My First Parrot ! Female Vosmaeri Eclectus :-)

Violet_Diva

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Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
GREETINGS

I am new to both forums AND parrots!
Here I am in the deep end, so please be forgiving of any unintentional ignorance...

I believe myself to be in a position where I am finally able to give my time to a parrot that will hopefully live a long and happy life with me. I have no children and am not a particularly social person, so spend all my free time pottering around at home or in the yard when I'm not a work or at the supermarket. My partner however is unable to work and so is at home all day everyday.

For the past few months I had been reading alot about eclectus'. I specifically fell in love with the vosmaeri eclectus, the plumage of the females had me entranced to the point that all I could do was look a pictures and videos each day in awe.

After much reading and consideration, I decided that I was confident in being able to provide a forever home. And so began my mission trying to find my new baby! I get quite travel sick and so any distance over 25 miles can make me ill. But to get my dream parrot - it was worth travelling that bit further. I managed to find a reputable breeder about 80 miles from me, and as I don't drive, I had to ask a friend if they would be willing to help, and thankfully they did (thanks Nadia!) After searching online daily for about 6 months I had finally found her! She was apparently hatched at the end of May this year and is closed rung, her parents are aviary birds. I collected her on the 18th of August. I have named her Bella. I found that many people had advertised as having vosmaeri eclectus', but upon viewing photos, they all lacked the yellow feather tips and yellow vent. ( I presume they were cross breeds from misidentified males).

PREPARATION

I firstly began work on making the house bird safe. No more tea tree products (replaced with aloe vera), no aerosols. We already had stainless steel pans, so Teflon wasn't an issue.

I obtained an open-top indoor powder coated cage that is over 3ft wide by just under 3ft deep and nearly 6ft tall with an additional drawbridge door (I have read these are quite popular.) The cage has bar spacing of 1 inch. I wasn't sure if the bar spacing would be too wide for an eclectus under 2 years old (I have read that they can keep growing until the age of 2 and wasn't sure if the larger bar spacing was potentially dangerous for a youngster). So I also obtained a smaller cage with 1/4 inch bar s (either as a nursery or sleeping cage - just incase!) I also obtained a large java tree stand, which I am in the process of wrapping untreated sisal rope around in order to create a better surface for her feet to grip (as I have read that their feet don't grip as well as some other types of parrot).

I had been buying various enrichment, foraging and foot toys and a mixture of pine, manzanita, java, cholla, liana and calcium perches (all various shapes sizes and widths), I have also bought sisal ropes, a 'boing' and swings and seagrass mats. I've been getting a bit each month when I get paid in order to build up enough to change them over often enough to keep things interesting. I've bought a water spray bottle for little showers. I even bought her - her own small fridge to keep her fruit and veg in. I wanted to make sure I had all the provisions required BEFORE bringing a bird home!

Though saying this, I am yet to obtain suitable full spectrum UVA/UVB lighting. I have read that the bulb will be effective for about 1 year with about 8-10 hours use a day (with a break of 2 hours in the afternoon.) So I am aware that I will need to replace the bulb annually. If anyone has any recommendations for available lighting products, I would appreciate it! I am also working on an outdoor flight cage as my aviary is currently home to 3 young pigeons (but that's another story!)

MY PET HISTORY

Over the years, I have had experience of caring for all kinds of animals as my house used to be the equivalent of a dumping ground for people who could no longer provide care for their pets. I've previously taken on many pets with special dietary requirements and medical conditions. This includes fish with damaged fins and swimbladder problems (we had to find specific toys to put in the tank that the fish could safely get inside to stop him floating to the top and being carried around by the water pump), rabbit with lopsided jaw (needed teeth clipping every 3-4 weeks as she was unable to grind her own teeth down), elderly rabbits with rear leg paralysis (had to be bathed and dried daily in order to avoid flystrike), rats with bald heads (had to provide lots of fresh fruit and veg to regrow the lost fur), unwanted gerbils kept in a tiny fish tank (I got them a nice big cage), stray cats with FIV (they have poor immune systems and have specific dietary needs and medication), a stray cat with sinusitis and rhinitis (various medication), cat with renal failure (again special dietary needs and medication), stray cat with malnutrition & eye problems & and degloving of front legs (frequent bandage changes and different types of eye drops every 2 hours for days and other medication and special diet), as well as many healthy unwanted pets such as guinea-pigs, more rabbits, more fish, stick insects, more cats, more rats and more gerbils. I was a dog walker for neighbours when I was younger and have previously cared for an aviary whilest a neighbour was on holiday (they left me strict instructions and provisions). The only trouble with helping all the needy and sick animals meant that heartache was frequent (and expensive!)

