. He also was getting very little interaction at all, also for what I assume to be a while.

Currently, we've been feeding him vegetables and berries with a bit of seeds and nuts mixed in, and as of yesterday I took the pellets out since I found out colored pellets are bad for them, and I picked out the non colored portions as grandma had been switching him over to the zupreem natural pellets from a mix of the fruits mix and veggie mix pellets, also from zupreem. He has been fed pomegranate, sweet potato, chard, collard greens, hemp seeds, dried chili peppers, a mix of rasp, black, and blueberries, butternut squash, carrots, mango(which he oddly didn't seem to like), spinach(found out I was giving him wayyy too much of that and stopped), broccoli, cauliflower, a little bit of an orange, some healthy nut treats we found at the store that I don't know the exact contents of, and some small dried papaya bits.

The primary issue at hand is that because of the lack of interaction, either whatever training he had has essentially been rendered meaningless or he has a big issue with trusting us. I don't really know how to handle him, and he won't let me do anything other than touch his beak. (UPDATE) I forgot to mention here, he has known my girlfriend her entire life as he was born before her and grandma had him his whole life to this point. Also, about a week ago he regurgitated on my girlfriends hand a couple times and then tried again the next day, but since then has seemed sort of mad at her. He can be extremely friendly with her although like I said he still doesn't want to step up. Depending on the day he can be very friendly with her, almost like hes bonding with her, but then other days he doesnt like her much more than me.

Also, he has some sort of bulge around his chest which I have no idea if it's normal or not as well as a white streak type thing. If you have any advice of any sort, please post it. I'll take anything I can get no matter what the topic is as I know essentially nothing outside of common sense. Thank you if you bothered to read all of this.

Welcome to the PFs Quentin98, so glad you joined us.

Thank you for rescuing this poor baby.

Here are a couple of links to help get you started.

http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/467-species-info.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

We do have some experienced Ekkie owners that will chime in to help as well.

Thanks for the images, they are always very helpful.


Best of luck to you all! :heart: Please keep us posted on your progress.

Oh man, poor guy....Thank you for caring! Welcome!!! This place is great!

1. Eclectus do require a special diet and they should eat fresh chop (fruit veg etc) daily but no pellets (unlike other parrot species). it isn't just the colored ones--- eclectus shouldn't eat pellets at all. You do not want to starve him so you may have to slowly wean him off what he is used to. Pellets of any sort tend to overload their system because (unlike other birds) they have a super efficient digestive system that extracts nutrients with better efficiency.

2. Make sure you avoid toxic fruit veg--- no garlic, onion, leeks, chives, shallots, rhubarb, avocado, apple seeds, mushrooms, certain beans, tomatoes (esp stems) or fruit pits (don't give the meat from fruit near the pit either). Some spices can be harmful but you can look them up. No chocolate, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, raw honey...and avoid peanuts due to the risk of aspergillosis (sp?) and aflatoxins (sp?). No caffeine or coffee (even decaf contains something harmful to them). Sunflower seeds should only be an occasional treat- if ever. Same w/ filler foods like corn. Birds should have VERY LITTLE salt (so if you ever share something, keep that in mind). Sugar and fat should also be low. Citrus fruits and citric acid should be minimal because they can get iron storage syndrome from too many citrus fruits (I think that still applies to ecclectus parrots).

3. Birds are very sensitive to lighting, so during the day, he should be in a bright area---not partially covered or anything with no cave-like or shadowy spaces. This can amp up their hormones and increase anxiety/plucking--they also need proper light cycles and sleep to maintain a healthy immune system.. His cage should be totally uncovered and he should be in a bright room (where the most activity is----minus the kitchen due to dangers there). Many people have a separate sleep cage (a small one without toys) that they move to a quiet room for bedtime. If you keep your bird in the main room when he is covered at night, just be aware that if you are talking and stomping etc, he may be covered but he may not be sleeping, and you want him to actually sleep. They can handle a little noise (they adjust to an extent) but if you have a quiet sleep space, that is best.

4. Plucking can also be caused from health issues and chemical irritants. Get him to a CAV as soon as you can for a full blood work-up. The bump on his chest could be his crop--does it fill up when he eats? A CAV is a Certified Avian Vet and while they are not as common as "exotics" vets, they are very important. If you do not have one within a few hours of your home, then you may have to go with an exotics vet, but a 2 hour drive to a CAV is absolutely worth it. Exotics vets see birds and often have many bird clients, but they only take a few classes (if that) on them in vet school. I have been given terrible advice by exotics vets in the past (even ones with good reputations) simply because they are not experts in birds.

