Eclectus weight?

[scott4687]

Can eclectus get over weight by eating too much healthy food? My boy eats everything. He eats any vegetable or fruit I give him and eats with gusto. I always have pellets available, but he does not eat much of it. I'm just wondering if he can get over weight from eating too much even though it's all healthy food.
Scott

 

[Aussie Ben]

I guess it depends on what he is eating most of. Is he overweight? They do stuff their faces, but they do need a fair bit of nutrition. How much does he weigh at the moment and how old is he? You can generally tell if they are at a good weight by gently feeling the keel bone. You want to be able to feel it, but not see it . Just monitor his weight as that will be your best warning sign. Just like people, every bird is a little different in size, shape and weight, My ekkie is a 'small fry'

btw, mine doesn't care much for pellets either, although he loves nuts and seeds, so I have to make sure I limit them as he will over-eat (not good for an ekkie).

 

[antoinette]

Great info from Aussie Ben

Below is a link pertaining to the Eclectus's weight

Eclectus Parrots: Species information and Photos

 

[Rani]

My female ekkie will wait and wait and wait till i give her the pellets. And you should see how eager she is to eat the pellets. She will chow down the pellets for about 15-20 mins. It feels like she is eating a lot of those pellets compared to the other food i give her. She gets her pellets for dinner.

I give her veggies in the morning. Cooked pumpkin with cinnamon or corn or peas etc. Half of it is on the floor.

I give her a piece of fruit from everything i have tried so far she chows down kiwi fruit and pomegranates and grapes. She will not touch apples,plums etc.

I am wondering if she is even eating enough? I have been thinking is it ok if she fills up on those pellets? Should she eat more fresh food vs the pellets?

I spend about 15 mins every morning trying to get her some fresh food. I have yet to figure out what she likes. Even sprouts are on the floor most of the time.

Chrisi

 

[ostromk45]

just wondering what is the name of these pellets you guys are talking about

 

[scott4687]

My pellets are from prettyparrots.com. This is the breeder's pellets I was going to buy my bird form. Never got the bird from her, but did get the pellets. She said they are specially formulated for Eclectus parrots. I think there regular old pellets, but who knows.

 

[PionusPassion]

just wondering what is the name of these pellets you guys are talking about

I would strongly suggest Harrison's bird food. They are completely organic and come in a variety of pellet sizes and formulas. They have a powder-like substance called Mash up to about the size of a cheerio, called coarse. They have one called High Potency which is for younger birds and those trying to bring the weight up after illness. Consider it like a "Growth" or "Puppy" formula. My little guy is very picky about his pellets. VERY picky, but he loves is Harrison's. He is a 4 month old Pionus and he eats the High Potency Coarse (the largest "baby" formula). I have been very happy with this food. You can usually find it at an avian veterinary office or online. Another great option is the Lafebers Nutri-berries. These are a great foraging food. They have a blend of pellets as well as seeds in each "nugget" (For lack of a better term). If you have a PETCO near you, they sell the Lafebers. They also have a great return policy: If your bird doesn't like it or refuses to eat it, you can return it for a full refund within 30 days even if you have used some of it. I would know, I work there. Both of these foods are big enough for my little guy to hold onto and munch away. Here are the websites for these two foods. Please check them out. They are definately worth looking into.

High Potency Formulas-harrisonbirdfoods.com

Pet Bird Food, Parrot Bird Food, Parrot Pellets, Parrot Seed, Cockatiel Food, Macaw Food, Parakeet Food | Lafeber Bird Food

 

[ostromk45]

^^^^^ thank you very much and i like how you guys will take it back if my bella does not like it. Theres not much she does not like. She is a big eater what would you recommend as far as how much i should give her cause she still needs to eat other stuff to right?

 

[PionusPassion]

^^^^^ thank you very much and i like how you guys will take it back if my bella does not like it. Theres not much she does not like. She is a big eater what would you recommend as far as how much i should give her cause she still needs to eat other stuff to right?

As far as how much to feed, it is best to ask your avian vet. They will be able to tell you what is proper for her species, weight, and age. There are different requirements for each of those.

 

[Rani]

I got my eclectus from pretty parrot and i was given the pellets she sells. I will tell you one thing we stopped using those pellets in about 3 days. First of all when my bird was eating those she was not eating anything else as far as her fruits and veggies go and she was just super lazy and sat on the perch all day long. I have not been happy with this breeder at all. My husband and i went to a bird show and we spoke to many local breeders and they all recommended using either zupreem or Lafeber's pellets. I have used lafeber's pellets with her now for about 2 months or so and she is eating all her other fruits she is give plus she gets the pellets at night for dinner.

Also i have seen a lot of change in her as far as she will just play on her own on top of the cage.

Chrisi

 

[antoinette]

I got my eclectus from pretty parrot and i was given the pellets she sells. I will tell you one thing we stopped using those pellets in about 3 days. First of all when my bird was eating those she was not eating anything else as far as her fruits and veggies go and she was just super lazy and sat on the perch all day long. I have not been happy with this breeder at all. My husband and i went to a bird show and we spoke to many local breeders and they all recommended using either zupreem or Lafeber's pellets. I have used lafeber's pellets with her now for about 2 months or so and she is eating all her other fruits she is give plus she gets the pellets at night for dinner.

Also i have seen a lot of change in her as far as she will just play on her own on top of the cage.

Chrisi

So glad you got her diet correct by changing the pellets, in order for her to eat her fruit and veggies. A proper diet is so important, as you have noticed, even a change in her personality just by playing on her own.
High five to you for being a super alert guardian

 

[Cowtown]

I got my eclectus from pretty parrot and i was given the pellets she sells. I will tell you one thing we stopped using those pellets in about 3 days. First of all when my bird was eating those she was not eating anything else as far as her fruits and veggies go and she was just super lazy and sat on the perch all day long. I have not been happy with this breeder at all. My husband and i went to a bird show and we spoke to many local breeders and they all recommended using either zupreem or Lafeber's pellets. I have used lafeber's pellets with her now for about 2 months or so and she is eating all her other fruits she is give plus she gets the pellets at night for dinner.

Also i have seen a lot of change in her as far as she will just play on her own on top of the cage.

Chrisi

So glad you got her diet correct by changing the pellets, in order for her to eat her fruit and veggies. A proper diet is so important, as you have noticed, even a change in her personality just by playing on her own.
High five to you for being a super alert guardian

I am glad you were able to get some great information.

I feed Abby the Zupreem Spicy pellets and Abby loves them and she eats here fruits and veggies...

How old is your Eckie?

Abby will eat anything. If you can you might try feeding her out of her cage. I have not tried this too much but I just got a play stand for her and I am trying to get her accumulated it it with food..

 

[caliopi]

I had Puffin weighed at the vet last week and he weighed 463grams which the vet said was a good weight. He doesn't like pellets either but the vet told me to persist as they are better for him than seed and she said he should not get more than a teaspoon of seed a day, he eats way more than that!

 

[Chris Winkler]

The breeder I got Tobi from said that he would not get the required nutrition from the Zupreem brand. He said an Eclectus would only survive about 2 years eating the zupreem because of malnutrition.. He also said it was ok for other parrots but not Ekkies. I have been feeding him the prettybird brand for ekkies.

My Tobi eats like a tank and in the few months he has been home he has gotten into a routine of expecting veggies for breakfast and fruits in the afternoon. I also make birdie bread that he devours. He does eat the pellets too but usually just before bedtime.

He actually will get a bit cranky if it's after 5pm and I have not given him the fruits yet. He will also eat anything I give him. Not picky at all. Which is why I started calling him "Tobi The Tank"