Now there is only one elderly indoor cat and two strays with access to a two storey luxury outdoor kennel, I felt that I am now able to give my time to a parrot.

FINALLY - FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I'm not a very social person so I don't get the opportunity to waffle on that often! :) I'm keen to learn about others, and how they care for their feathered friends and am hoping to seek advice from the more experienced owners. Im working on refining her diet at the moment. I don't have a food processor and so all the chop WAS being made daily by hand (by hand - I mean knife!) Just yesterday I started a larger batch of veg to freeze. Im keeping it all raw and separate to give me the option to modify the mix before serving by changing combinations or cooking it. I didn't want to put all the effort into the preparation and cook it all only to have the whole lot wasted! Her favourite foods so far are; sweetcorn, blueberries, pomegranate and raspberries. She's not so keen on the veg, so I 'll keep mixing them together.
I have been soaking all fruit and veg in 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts water, and then rinsing thoroughly. All water used is bottled.

SO FAR...

So far she is generally quite quiet. She sometimes has small squawking conversations. And has a tendency to do this between mouthfuls of food at times. She's been loud briefly a couple of times but I've found that she typically mimics volume level - so I will try to lead by example there!

Now that I've had her a couple of weeks and she's settling in, I would like to start some training. She is a bit bitey still, so I might revert to using a perch for her stepping up as my hand is already quite battered and bruised with a few chew holes in it! Her biting also makes delivering treats difficult. Im thinking of trying a long spoon. If anyone has any other tips or recommendations for training I will glady implement them!

Answers to my future questions will be greatly appreciated. I shall look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions and hope that you can offer the knowledge I am seeking to enable me to become the best eclectus friend I can be!

Thank-you for your time
 
Last edited:

CherylCali

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Jun 22, 2016
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Victoria, Texas
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Early Bird Green Cheek Conure
Hatch Date 3-2016
Hi and welcome 😊 I don't have any Eclectus experience to offer. I just wanted to compliment you on your preparation, you have done an outstanding job. It shows how thoughtful and caring you are. You are going to have a wonderful companion.

CherylCali
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Welcome to the forums, and thank you for an exceptional introduction!! It appears you have done incredible research and preparation for Bella and are on the right track! Though you have had her for a few weeks, the honeymoon phase is still in effect!!

I too have a female Vosmaeri, though at the opposite spectrum of her life. I've had Angel since her late weaning stage, 27 years ago. She recently developed what appears to be heart disease, and is currently doing better on meds to strengthen the heartbeat and a diuretic to prevent fluid accumulation.

But this is all about you and Bella! Eclectus are beautiful yet enigmatic parrots. I've had two, and were amazed at their stoicism and excellent talking abilities. Neither displayed the puppy-dog friendliness of other species, so I would encourage very early and frequent socialization. Angel is strictly a one-person bird... me! Her former mate Sasquatch was a bit more accepting of others. An interesting aspect of mine is they are very hard to read, other than mild "pinning" of the eyes. No crest to raise, little fanning of the tail. Beware their bite as it is often a sawing and grinding effort!

Neither of mine required much training to step-up, perch on the shoulder (that comes naturally!!) and are exceptionally quiet - just an occasional loud "honk."

As you know, diet is extremely important. Ekkies are special-needs parrots with extensive veggies and some fruits to benefit their atypical digestive tracts. Pellets are best avoided, though Angel has a few as a treat and some seed mix only after consuming her fresh food.

Fellow moderator Stephen (Anansi) has a young pair of Ekkies and has much to share!

A sticky from the Eclectus sub-forum with great discussion and plentiful links: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html
 
OP
Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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Aug 30, 2016
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Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
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Welcome to you and your's!