5. DO not use any non-stick teflon/ptfe/pfoa/pfc containing items in the same house with him---period. If it heats up or is intended to be heated, you will need to call to find out if it contains this chemical, as it cannot be identified visually in many cases and it is on all sorts of things (irons, space-heaters, pots, pans, air poppers, slow-cookers, drip trays, roasting pans, pie plates, certain types of foil, blowdryers etc etc). It off-gasses when heated and can poison a bird in as few as 5 minutes---leading cause of death in pet birds.

6. No chemical cleaners (bleach, windex, kaboom, lysol etc etc), air fresheners, scented oils, heated plastics (hot glue, window sealing kits etc), candles, smoke, vaping, incense, perfume, carpet cleaners, glues, polishes, bug sprays, flea-baths, paints, dryer sheets, fabric softeners/strong detergents, perfumes or aerosols (hairspray, dry-shampoo, pam, deodorant, axe etc)--- they have VERY sensitive respiratory systems and so things that smell nice to us can kill them and at the very least, cause damage to their systems. I use free and clear detergent and clean with a product called f10 sc (bird safe). White vinegar and water in a spray bottle is another popular option, as is grapefruit seed extract and water, and things like baking soda for grime.

7. He needs a minimum of 10 hours sleep each night on a schedule. Bedtime is the only time he should be in a dark/cave-like place (preferably a covered cage). In the picture, it looks like he is awake in a dark room- you want to avoid that. If you cover his cage at night, make sure you do it with a breathable fabric---they sell black-out covers that still breathe for this purpose--mine is by this company and I really like it- Bird Cage Covers by CozzzyBird
Think of him as a kid--- he should go to bed and wake up around the same time every day (uncovered at the same time and covered at the same time). Never cover him for any other reason (excluding transport from house to car in the winter for draft protection).

8. They are very sensitive to drafts, so make sure no air is ever blowing right on him and make sure he isn't close to drafty windows (especially in the winter).

9. I would suggest getting a true hepa air purifier (NON-IONIZING AND NON-OZONE PRODUCING). If you get one with an Ion, ozone or "sanitize" setting, it is imperative that you can turn it off, as it should never run in the same house with a bird. As long as the unit you get doesn't require that setting to be turned on, it is fine, but ozone is very bad for them (even though it is popular in air purifcation units). Note: A purifier will help protect from dust, mold etc, but using one of these does NOT mean that you can use teflon or cleaning chemicals----it will not protect from those.

10. Take time to build trust--- if it can be done safely, open his door and allow him to sit on his cage top/enter and exit as he pleases....but do not push it. It can take weeks. Don't try to touch him if he isn't interested. Just do calm quiet things in the room (like reading)--talk about your routine as you do i so that he builds an ability to anticipate your actions based on key-words (i.e., "taking out the trash", sweeping, vacuuming" )---If you leave the house, make sure you tell him you are leaving and put on some music for him. I tell mine "going to the store" if I will be gone a short time and "going to work" if it will be 6 plus hours. Seems silly, but they are very smart and this helps them have an idea of time if done often enough--again, if they can anticipate, they will be less anxious.

11. Toys-- NO SNUGGLE HUTS OR TENTS---also, he will need lots of toys eventually, but if he isn't used to them, he may have a fear of new ones. This means you should get him used to them and model playing with them yourself before shoving them into his cage. If he is fearful, leave them in a visible spot for a few weeks and play with them yourself before trying to get him to buy in. Do not allow your bird to play with jewelry, money, hardware, etc. Zinc, bronze, lead, etc are very harmful to them, so while allowing a bird to play with something like a large screw seems harmless, it can be very toxic. Stainless steel is the safest metal for their toys and cage (galvanized is not safe).

12. Humidity is important in the winter--- for a few bucks you can get a monitor at Wal-mart. Shoot for 55 but don't let it go below 30. You will want to use a purifier that is not ultra-sonic, and make sure it doesn't have teflon in the heating element. Distilled water is needed for most units because you don't want to breathe the hard-water minerals and it will extend the life of your unit if you use the water recommended by the user manual. Birds also need baths at least 1x per week, so you may want to lightly mist him with a spray bottle (BUT ONLY IF IT DOESN'T SCARE HIM). When they are wet, you must be extra careful about drafts and temperatures in your home. Especially on a bird with such few feathers. It will not kill him if you wait a bit to bathe him until he trusts you more, but he likely needs a bath due to all of the smoking and apparent neglect (even though I'm sure it was not intentional on grandma's part).

