Hi from Texas!

Hey there!
I am brand new to the community and am excited about meeting fellow bird lovers, trainers, owners and enthusiasts!! My mom recently bought herself an Eclectus female and I have had a chance to spend time with her... I now have decied after much research and preparation that I would love to have a male for myself!! Hopefully around Christmas... Our local breeder is weaning some Ekkies now! I can't wait!! Any advice for myself or mom would be very welcome!!
Yayy!!
Dustin

It'd be a 4 hour drive from you but there's a local bird rescue called Wings of Love Bird Haven that always seems to have male ekkies around needing homes if you want to look into it.

Welcome Dustin! Congrats on the ekkie! I'm on the west side of Houston.

Welcome to the forums Dustin.....glad you decided to join us.....

We've got a number of ekkie owners around here & I'm sure one or two will pop in & offer some tidbits of wisdom for you & your mother, but I found it easier to do as much reading on the species that happened across my doorstep as I could, then asked questions based on how they were acting.....

How old is your mom's bird? If you're a picture person, many of the members around here will appreciate pictures & probably will ask you to post bird/flock pics when they pop in.....

When doing your research on the internet, keep an open mind & it's a good idea to ask a lot of questions, because everything you may read may not be exactly right or true.....even we members sometimes agree to disagree on some things, but we usually try to find the right answers if we don't know them off-hand.....just be patient if you don't get an answer right away, because we're spread out all over the world & we might be sleeping when you post, but you'll get an answer or answers as soon as we can get to them.....

We've got a number of Texas members around here.....

And while I'm writing my reply several of your fellow Texicans popped in.....

Thank you Weco!
Yes, I have been doing a ton of research. Both my mom and I have. We have a 5 month old Solomon Island Ekkie from a local breeder that my mom has been acquanted with for some time now. The first concern is that we have noticed some feather loss around her face and a few areas on her wings. As well as some attitude changes, we have come to assume that she is molting... Regardless; her diet, sleeping habits and energy has not waivered. However, mom noticed a drop of clear discharge from her nostril Sunday morning which has risen alarm. We heard her sneeze a few days prior, so we are going to keep a close eye. We will observe her in the morning and if she sees anything out of the ordinary, we will take her to the vet! I am praying this not a sign of respiratory problems or mites! I will keep the forum informed!
And yes, I will be posting pics...

I going to assume you've had your SIE for a month or two & the attitude change is something to be expected.....once a bird gets settled in to its new home & feels comfortable they will often start vying for flock position.....in some websites/threads you'll find comments about "the honeymoon's over" well, your SIE is starting to express her individuality & vying for flock position, which is also your cue to start training, both yours, your mother's & your SIE's.....there are many websites that can give you training tips & there are a number of decent training videos on You Tube and there's always our own ekkie members.....

If you don't yet have a your own avian vet, this would be a good time to seek one out.....before an emergency comes up & you don't have a chance to check them out beforehand......as long as the nasal discharge is a once in a while occurrence, I doubt it is cause for concern and sneezing, again, unless you see a discharge with the sneezing, there is the possibility that your bird is copying sneezing that it has heard from its humans...you'd be surprised at how good they are at being copycats.....

If you've noticed feather loss, you should have discarded feathers floating around & should have pinnies showing up on your bird...some birds will let you help preen their feathers (usually on their heads & necks, where they can't reach)...gently squeeze (gently roll them between your forefingers to split the hard sheaths) the grown-in pin feathers.....extra baths help with the irritation a bird encounters while molting.....unless your SIE brought the mites/lice with her I doubt she's infested unless she has access to wild birds and/or their perching/nesting areas, but if you have to take her to an avian vet, be sure to bring that up during the exam.....

I think that answers your immediate questions.....good luck.....

Hello and welcome, Dustin! I'm in central Texas. Good luck in your search for an Ekkie. Hope your mom's little sweetheart feels better soon.