You may want to rethink/delay the uv lighting until you get more feedback!
Thanks for the welcome. As I'm lacking an outdoor flight aviary at the moment I figured I should try some lighting as a temporary semi substitute to sunshine. But after having a read (prompted by your comment) I am now a bit more uncertain than I was before about this potential purchase.... I will definitely wait for a few more opinions on the matter before I commit!
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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Aug 30, 2016
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Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
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Hi and welcome 😊 I don't have any Eclectus experience to offer. I just wanted to compliment you on your preparation, you have done an outstanding job. It shows how thoughtful and caring you are. You are going to have a wonderful companion.

CherylCali
Thank-you for your kind words. Im very much looking forward to both the building of my relationship with Bella and the enjoyment yet to come! She's a bit feisty with me still at the moment, but I'm sure I'll eventually start to grow on her! When I let her out of her cage for a little fly around, she's been climbing on her cage and flying to her java tree stand but has now started landing on my shoulder and head. So presumably if she sees me as a perfectly good perch, she can't think I'm any kind of threat? Though when she starts showing interest in my ears, or attempting to see if she can peel my forehead like a grape, I do insist she steps up onto my hand and I then relocate her to the top of her cage!
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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Welcome to the forums, and thank you for an exceptional introduction!! It appears you have done incredible research and preparation for Bella and are on the right track! Though you have had her for a few weeks, the honeymoon phase is still in effect!!

I too have a female Vosmaeri, though at the opposite spectrum of her life. I've had Angel since her late weaning stage, 27 years ago. She recently developed what appears to be heart disease, and is currently doing better on meds to strengthen the heartbeat and a diuretic to prevent fluid accumulation.

But this is all about you and Bella! Eclectus are beautiful yet enigmatic parrots. I've had two, and were amazed at their stoicism and excellent talking abilities. Neither displayed the puppy-dog friendliness of other species, so I would encourage very early and frequent socialization. Angel is strictly a one-person bird... me! Her former mate Sasquatch was a bit more accepting of others. An interesting aspect of mine is they are very hard to read, other than mild "pinning" of the eyes. No crest to raise, little fanning of the tail. Beware their bite as it is often a sawing and grinding effort!

Neither of mine required much training to step-up, perch on the shoulder (that comes naturally!!) and are exceptionally quiet - just an occasional loud "honk."

As you know, diet is extremely important. Ekkies are special-needs parrots with extensive veggies and some fruits to benefit their atypical digestive tracts. Pellets are best avoided, though Angel has a few as a treat and some seed mix only after consuming her fresh food.

Fellow moderator Stephen (Anansi) has a young pair of Ekkies and has much to share!

A sticky from the Eclectus sub-forum with great discussion and plentiful links: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html
Thank-you for your compliments regarding my research and preparation. Though I am very much aware of that being the easy part!
I'm sorry to hear your bird has been having some medical problems and am pleased you are doing all you can for her. I must admit I have not yet taken my Bella to the vets. When I first went to collect her I made no physical contact or eye contact or even spoke to her as I was aware that the stress of leaving her humans, brother, older sister and Caique friend behind would be quite stressful and upsetting for her. As well as the journey to her new home in a carrier. I didn't want for me to be associated with the potentially stressful situation. I was worried that the capture of her to take her to the vets would set us back in terms of her trusting me. Though I can see that knowing she's ok health wise is worth any trust set-back. She's definitely going to give me some sass when I put her in the carrier. Im already familiar with her range of biting skills! She has drawn blood a few times before, given me some interesting bruises etc. I must say that I am quite pleased that I have managed to successfully avoid yelling during those times. I have video on my phone where she's on my shoulder and then climbs down my arm out of shot, you then see my eye screw up as she begins biting my fingers off camera. I then get her to step up onto my other hand (where her biting focus is then transferred to), then I get her to step off onto her perch and verbally praise her!
I must admit I was thinking she may of lost weight since I got her. Being that she is still so young, I know how important it is that she puts on weight and fills out, but I am worried about giving her too much fat and harming her organs. I know eclectus can hide their fat well in their bodies. Unfortunately I foolishly didn't weigh her on scales the day I got her. Im thinking it's probably a combination of stress, new diet and exercise that may have resulted in some weight loss. As her new cage is about 4 or 5 times bigger than her old one so she's getting more climbing exercise than previously. Also her old diet was quite high in seeds with some apple and orange daily and a meal of cooked veg - with her favouring the sweetcorn. I have decreased the amount of seed and increased the raw fruit and veg. She's still having a fair bit of sweetcorn as she's still mastering her flying skills and growing a few feathers under her wings. Also, as she's a bit more relaxed around me now, her feathers aren't so ruffled like shes trying to look bigger to intimidate me. So maybe she just looks smaller?

