Help! Which one do I buy?

[KenjiCC]

Hi all,
I’ll try to keep this short.
I have narrowed my search down to 2 male Eclectus, one is 5 mo old and just weaned and the other is 2 years old.
The 2 yo is a well established bird, friendly, quiet, talks and is trained.
He doesn’t like to be touched though, only on his beak or feet.
The baby is “brand new”.
This is my first Eclectus and I am wanting a bird that will hopefully cuddle with me and is quiet.
Do I take the baby in hopes that I can “mold” him to what I am looking for or do I take the 2 yo that is already “made” for the most part.
The 2 yo also comes with everything and is healthy. The owners had him since weaning and gave him a great home.
Thank you for any advice!

 

[wrench13]

While babies are cute, there is a fallacy that going thru the weaning process promotes the parrot to be bonded to you. Untrue. In fact, they can turn 180 degrees on the feeder, as happened with my Amazon Salty. My youngest son helped with the weaning process, he did the evening feedings. But when Salty reached puberty, my son became kryptonite to Salty and to this day he hates him with a passion. Does it happen every time? By no means, but it can happen. Also, parrots very often change their personalities quite a bit, both going through and after puberty. That cute little baby becomes the parrot equivalent to a teenage broody, un-glued mess as the first flush of hormones flood their little bodies. It is the time that most parrots are given up or rehomed. The 2 year old will be mostly past that. If he likes you when you meet him, all the better.

 

[Talaya]

I think the most important thing is which one seems to like you.
initially I wanted an older bird and hoped to rescue one, in order to pass the terrible twos and adolescence but wasnt able to find one the centres were willing to give up, due to it either being quiet here or having a male in the house Etc. Hence I ended up with a baby. (He will be 2 later this year)
But I got lucky. We dont Have kids/pets/noise/TV on etc all day, so our house is usually fairly quiet. I’m with him all day most days. He gets a training of a sort 2 or 3 times a week. This has made Solo so far a fairly good quiet bird. Yes he has his occasional moments where he screams for 30 mins in the evening, but he is easily distracted with his favorite songs. . he was even hand reared…but is not cuddly, and dislikes any touching On his feathers. As much as I have tried I can’t make him cuddly either. that’s just his personality. He has has his own mind. He know’s what questions are being asked but he decides if he wants to do them or not. With a baby you are entering the unknown, the hormones, screaming, the biting etc and it takes constant work for several years to try and mold them into how you think they should behave. with the older one, you already know his nature and could be easier to get along with and continue training. Plus I expect you will have the advice and support of his current owners, which is invaluable.

 

[LoveOfallAnimals]

I am by no means an ekkie expert. My experience is with a female. The only places she likes to be touched are her beak and feet. I am not sure that any ekkie will want to cuddle. Even if you get a cuddly baby it doesn't mean that it will stay that way as it grows up.

It really comes down to what do you want. If you want a bird that can talk going with one that already talks checks that box. Even though a species maybe known to talk there is never a guarantee as each birds are individual. Babies are some what of a clean slate but more work. The other bird is more of a preschooler to me and is at the age it wants to learn and absorb. Personally it is the age that I prefer.

Tequilla wasn't a baby when I got her. For what ever reason she had been looked over at the pet store for a little over a year. I believe it was she was left there for me....LOL

 

[Owlet]

eclectus tend to not be cuddly birds. they're much happier just hanging around with you.

 

[stefe43]

Amazing. But it takes loads of efford & also a lot of time. That’s my experience.