Rehomed male Eclectus

[mefids]

I am new to the forum but not new to parrots. I have had birds for over 30 years. I lost by beloved female Vos in March. A little over a week ago I got a male Eclectus (about 10-15 years old) from a woman who said her mother passed away two years ago and left her with five birds. The house was in a rural area and got little sun. The bird room faced north and there was no light in the room. The cage was small for an Eckie with little room for him to maneuver around the toys and was not very clean. She said she fed him Harrison's and fruit and veggies but had run out of Harrisons. Despite the conditions, the little guy was talking and did not appear to be a plucker so I took him (but not the cage). He has been eating everything I give him. He didn't stop eating for the first 36 hours! I brought him for a well bird exam and he checked out fine. Avian blood panel and fecal gram stain were perfect. Some of the feathers on his wings have black edges (not stress bars). They are not misformed or frayed; it is more like the color wore off. I have him in a large cage with Featherbrite light on from 10 am to 2 PM and Ott lighting from 3 pm to bedtime (8 pm). I live in the Northeast so no outdoors until spring!

I think he is a SI. He is 12 inches and weighs 370 grams in the a.m. and 385 grams at bedtime. He does not feel underweight and my vet agreed.

Now that he is on a better diet, big cage, good lighting, and seems to be relaxed, is it likely this will encourage him to molt? He is not a fan of showers but I manage to mist him lightly every couple of days and got him good and wet in the sink a few days ago.

 

[greytness]

Welcome! Sounds like you're providing him with a wonderful home!
I don't believe from what you're describing that any of these changes will necessarily cause him to molt.
Even though he doesn't like to shower, it's crucial that you at least mist him with warm water if you want his feathers to remain shiny. When I stop misting my Ekki for 4-5 days, I can definitely see that his feathers grow dull, and he even becomes a bit itchy.

Enjoy your new guy, and please let us know how everything goes!

 

[Anansi]

My condolences for the loss of your female Vos. I lost one of my ekkies around that time, and I know how difficult it cam be to work through.

As for your new ekkie, more frequent showers can promote the onset of a molt. And yes, a healthier diet and environment can also encourage a molt as well.

I suppose this is tied to the fact that molting is a physically demanding process, and a healthier bird is a bird better able to handle the stress of a molt.

Do you have any pics of your SI to share?

 

[mefids]

I was able to give him a good soaking this morning. He wasn't happy but he got a pinenut treat after. My female expected her daily shower. You just could never get her wet enough. This little guy probably never had a shower and is not quite sure what to make of it yet. I am attaching a photo of Yanni (his original owner named him after her favorite musician).

 

[Allee]

So sorry to hear about your female Vos.

Yanni is stunning! Thank you for giving this handsome boy a wonderful new home.

 

[obeck]

It sounds like the small cage probably caused the tip discoloration. When I first got my boy (a rescue also) he didn't like showers. I tried different things like a shallow bath, a slow mist, directly under the shower, and he would give me the "what are you doing" look. I finally got it right one day with him on my left hand splashing him with my right hand. No more shower problems! Keep trying, one day it might just click.

 

[Dopey]

I was able to give him a good soaking this morning. He wasn't happy but he got a pinenut treat after. My female expected her daily shower. You just could never get her wet enough. This little guy probably never had a shower and is not quite sure what to make of it yet. I am attaching a photo of Yanni (his original owner named him after her favorite musician).

What a beautiful bird and a nice name. I love Yanni's music.

 

[mefids]

Thank you for the kind words. I am enjoying Yanni and letting him settle in at his own speed. He is not interested in toys at all. He just takes everything in and lets out the Eclectus warning cry if he sees something he isn't sure of. The first time it was the sun coming up over the horizon. Poor thing probably hadn't seen the sun in a few years. The next day he looked out the window and yelled at every car that went by until he figured out they were not a threat. Showers are still not something he enjoys so I am just gently misting him each morning. Hopefully he will learn to enjoy them.