Upon visiting the vets, do you think it would be standard or excessive for me to request :

Weighing
Blood analysis
Fecal analysis
Including testing for:
PBFD
PDD
Polyomaviridae
Psittacosis
Coccidiosis
Is there anything else I'm missing from the list of nasties to test for?

As I mentioned previously, I do have pigeons, so there is always an element of risk with them being potential carriers of something. Is vaccination something many parrot owners do?

Sorry for running on! I did start this message earlier, but my phone crashed, so i had to re-write it and I kept thinking of more things to say!
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
The key to so much with Eclectus is diet! Lots of veggies, some fruits, and sparing amounts of seed. (if any) Some folks only use nut products as a treat and reward during training.

Third post from this thread has great dietary links: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html#post478718 Some experimentation will be necessary to find what she consistently enjoys.

A first comprehensive avian vet visit will include most of what you posted. Depending on your local area the vet may eliminate some of the tests. At least you don't have to surgically sex her!!! A scale is an excellent diagnostic tool you can use from home. Many inexpensive devices can be purchased online and allow you to quickly spot a trend. Just make sure to weigh her at consistent times before mealtime and after she has purged. Ekkies are famous for having larger than typical droppings less often than other parrots.

Quarantining a new bird is most helpful for all involved. Generally a 30 day process, and it takes effort to prevent cross-contamination. Don't know much about pigeons and what they potentially carry.

Feel free to post whatever questions you have!!
 

SirEdwin89

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Mar 5, 2016
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Well, I'm a bit late to the party, but welcome welcome! I absolutely loved your intro post, you are really putting in the extra effort that separates being a parront, with being an exceptional parront. I know very little about eckies specifically outside of their unique dietary needs, so afraid I can't offer much in the way of advice there. But glad you joined, can't wait to see how your journey unfolds.
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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Aug 30, 2016
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Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
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  • #10
The key to so much with Eclectus is diet! Lots of veggies, some fruits, and sparing amounts of seed. (if any) Some folks only use nut products as a treat and reward during training.

Third post from this thread has great dietary links: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html#post478718 Some experimentation will be necessary to find what she consistently enjoys.

A first comprehensive avian vet visit will include most of what you posted. Depending on your local area the vet may eliminate some of the tests. At least you don't have to surgically sex her!!! A scale is an excellent diagnostic tool you can use from home. Many inexpensive devices can be purchased online and allow you to quickly spot a trend. Just make sure to weigh her at consistent times before mealtime and after she has purged. Ekkies are famous for having larger than typical droppings less often than other parrots.

Quarantining a new bird is most helpful for all involved. Generally a 30 day process, and it takes effort to prevent cross-contamination. Don't know much about pigeons and what they potentially carry.

