New Ekkie Growling & Lunging

[kme3388]

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Parkerdoodle!

Didn’t Parker used to feather pluck too? Whatever you are doing has worked. Nico doesn’t pluck like he used to but in certain areas he isn’t growing feathers back.

 

[theparrotcafe]

What a transformation! Fingers & toes crossed that's how it goes for my ekkie too! I've been adding some of Volkman's Eclectus Seed Mix and mixing it into his chop, and I notice he's eating more chop and eating very few pellets. Yay!

That great news! He is lucky to have you

 

[theparrotcafe]

She is so beautiful ❤️❤️

Thank you!!

 

[chris-md]

Didn’t Parker used to feather pluck too? Whatever you are doing has worked. Nico doesn’t pluck like he used to but in certain areas he isn’t growing feathers back.

He still does, and he’s like Nico in that certain areas won’t grow back (all under his wings…he’ll never get the red)!

Things improved significantly when we moved to Houston 3 years ago, he almost completely quit and what for him consitutes fully feathered out, which suggests climate and environment might be involved. His predictable annual molting in August also became a slow year-round trickle, which was fascinating - so clearly climate impacts molting cycle!. But he’s started up again in the last few months, with no other changes having happened.

 

[mish22]

Hi - looking for some advice!

We just adopted a 3 year old male ekkie 3 days ago. He was rehomed to us because he was very hormonal in his last home, although the previous owner says he was never aggressive in their home. She had him only three months before deciding to move him to another home. Before that, I don't know anything about his living situation except that he was fed seeds and not bathed. We are working towards helping him to accept misting/bathing, eat fresh foods and rely less on pellets. He barbers and overpreens his feathers. The cage he came with is unsuitably small and a bit rusty, but I'm waiting to buy him a newer one until I can get it discounted in the next couple months. In the meantime I've put more appropriate perches and toys in his cage.

He is handleable and pretty friendly. We have a Pionus but this is our first time with an eclectus, and I'm struggling to read his body language. There's been a few instances of growling and lunging that I'd like to understand better. Firstly, he growls and lunges to defend his food bowls - he is clearly food guarding/resource defensive. He hasn't bitten yet but I imagine that's because we get out of the way. He also tries hard to get up onto shoulders, and then growls and bites if we try to take him off. I am trying not to allow him onto my shoulder - I feel like he isn't predictable enough yet.

Today he was trying hard to get to my shoulder and resisted getting off of me; I had to sort of force him off onto his cage. I then left him alone for a bit (in the dining room with my other parrot, who seems to tolerate him just fine). I'm not sure if walking away is the right thing to do, but I wasn't sure how to respond to him trying so hard to get onto my shoulder. Today he also growled and lunged a couple times when I walked away from his cage while he was hanging out on top of it. It was right after I had misted him. He is not used to misting, so I only mist him when he's standing towards the front part of the roof of his cage, and I stop if he moves away, so I thought he was tolerating it okay. He was standing still while I misted and then he moved away and I stopped. I then walked away, and he growled and lunged and pinned his eyes once I was a couple feet away. Any ideas what that is?

Sometimes it seems like he wants to step up but I'm not sure where he wants to go or what he wants to do. He can't fly so he isn't able to go where he likes, he has to depend on me. I also wonder if he's wanting to step up in order to get to my shoulder to engage in mating behavior, which I won't allow.

I feel a little intimidated by him, which is probably silly because he hasn't bitten me and he's overall a gentle bird. But I'm having a hard time reading his cues and that makes me feel unsure of myself. Any guidance around how to interpret some of this behavior would be helpful!

First off hang in there you have a fantastic bird that you can get to talk and be great . He is pissed off because the breeder did not ween him off to vegies and harrisons that is the best food you can give him . No seed it will shorten there life span . and not to much fruit . in the wiled they are tree top feeders so fruit is not ripe . The more sugar they get it makes them very hormonal he is really starting around the time my guy did , and my breader had me put him on zupreeam fruity pellets no good . DIED COLORS AND HIGH SUGAR.. He got aggressive and all he wanted to do is hump me and when he went into his house he would get mad. he passed to long of a sad story but I was lucky to adopt another boy 17 same as my other and just the opposite gental so quiet , not hormonal and has been on harrisons . like frozen vegies more then fresh . sweet potato is good for them vit A , carrots , dark greens but put it in a blender or chopping machine , they realy like stuff chopped . and walnuts , almonds , cashuess very good . you can get walnuts from costco for 10.00 for like 8 lbs .. and for the food it would be the harrisons corse for young bird you have to look he is on life time adult . send me a pic . if you decide you do not want hime i would be glad to take him off your hands . they need plenty of time out of there home and with you , a lot of people dont realize the time and money involved with parrots that is why so many are in sancutaries . especially cockatoos , macaws , . cant see good sorry about the spelling . this is elmo and the second photo was my sonny he could talk up a storm so smart .. stay in touch . michele this is sonny counld not f tind elmo

 

[kme3388]

First off hang in there you have a fantastic bird that you can get to talk and be great . He is pissed off because the breeder did not ween him off to vegies and harrisons that is the best food you can give him . No seed it will shorten there life span . and not to much fruit . in the wiled they are tree top feeders so fruit is not ripe . The more sugar they get it makes them very hormonal he is really starting around the time my guy did , and my breader had me put him on zupreeam fruity pellets no good . DIED COLORS AND HIGH SUGAR.. He got aggressive and all he wanted to do is hump me and when he went into his house he would get mad. he passed to long of a sad story but I was lucky to adopt another boy 17 same as my other and just the opposite gental so quiet , not hormonal and has been on harrisons . like frozen vegies more then fresh . sweet potato is good for them vit A , carrots , dark greens but put it in a blender or chopping machine , they realy like stuff chopped . and walnuts , almonds , cashuess very good . you can get walnuts from costco for 10.00 for like 8 lbs .. and for the food it would be the harrisons corse for young bird you have to look he is on life time adult . send me a pic . if you decide you do not want hime i would be glad to take him off your hands . they need plenty of time out of there home and with you , a lot of people dont realize the time and money involved with parrots that is why so many are in sancutaries . especially cockatoos , macaws , . cant see good sorry about the spelling . this is elmo and the second photo was my sonny he could talk up a storm so smart .. stay in touch . michele this is sonny counld not f tind elmo View attachment 58575

I do have a male Ekkie who is very hormonal. Daily he will try to mate with me. He regurgitates everywhere. He eats veggies, and a pellet that doesn’t have additives or coloring. Almonds, pecans, and pine nuts I do give as treats. In the past I’ve given him chop. He will eat it temporarily, and then he refuses to eat it. I’ve wasted a lot of money making him chop. So now I buy veggies (mainly red peppers, carrots, and once in awhile blueberries) to give him for fresh food. He isn’t really a fan, and flips his bowls when he disagrees with what’s being served. Some parrots are really picky eaters. He sounds like the first Ekkie you had. Nico just turned 19 years old. I hope he lives to be 50+ because I can’t imagine my life without him. He may be hormonal but he is still amazing & perfect to me! ❤️❤️❤️