13. If he can fly or if you think he will try to fly when startled, be aware of that and make sure that windows aren't open etc...and that he can't fly into anything harmful (or fall onto anything harmful).

14. Birds often tend to like one person more than others, but your girlfriend needs to be especially careful about making sure she doesn't snuggle him or cuddle him. Anyone touching him should only ever pet on the head and neck (not under wings, not on the tail etc) and never allow birds access to shadowy spaces or nesting materials (piles of paper, under blankets, under clothing, under furniture etc). You do not want them to mistake you for a mate and get hormonal, or you can see increased aggression and health problems as well. Make sure that you just take time to build trust-- even if he prefers her. Try to interact with him when she isn't always around, because that could make things easier in terms of initial bonding. You want to associate yourself with as many positive/non-stressful things as possible-- if he won't take food from your hand, don't push it..DO allow him to see you place a preferred treat in his dish though.

15. Do not allow him to touch your spit, mouth or eat after you. Human saliva can be harmful to birds.

16. Birds hide illness like crazy so regular vet care is important. Major red flags (emergencies)= a noticeable sound when breathing, tail bobbing when perched (with each breath), a bird who is having trouble perching, a bird who is spending time on the bottom of the cage with no apparent reason, sneezing, discharge, bleeding etc...

Also--- his wet food should be in his cage for a max of like 3 hours--- after that, it needs to be removed and the dishes washed well with soap (dawn) and water. Water dish needs to be washed with dawn and refilled daily (sometimes 2x daily if he drops food in it or fills it with wood-chips etc).

A wet food like apple slices can stay out for longer, but the mashes become bacterial hazards quickly.

To Tami, thank you for all of that. I will give those links a look. To noodles, thank you as well.
1. I have been phasing the pellets out for fresh food since I got him. He's almost off them now, although I'm nervous as yet to take them away completely for fear of starving him because of being too picky.

2. I always check my lists online before I feed him anything so no worries there.

3. He has a heat lamp and my tablet is terrible with pictures so that's why it looks dark. He stays in the living room in the middle of the house, and I have him against a wall with the lamp next to one side. I cover the back of his cage during the day just because it's against the wall and I think it helps keep a little more heat in there for him, and at night I cover it completely. He had a fish tank in the room at grandma's so I play running water as well to help him relax.

4. I'm not sure if there's any CAVs closer to me than Seattle honestly but there's a vet here in town that's supposedly good with birds, but I don't know if he's just an exotics vet or not.

5. We are working currently on phasing all such things out of our house. When we do cook we run a fan at the kitchen door pushing everything back in so it can get vented out the back.

6. Found that out the hard way when I tried mopping and he started screaming at me. Immediately vented the area and he's okay though. Didn't know that candles were bad though so I will stop using those.

7. I read about that and we've been doing our best. I sometimes worry about my cat being noisy but he usually sleeps with me most of the night, plus Simon has the water sound.

8. Know about that and have made sure of it. That was an issue at her grandma's.

9. I'll have to look into that, I don't think I've heard of those.

10. I've been working on that. I did a ton of research to start with and have been leaving his door open so that he has the option of freedom, and I don't try to force anything. He also has his own personal radio on top of his cage so that he always has music if he needs it.

11. He actually just started yesterday to finally take a liking to the toys I got him. And I actually do know not to promote nesting behavior. Local bird store owner warned me against it.

12. I'll look into that, it does get dry up here. Also I have a bath spray that I use daily or every other day at least due to me sometimes forgetting. And agreed, not intentional but neglect all the same.

13. He doesn't have the feathers to fly but he has been startled into jumping off his cage twice. He tries to glide I think but it doesn't go very well. Thankfully he hasn't hurt himself at least as far as I can tell, and I have learned that going behind him is a very big deal no no when he is up top.

14. I read about that, won't hurt my feelings. I just want to see him healthy and at least be able to trust me. Also I did read about the mate thing and I warned her, she knows.

15. Didn't know that but will keep it in mind.

16. Thank you for that because I've been very unsure what to watch for. Like I said I want to get him in ASAP.

Also I do know about the dishes and I cycle it all regularly and everything gets scrubbed at least 1 time per day, usually 2 times.

Again, thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to write all that.