Feel free to post whatever questions you have!!
Hello again. I have had a look at the links suggested in the previous post and found them to be a good read. I have already found that she can tire of a specific food after having it a few days in a row. I thought bell peppers were going well until she started having bok choy and started ignoring the peppers! She is blueberry crazy, but I had to cut back on them as her poop was becoming blueberry puree! I'm still keeping all her foods washed, chopped and frozen separately. I look like a mad scientist in the kitchen with different tubs and bags trying to make new combinations to try to present to her. Last night I baked some sweet potato and mixed that with a bit of cooked brown rice and veg. She ate such a small amount :-( I will give her a bit more later today that I have in the fridge but will try adding something else to it to see if it generates any more interest.
I've ordered a mixer/blender thingy from the Internet. It has a glass bowl which I thought would be great for keeping it nice and clean. If I can't get her to eat a good amount from a mixture of prepared food, should I revert to giving her larger quantities of what she definitely likes? For example I'm pretty sure she'd eat pomegranate all day long. Or should I stick with mixing things together? I have not tried sprouting any seeds for her yet. Do you feed Angel sprouted seeds? If so what seeds would you recommend?
Any opinions on the matter would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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Well, I'm a bit late to the party, but welcome welcome! I absolutely loved your intro post, you are really putting in the extra effort that separates being a parront, with being an exceptional parront. I know very little about eckies specifically outside of their unique dietary needs, so afraid I can't offer much in the way of advice there. But glad you joined, can't wait to see how your journey unfolds.
Thank-you for your welcome message. I am hoping that over time I will become more accustomed to using the forum and be able to both contribute for others as well as extract information for myself. New things can be scary but so far everyone has been very welcoming and helpful. Im so very pleased I decided to join and I'm looking forward to sharing my journey and new experiences as an eclectus friend :)
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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So I tried the sweet potato mash again last night with some extra added fresh bok choy in the hope that by adding something she currently likes it may encourage her to eat some of the veg mash ...
... she squawked like I was trying to poison her! It was a kind of "what the heck is this!" scream. She then proceeded to resentfuly pick out each individual chunk of bok choy to eat - Still screaming at me in-between. WOW - If I had to liken it to any other birds, I would say the noises sounded like a cross between a peacock and a crow, VERY LOUD!
I felt so bad that she was disappointed with her meal :-( I ended up giving her a mixture of pomegranate and bok choy with some finely grated carrot mixed in to try and get some beta carotene into her! The moment she had her 'nice' food she immediately began making her happy soft mumbled squawk sounds again.
 

CherylCali

Active member
Jun 22, 2016
458
120
Victoria, Texas
Parrots
Early Bird Green Cheek Conure
Hatch Date 3-2016
So I tried the sweet potato mash again last night with some extra added fresh bok choy in the hope that by adding something she currently likes it may encourage her to eat some of the veg mash ...
... she squawked like I was trying to poison her! It was a kind of "what the heck is this!" scream. She then proceeded to resentfuly pick out each individual chunk of bok choy to eat - Still screaming at me in-between. WOW - If I had to liken it to any other birds, I would say the noises sounded like a cross between a peacock and a crow, VERY LOUD!
I felt so bad that she was disappointed with her meal :-( I ended up giving her a mixture of pomegranate and bok choy with some finely grated carrot mixed in to try and get some beta carotene into her! The moment she had her 'nice' food she immediately began making her happy soft mumbled squawk sounds again.
Too funny! They definitely make their disaproval known 😆

CherylCali
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
So I tried the sweet potato mash again last night with some extra added fresh bok choy in the hope that by adding something she currently likes it may encourage her to eat some of the veg mash ...
... she squawked like I was trying to poison her! It was a kind of "what the heck is this!" scream. She then proceeded to resentfuly pick out each individual chunk of bok choy to eat - Still screaming at me in-between. WOW - If I had to liken it to any other birds, I would say the noises sounded like a cross between a peacock and a crow, VERY LOUD!
I felt so bad that she was disappointed with her meal :-( I ended up giving her a mixture of pomegranate and bok choy with some finely grated carrot mixed in to try and get some beta carotene into her! The moment she had her 'nice' food she immediately began making her happy soft mumbled squawk sounds again.

Many parrots are VERY resistant to dietary change. When I make chop for my birds, each bowl is slightly tailored to their taste, but they are still given foods that get immediately tossed. They may dis a food for years, even decades and one day choose to taste and become fast friends with what was previously trash! My mama Goffins decided to try pear after more than 25 years with me! She now loves it! One of her sons, Squeaky hated endamame until recently.... that's about 18 years!
 

Birdman666

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Sep 18, 2013
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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.)
Eckies are very diet sensitive birds. They do better with fresh foods than pellets. I usually suggest keeping a food diary to keep track of what you fed her in case toe tap develops.