Morning Weco and thank you,
I definitely understand her being comfortable now and stating her claim. We have had her just at 5 weeks. She has quite a domineering attitude naturally and we didn't waste anytime teaching and reassuring her that she is "home" and that her cage is her castle! She is definitely spoiled at this point. (She is the only bird we own, so do they still vy for flock position?) I do know that they become territorial, especially around their cage, when they have realized that is their "nesting" area.
She has begun to laugh a little and she is mumbling in a patterned tone that sounds like my mom talking across the room, so she is quite intellegent. We have a schnauzer that stays in the house and she has also picked up her whining sound.
There are random feathers, mostly the down feathers (the little fur ball looking ones) that have begun to appear within the past week or 2, so I am now quite sure she is molting. There are researchers that say she is the exact age for her first molt, so that reassures us. (Me mostly, I'm still learning basics.)
I haven't spoken to my mom this morning yet, but I'm sure she would've told me if Rajah had a runny nose again by now. So I am sure she is ok.
She most definitely has NOT been around wild birds or even been outside. We just won't allow it. My mom is a former veterinary technician and has learned many things throughout the years, but this is a new, exciting challenge for both her and I.
I have not received my SIE male yet, as he is still being weaned and he won't be ready till December. The breeder is very private and will not even let me see any of her little boys until she thinks they are ready, which is fine by me. She is doing her job well... That being said, I wouldn't imagine my mom's bird coming to us with mites, lice or any other issues.
BTW, My mom also took her to the vet on day 2 and all was quite well!! She is healthy and on a very strict diet of fruits, veggies and occasional pellets along with the most nutritional nuts/seeds for treats and training.
Thank you again,
Dustin

Welcome! Its great to have you here! I don't have any advise because I have never had experience with ekkies but I hope you get the best bird for your life! and I bet those babies are sooooo cute!

I know, I'm so excited and having my mom's Ekkie to learn from is just making me all the more anxious to bring a precious little boy home!!

This is Rajah!

weco said:

I going to assume you've had your SIE for a month or two & the attitude change is something to be expected.....once a bird gets settled in to its new home & feels comfortable they will often start vying for flock position.....in some websites/threads you'll find comments about "the honeymoon's over" well, your SIE is starting to express her individuality & vying for flock position, which is also your cue to start training, both yours, your mother's & your SIE's.....there are many websites that can give you training tips & there are a number of decent training videos on You Tube and there's always our own ekkie members.....

If you don't yet have a your own avian vet, this would be a good time to seek one out.....before an emergency comes up & you don't have a chance to check them out beforehand......as long as the nasal discharge is a once in a while occurrence, I doubt it is cause for concern and sneezing, again, unless you see a discharge with the sneezing, there is the possibility that your bird is copying sneezing that it has heard from its humans...you'd be surprised at how good they are at being copycats.....

If you've noticed feather loss, you should have discarded feathers floating around & should have pinnies showing up on your bird...some birds will let you help preen their feathers (usually on their heads & necks, where they can't reach)...gently squeeze (gently roll them between your forefingers to split the hard sheaths) the grown-in pin feathers.....extra baths help with the irritation a bird encounters while molting.....unless your SIE brought the mites/lice with her I doubt she's infested unless she has access to wild birds and/or their perching/nesting areas, but if you have to take her to an avian vet, be sure to bring that up during the exam.....

I think that answers your immediate questions.....good luck.....

Click to expand...

So, we just got back from our new Aviary vet and we are so happy!! He used to raise Ekkies and was so knowledgable! He said Rajah is in perfect health and that we are doing well with her. She gave him a fecal sample that he looked at and said looked perfect. He said she is definitely molting and the nasal drainage could have been from the recent bath my mom gave her on Saturday. He also said the roof of the beak is connected to her nasal passage and sometime food and water may escape through her nasal passage! We feel so much better and I wanted to thank you Weco for being so helpful!! Thank you again!
Dustin