Introducing Ruby Red

[Doublete]

Didn't necessarily mean to get two

 

[Dopey]

I understand.

 

[Taw5106]

Ruby is beautiful!!

 

[Dopey]

Thank you. I'm enjoying being with her when I can. I'm hoping that I can live up to the expectations of being an Ekkie parront but so far...it doesn't look that way.

 

[Taw5106]

Just so you know, I work on keeping up on my Ekkie, she's a fun, energetic handful, lol, and I love it.

 

[Dopey]

She is so different from my other fids. My other fids eat with gusto. When I give them a treat they take the whole thing in the beak and I'm careful of my fingers. When Ruber takes a treat she doesn't take it. She takes a nibble and then looks at me. I throw the rest of the treat in her bowl.

 

[Anansi]

Just seeing this whole thread. Congratulations on your new girl, Mary Lynne!

It sounds like you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by those ekkie diet requirements. Don't be. (I know, easier said than done, right?) It can be a bit more involved, work-wise, but soon enough it becomes a routine that you barely even notice.

As for what you mentioned about fresh foods vs frozen, typically people mean the store-bought frozen bags of veggies when they say frozen, rather than the fresh vegetables that have been subsequently frozen at home.

The main thing to remember is tons of variety. I know you've already received links to Land of Vos, but here's a link to another site that I have found particularly helpful for prepping foods for my flock: fruitandveg

Check every sub-section there. It's all set up mostly in chart format. Easy reading and chock-full of helpful info right at your fingertips! Hope that helps!

 

[4dugnlee]

Thank you. I'm enjoying being with her when I can. I'm hoping that I can live up to the expectations of being an Ekkie parront but so far...it doesn't look that way.

I'm sure you will do fine with an Ekkie!

 

[Dopey]

Just seeing this whole thread. Congratulations on your new girl, Mary Lynne!

It sounds like you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by those ekkie diet requirements. Don't be. (I know, easier said than done, right?) It can be a bit more involved, work-wise, but soon enough it becomes a routine that you barely even notice.

As for what you mentioned about fresh foods vs frozen, typically people mean the store-bought frozen bags of veggies when they say frozen, rather than the fresh vegetables that have been subsequently frozen at home.

The main thing to remember is tons of variety. I know you've already received links to Land of Vos, but here's a link to another site that I have found particularly helpful for prepping foods for my flock: fruitandveg

Check every sub-section there. It's all set up mostly in chart format. Easy reading and chock-full of helpful info right at your fingertips! Hope that helps!

Thank you. I found a site last week that talked about the Ekkie's diet and then somewhere on the site had a diet for Ekkies about keeping it simple (Laurella Desborough). It just helped me to know that I'm not the only one that works and has a busy life and still wants to own a parrot - or be owned by a parrot.

Thank you to for encouraging me. I'm sure she won't die but she may never have the beautiful feathers that she is entitled too until I retire...or go part time.

 

[Dopey]

Thank you. I'm enjoying being with her when I can. I'm hoping that I can live up to the expectations of being an Ekkie parront but so far...it doesn't look that way.

I'm sure you will do fine with an Ekkie!

Thank you for that encouragement. I truly needed it.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Thank you. I found a site last week that talked about the Ekkie's diet and then somewhere on the site had a diet for Ekkies about keeping it simple (Laurella Desborough). It just helped me to know that I'm not the only one that works and has a busy life and still wants to own a parrot - or be owned by a parrot.

Thank you to for encouraging me. I'm sure she won't die but she may never have the beautiful feathers that she is entitled too until I retire...or go part time.

I assure you there are thousands of good folks who work full time and still manage to provide adequately for their fids.

 

[Anansi]

Thank you to for encouraging me. I'm sure she won't die but she may never have the beautiful feathers that she is entitled too until I retire...or go part time.

You're most welcome, Mary Lynne! And as for her never having beautiful feathers until you retire or go part time... Rubbish! Poppycock! Balderdash!

Listen, I work full time. Food prep for me is maybe half an hour to 45 minutes per day. And that's just because, as my wife VERY often tells me, I'm mind-numbingly slow and deliberate with cutting up all the fruits and veggies. (Hard to argue. Prep time for her is closer to 10 minutes. Sometimes less. Sigh) Not to mention that far more time could be saved if I would just prep for a week or more at a time instead of per day.

There are always ways to save time.

One of the things that saved me lots of time (until the shower perch broke ) was getting my ekkies used to actual showers. Much faster than cramping your forearm while spraying them for 25 minutes going for that full soak. It's just time-management. Find time trimming techniques and let them work for you.

 

[Dopey]

Thank you to for encouraging me. I'm sure she won't die but she may never have the beautiful feathers that she is entitled too until I retire...or go part time.