Quentin98 said:

5. We are working currently on phasing all such things out of our house. When we do cook we run a fan at the kitchen door pushing everything back in so it can get vented out the back.
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Vents won't protect from teflon-- it is super scary and kills on separate floors but it is very inconsistent and Duponts off-gassing temperatures contradict those that have been documented within legitimate academic settings.
Is the heat lamp un-coated? MSU's extension lost like 100 brooder chicks due to new heatlamps heated to 375 ish and coated in teflon. A woman on this forum lost almost all of her birds when her husband cooked an egg (not burning it) in a pan he had used before---the cause of death was teflon toxicosis and it killed birds throughout the house.

I don't think he needs a ton of heat unless you believe something is very wrong---a 70-75 degree house should be fine as long as it isn't drafty (what temp did he have at grandmas? They can adjust to lower temperatures given time). I would avoid covering the cage at all during the day and I would make sure you have on some strong overhead lighting---not just cozy lamps (I know we tend to like that, but it isn't very bright and makes it seem like evening all day).

Quentin98 said:

. Also I have a bath spray that I use daily or every other day at least due to me sometimes forgetting. And agreed, not intentional but neglect all the same.

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Just make sure it is a safe one--- I bought one that I use sometimes for weird stuff (like blood or berries on feathers) but just water is often safer-- it depends on what it is that you are using, but a lot of times, bird manufacturers can't be trusted...For instance, mine was messing with her feathers years ago, so I bought "bitter apple" spray (that had a bird on the package and was for plucking). Then I looked at the ingredients and it was like alcohol, alcohol and more alcohol. 1. The smell was super strong and 2. They shouldn't consume alcohol, so how is that a good product for an over-preener??? OY....

Just always double check, even if it is marketed toward birds.

This (see link below) isn't the best purifier, but it is decent (it is a true hepa and it filters VOCs, which is important)---I have a really nice one from AlenAir that was out of my price range but the $50 monthly payment plan made it affordable for me, and I love that one....and so it has become my standard for comparison---I don't trust Hathaspace's indicator light, as the expensive model is often saying air quality is marginal, while this one stays green (good) a lot...

Anyway, the hathaspace one is nicer than many but not the best out there. If you buy off of Amazon, be careful when you open it---my filters had a very strong paint-like smell and I contacted the company. They said that was NOT normal but that Amazon's storage (temp fluctuations) and packaging differences can sometimes cause issues---sent them in of analysis and that was their verdict. Anyway--- as long as your filters don't stink, it is a good company with great customer service (they sent me a year of free replacements):
https://www.amazon.com/Hathaspace-P...ZFXS1SHPR89&psc=1&refRID=MVTYSV3XNZFXS1SHPR89

This model (from the link) does have an ionize and sanitize setting which must be turned off as soon as you power it on (it's easy-- you just hit the matching buttons and the lights go off).

I don't think it's coated, it was originally for a chicken coop and her grandma gave it to us. And okay we will be super careful and change away from it as fast as we can. And we always keep it well lit. The living room being dark drives me nuts. And I do keep the house at about 72 but it never feels that way due to it being a very old house. I'd keep it warmer but it's already insanely expensive as is. The lamp has been going nonstop for about 2.5 weeks now so I would think he's okay unless it takes longer than that. Also, here's some fresh pictures. If anyone can tell me what the white spot or the lump is that would be amazing.

Also, I will look into the filter. This is his bath spray, also given to us by grandma.

Quentin98 said:

I don't think it's coated, it was originally for a chicken coop and her grandma gave it to us. And okay we will be super careful and change away from it as fast as we can. And we always keep it well lit. The living room being dark drives me nuts. And I do keep the house at about 72 but it never feels that way due to it being a very old house. I'd keep it warmer but it's already insanely expensive as is. The lamp has been going nonstop for about 2.5 weeks now so I would think he's okay unless it takes longer than that. Also, here's some fresh pictures. If anyone can tell me what the white spot or the lump is that would be amazing.

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Has he ever chewed his skin? His is a plucker and they will sometimes self-mutilate to the point of organ damage (in extreme cases). Is it possible that he chewed himself there and it got a bit infected? I have never seen a naked ekkie before, so it could be normal, but my instinct is that it is not.

You probably don't want him looking straight into the lamp like that--- it cam mess up their eyes and burn them, so placing it overhead and out of reach is far preferable.

what's in it? Can you post the label? Especially since he is plucking, I would try to stay as natural as possible.
Sometimes an unfamiliar coating on their feathers can actually increase their fixation on over-preening them and messing with them (to remove the unfamiliar sensation/residue).