You can usually get to the bottom of a diet reaction if, for example, you fed a lot of corn, and it started. And you discontinued the corn, and it got better...
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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So I tried the sweet potato mash again last night with some extra added fresh bok choy in the hope that by adding something she currently likes it may encourage her to eat some of the veg mash ...
... she squawked like I was trying to poison her! It was a kind of "what the heck is this!" scream. She then proceeded to resentfuly pick out each individual chunk of bok choy to eat - Still screaming at me in-between. WOW - If I had to liken it to any other birds, I would say the noises sounded like a cross between a peacock and a crow, VERY LOUD!
I felt so bad that she was disappointed with her meal :-( I ended up giving her a mixture of pomegranate and bok choy with some finely grated carrot mixed in to try and get some beta carotene into her! The moment she had her 'nice' food she immediately began making her happy soft mumbled squawk sounds again.
Too funny! They definitely make their disaproval known 😆

CherylCali
She also disapproves of the vacuum cleaner! VERY much ...
 

CherylCali

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Jun 22, 2016
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Victoria, Texas
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Early Bird Green Cheek Conure
Hatch Date 3-2016
When I turn on the fan Early has a squalk fest. And she screams if I turn on the sink

CherylCali
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
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So I tried the sweet potato mash again last night with some extra added fresh bok choy in the hope that by adding something she currently likes it may encourage her to eat some of the veg mash ...
... she squawked like I was trying to poison her! It was a kind of "what the heck is this!" scream. She then proceeded to resentfuly pick out each individual chunk of bok choy to eat - Still screaming at me in-between. WOW - If I had to liken it to any other birds, I would say the noises sounded like a cross between a peacock and a crow, VERY LOUD!
I felt so bad that she was disappointed with her meal :-( I ended up giving her a mixture of pomegranate and bok choy with some finely grated carrot mixed in to try and get some beta carotene into her! The moment she had her 'nice' food she immediately began making her happy soft mumbled squawk sounds again.

Many parrots are VERY resistant to dietary change. When I make chop for my birds, each bowl is slightly tailored to their taste, but they are still given foods that get immediately tossed. They may dis a food for years, even decades and one day choose to taste and become fast friends with what was previously trash! My mama Goffins decided to try pear after more than 25 years with me! She now loves it! One of her sons, Squeaky hated endamame until recently.... that's about 18 years!
Wow, I'd never of thought that a bird could so stubbornly refuse something for so many years and then turn around and try it one day! That is astonishing.

What fascinatingly funny feathered friends you have - quite remarkable!
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

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1
19
Norfolk (England)
Parrots
Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
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When I turn on the fan Early has a squalk fest. And she screams if I turn on the sink

CherylCali
I originally kept her fridge in her room which made quite a nice 'white noise' background sound. It blocked out noise from the street outside and noisy neighbours. But found myself going back and forth to the kitchen so much that I was disturbing her. So I ended up moving her fridge to the kitchen counter. Now I'm a little worried that she might pick up some bad language from the neighbour ... so i've been thinking about putting a fan in the room just to mask potential bad language! If not, I was thinking maybe a small TV running 'appropriate' viewing like nature programmes or kids cartoons.
 
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Violet_Diva

Violet_Diva

Member
Aug 30, 2016
843
Media
6
Albums
1
19
Norfolk (England)
Parrots
Bella (Vosmaeri Eclectus Female) + Dexter (Red Sided Eclectus Male) + Gerry (Vosmaeri Eclectus Male)
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Eckies are very diet sensitive birds. They do better with fresh foods than pellets. I usually suggest keeping a food diary to keep track of what you fed her in case toe tap develops.

You can usually get to the bottom of a diet reaction if, for example, you fed a lot of corn, and it started. And you discontinued the corn, and it got better...
I have been keeping a list of the meals I've been presenting her with. But in all honesty, retrospectively, I should have been making more notes on how much she actually ate and what foods she had been rejecting / eating. I also regret not weighing her from 'the get go' as I'm now constantly looking at her going "is she thinner or not?!" I'm getting some weighing scales from the Internet and she's going to the vets soon so I will get her weighed then. I've been keeping the food diary on my phone and I've been changing the font colours of the foods to match the colour they are. So at a glance I can see what colour spectrum of food she's having. So on some days I might go "oh she hasn't had much ... green / yellow / red / orange / blue (or whatever) today" and then I'll offer some to her.
 

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