You're most welcome, Mary Lynne! And as for her never having beautiful feathers until you retire or go part time... Rubbish! Poppycock! Balderdash!

Listen, I work full time. Food prep for me is maybe half an hour to 45 minutes per day. And that's just because, as my wife VERY often tells me, I'm mind-numbingly slow and deliberate with cutting up all the fruits and veggies. (Hard to argue. Prep time for her is closer to 10 minutes. Sometimes less. Sigh) Not to mention that far more time could be saved if I would just prep for a week or more at a time instead of per day.

There are always ways to save time.

One of the things that saved me lots of time (until the shower perch broke ) was getting my ekkies used to actual showers. Much faster than cramping your forearm while spraying them for 25 minutes going for that full soak. It's just time-management. Find time trimming techniques and let them work for you.

Thank you again for your encouragement.

Now that I understand that "fresh" sometimes means "frozen chop" I am better. Although I must admit I would prefer to offer them truly fresh veggies instead of a thawed frozen chop. It's all in the language.

I was able to spritz her last night and she seemed to enjoy it.

 

[Dopey]

Ruber has a cubby hut and she spends a lot of time in it. I'm not used to my fids having cubby huts. Mine spend time all over their cage...Ruber spends too much time in her cubby. Do your Ekkies have cubby huts? Where do they spend their time?

 

[Doublete]

If I had to cook or prepare fresh veg and rice every day my birds would be lucky to get it a couple days a week.
I'm actually planning my next batch as I'm down to 3 individual bags in the freezer.

 

[Dopey]

I have the Eclectus Volkman's seed. I was trying to keep her diet the same for now and that's why the pellets are in there. I haven't seen anything resembling cheerios.

No the stuff (pellets) that look like cheerios are made by Goldenfeast and as I said I mainly give those once in a while as more toy type food (foraging). I give no other pellets to eclectus I do not feel they do well on them over the long haul. You will need to make changes but also provide her a small amount of what she has been eating so that you make sure she is getting enough. Eclectus are big eaters especially the girls. Dig that scale out, diet changes it is really necessary to weigh regularly.

She doesn't seem to be a big eater to me. Is 1/2 cup (Probably 2/3 of a cup) of veggies in the morning and 1/2 cup of fruit in the evening plus 1/4 cup of the Vos Ekkie seeds enough?

She does not eat all of the veggies or the fruit. I didn't check the seed this morning since I will take it out tonight.

Please - I don't want to starve her. Oh - she also gets two nutriberries in the morning like the rest of my fids do. And the dog gets anything the birds drop/throw on the floor (including the almond that wasn't shelled until the dog crunched it).

 

[Dopey]

Just seeing this whole thread. Congratulations on your new girl, Mary Lynne!

It sounds like you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by those ekkie diet requirements. Don't be. (I know, easier said than done, right?) It can be a bit more involved, work-wise, but soon enough it becomes a routine that you barely even notice.

As for what you mentioned about fresh foods vs frozen, typically people mean the store-bought frozen bags of veggies when they say frozen, rather than the fresh vegetables that have been subsequently frozen at home.

The main thing to remember is tons of variety. I know you've already received links to Land of Vos, but here's a link to another site that I have found particularly helpful for prepping foods for my flock: fruitandveg

Check every sub-section there. It's all set up mostly in chart format. Easy reading and chock-full of helpful info right at your fingertips! Hope that helps!

Hi Steve - I'm checking this out now. They say almonds are good for an Ekkie as a treat. Can an Ekkie crack the shell of an almond? Since I already give one of my fids an Almond every morning I was just wondering if it is something I could start with Ruber.

 

[sonja]

My Ekkie can crack almonds with no trouble.
Ruby Red is a beauty! I agree with the others who say she is a SI eclectus.
I just noticed your U2 and Amazon aren't listed in your flock any more! What happened with them?
I hope you enjoy your ekkie - a Vos Eclectus was one of the first parrots I saw that literally took my breath away with her beauty. I also have to say, the worst bite I've ever gotten in 20 years of rescue work with parrots and dogs, was my Vos!!

 

[Dopey]

My U2 was too big for me so my sister-in-law wanted her and I gave her to her since she already had one. She spoils her birds more than I spoil mine. The Amazon is currently with a friend of mine to see how things work out with them. He loves Amazon's and mine was literally jumping down off his cage and running across the room to attack my Severes. I get visitation rights to the U2 and Zon. The Zon still lunges at me.

 

[Dopey]

My Ekkie can crack almonds with no trouble.
Ruby Red is a beauty! I agree with the others who say she is a SI eclectus.

Thank you. I will give her an almond this weekend. I want to be around when she cracks it.