Hello there and welcome to the forums!

A couple key things that should be highlighted for you:

1) hormones are a real challenge with eclectus. Most parrots get hormones twice a year: spring and fall. It’s when they reproduce. Eclectus arent restricted To just spring and fall, they can reproduce anytime of the year. This means they can be induced to hormonal behavior by environmental factors such as diet. Though despite controls in place you’ll still see some seasonal hormonas in the spring and fall you’ll have to ride out. To that end, DO NOT FEED HEMP SEEDS. These will trigger hormones quickly. So will too much sugar in the diet - so fruit actually needs to be fed sparingly. The diet really is vegetable and assorted grains, with occasional fruits thrown in.

2) nothing helps bonding better than training. Training isn’t just about teaching tricks. What it actually does is establish a common language you both learn to speak. This can help speeed up bonding and taking when done properly. Start clicker training and target training your boy. It’ll make a big different.

You’ll get him Over the hump, I promise. And I think it’ll happen faster than anybody expects. Keep working at his pace, don’t push him too far too fast.

I Googled plucked eclectus and didn't see anything quite like that in the images---
https://www.google.com/search?q=plu...UQBA&safe=active&ssui=on#imgrc=3pv8UXXBatc83M

First off, bless you for taking in this poor boy, and your efforts to do what's best to help him. Without question, get him to a CAV to figure out where he's at medically. The chest lump is definitely concerning from what I can see. The fact that he's sprouting feathers at all is encouraging. Plucking is a complex, difficult habit to break, and in many cases never stops, so don't get discouraged if it continues.

Diet wise, you're definitely moving in the right direction. Red/orange veggies high in vitamin A are super important. Grains need to be a large part of his diet as well. Lots of great info to be found here in that regard.

As far as handling/touching, it's common for Ekkies to not be "touchy feely" birds. Their feathers are different from other birds, very hair like. Most absolutely hate their "hair" messed up, so if you can pet his head at all, back to front will undoubtedly annoy him, while others, like my Amazon for example, totally love it.. Also, he's only been with you very briefly, and good or bad, the life he knows has been turned upside down. Definitely read and re-read the info on building trust and bonding. Sit near his cage and read it aloud to him in a calm voice, or otherwise, just talk to him, read a book, whatever He's listening, and learning about you and his new surroundings. In my experiences with Ekkies, they have the ability to look into your eyes and see who you are right down to your soul. Be open and let him see! He'll steal your heart before you know what hit you. It takes time, but it's so worth it.

Thank you again for reaching out for advice to help this deserving little guy! More folks will be along with great information I'm sure. Keep us posted, and never stop learning.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

For the lump, assuming he’s been on a bad diet as most neglected birds are, without being able to palpate it, my mind goes to lipoma, fat tumor. Not harmful or malignant, and can begin to resolve with better diet. But that’s Sunday morning armchair vet’ing and really should be checked out by a certified avian vet.

Moved the lamp. I dont know abiut his skin but honestly to my knowledge and from what I can see he actually appears to be doing rather well. He's much brighter in color, fluffier, etc than when we got him. Definitely on the upswing. I haven't been able to find anything like the lump online either which is what has me worried. And thank you for the diet advice. I'll change that ASAP. The spray says electrolyzed ionized water for it's only ingredient. And as to his progress he's actually getting better infinitely faster than I even expected. I thought it'd be a process over many months but there's easily visible progress even over the span of several days. And again, thank you to everyone. Doing my best to reply to everything but even if I don't reply, rest assured I'm reading everything.

Scratch that, electrolyzed oxydizing water for the spray, not ionized.

is it pressurized via aerosol? That is the other possible concern.

Glad it is just water though! Every other day bathing should be okay honestly...unless I am missing something.

Welcome Quentin, you and your girlfriend have rescued a boy in dire need of support!

Agree with all of the prior posts! Having a comprehensive health check with a certified avian vet is crucial. Blood panel may be helpful to screen for the possibility of fatty liver and cardiovascular disease. A steady diet of pellets can leave an Ekkie with many compromises. The good news is you are on the right track and many issues can be mitigated or reversed.

Another good intro thread: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html
You can sift through the Eclectus Forum and find extensive dietary related threads. Fellow moderator "Anansi" has a pair of Ekkies and has written extensively and eloquently.

Finally, plucking.... You may find the change of environment and diet beneficial. A syndrome with many causes, beautifully addressed here: http://www.parrotforums.com/behavioral/52217-plucking-search-answers.html