I want to thank @kme3388 for giving me the idea to post about Ekko here
This is going to be long, my apologies in advance.
I met my first Eclectus around 35 years ago, he was a beautiful boy that a friend had named Prince. He was not only gorgeous but he was also sweet to everyone, and the Eclectus became my dream bird.
After Reg and I began our journey with birds, I decided that it was finally time to have an Ekkie in my life. Reg was unfamiliar with them so we went to a local pet shop and he was able to meet one. They wanted $5000 for the one they had, and that was way out of our reach so I started watching Kijiji for one.
I found Ekko on there in Oct. of 2013, and started talking to his parront. The guy said he'd had him since he was a few months old, and he was currently eighteen months. He was rehoming him because he was getting ready to move and didn't think that he would have enough time for him.
Ekko had a lot of black in his feathers that worried me a little, but I still wanted him.
We started to make plans for us to come get him, he lived 3 hours away and we were going to go pick him up.
The guy then told me that he'd just drop Ekko off to us on his way to his new home since he was going right by us.
I was so excited and waited all day, but he never showed. I got an email from him that said that he hadn't wanted to take the time to drop him off, and that he may keep him after all.
I was disappointed, but I understood.
About a month later, he emailed me and asked if we still wanted him. I told him that I did, but there just seemed something weird about this guy and I was worried about sending a deposit. I used a picture that he had sent me of Ekko and ran it through Google and got a hit - Ekko's picture was posted here on PF! I'd only been a member for about a month then and I was surprised to find that he was also a member.
I eagerly read through his threads, and then I read where there was talk of him having PBFD.
I wasn't sure what to do and I didn't know if I should reply to his posts. I PM's a Mod we had at the time and talked to him about it, and he gave me some of the best advice I've ever been given here. He told me that he wouldn't reply here, that he would email the guy and tell him that I needed to speak with his vet. In order for the vet to talk to me, he had to transfer ownership of him to me with the vet's office, and he did. The vet told me that his issues were all diet related and that he did not have PBFD.
They also said that according to their records he was two and a half years old rather than eighteen months. No big deal about the age, and I was thrilled that Ekko wasn't sick.
@MikeyTN was the Mod, and he was of so much help both before and after we got Ekko, and I can't tell Ekko's story without giving him a shout out
Reg was driving and couldn't see anything further than a couple of feet in front of us, and I was holding onto the dashboard for dear life. Meanwhile, Ekko was in his carrier behind us, and most of the way he talked and sang to us.
I was not only thrilled to have an Eclectus, but I was so happy that I had this Eclectus. I was in love already.
He seemed to share that sentiment over the next little while, and liked me more than Reg. Reg is a bird whisperer and every bird we had then liked him more, and I was so happy that Ekko preferred me.
That lasted for a few months, and then suddenly I was out. He completely ignored me, and only wanted Reg. He wouldn't talk in front of me anymore - period. He'd be talking to Reg and the minute I'd come in the room he'd stop talking until I left
He would only step up for me on a perch, where before he'd only wanted to use my hand.
He did that for the next year, and then we had a situation that not only caused my stress and anxiety to go through the roof, but Reg's as well.
I'm out of time tonight, but will continue this tomorrow
This is going to be long, my apologies in advance.I met my first Eclectus around 35 years ago, he was a beautiful boy that a friend had named Prince. He was not only gorgeous but he was also sweet to everyone, and the Eclectus became my dream bird.
After Reg and I began our journey with birds, I decided that it was finally time to have an Ekkie in my life. Reg was unfamiliar with them so we went to a local pet shop and he was able to meet one. They wanted $5000 for the one they had, and that was way out of our reach so I started watching Kijiji for one.
I found Ekko on there in Oct. of 2013, and started talking to his parront. The guy said he'd had him since he was a few months old, and he was currently eighteen months. He was rehoming him because he was getting ready to move and didn't think that he would have enough time for him.
Ekko had a lot of black in his feathers that worried me a little, but I still wanted him.
We started to make plans for us to come get him, he lived 3 hours away and we were going to go pick him up.
The guy then told me that he'd just drop Ekko off to us on his way to his new home since he was going right by us.
I was so excited and waited all day, but he never showed. I got an email from him that said that he hadn't wanted to take the time to drop him off, and that he may keep him after all.
I was disappointed, but I understood.
About a month later, he emailed me and asked if we still wanted him. I told him that I did, but there just seemed something weird about this guy and I was worried about sending a deposit. I used a picture that he had sent me of Ekko and ran it through Google and got a hit - Ekko's picture was posted here on PF! I'd only been a member for about a month then and I was surprised to find that he was also a member.
I eagerly read through his threads, and then I read where there was talk of him having PBFD.
I wasn't sure what to do and I didn't know if I should reply to his posts. I PM's a Mod we had at the time and talked to him about it, and he gave me some of the best advice I've ever been given here. He told me that he wouldn't reply here, that he would email the guy and tell him that I needed to speak with his vet. In order for the vet to talk to me, he had to transfer ownership of him to me with the vet's office, and he did. The vet told me that his issues were all diet related and that he did not have PBFD.
They also said that according to their records he was two and a half years old rather than eighteen months. No big deal about the age, and I was thrilled that Ekko wasn't sick.
@MikeyTN was the Mod, and he was of so much help both before and after we got Ekko, and I can't tell Ekko's story without giving him a shout out
The guy kept going back and forth over the next couple of weeks, but finally decided that he was ready to rehome him. We ended up going to get him Dec. 7 of 2013, and it started to snow on the way there, and became a full on whiteout almost the entire way home. The roundtrip drive was 12.5 hours, and the temperature dropped to -38.4C (-37.1 F). We'd gotten an excellent suggestion here to bring hand heat packs along, just in case of a breakdown. Thankfully we never needed to put them under the towel in his carrier, but it was nice to know that we were prepared, just in case.Reg was driving and couldn't see anything further than a couple of feet in front of us, and I was holding onto the dashboard for dear life. Meanwhile, Ekko was in his carrier behind us, and most of the way he talked and sang to us.
I was not only thrilled to have an Eclectus, but I was so happy that I had this Eclectus. I was in love already.
He seemed to share that sentiment over the next little while, and liked me more than Reg. Reg is a bird whisperer and every bird we had then liked him more, and I was so happy that Ekko preferred me.
That lasted for a few months, and then suddenly I was out. He completely ignored me, and only wanted Reg. He wouldn't talk in front of me anymore - period. He'd be talking to Reg and the minute I'd come in the room he'd stop talking until I left
He would only step up for me on a perch, where before he'd only wanted to use my hand.
He did that for the next year, and then we had a situation that not only caused my stress and anxiety to go through the roof, but Reg's as well.
I'm out of time tonight, but will continue this tomorrow
I think their sun conures are around that price too…
