For those of you that have female ekkies do you have much trouble with them biting? Many of you know that I am getting a 6.5 yr old most likely next week. I had a very long talk with the current owner and he said that she is nearly the perfect bird until she gets hormonal, ready to lay her egg, and then she will bite really hard, but a couple weeks after she lays it, she's fine. At first I thought he said she goes thru this about 3 or 4 weeks out of the year. Today he corrected me and said she is like that 3-4 months out of the year. Yikes! He had her as a chick, he's a hobbyist, weaned her and sold her to a woman who just sold her back to him due to her health issues. He said that the woman came back to visit Carli and came upon her from behind and scared her. Carli bit her on the cheek and she needed 3 stitches. He says it was definitely the womans fault for sneaking up behind her but now I'm a bit shaken by this . She had also bit a couple other people during her season. Comments please. Should I rethink adopting her out is this normal and I'll just learn to read her moods?
Eclectus females are unlike other species. I know one owner whose vet calls them the sex fiends of the parrot world. Then there is a long time parrot keeper who recommends giving cardboard boxes to females, "except the heavy breathers, like Eclectus."
So it is safe to say that females are dedicated to procreation. Next to survival, reproduction is probably the strongest instinctual drive in most species. With Eclectus, especially the females, their instinctual drive is strong. This is one of their attributes, to me. They can be the sweetest and yet most determined/single minded bird you will ever meet.
If given the chance, an Eclectus hen will sit in or near a nest year round. They guard the nest more than their chicks! So, if there is ANYTHING they perceive as a suitable nest and if they are allowed to sit there and get in the zone where they are not paying attention to anything except the "nest" they will strike out if interrupted.
I don't know where Carli was that her ex-owner's face was in striking range, but I would never try to touch a bird who was not looking at me and until I had the bird's attention.
Personally, I don't think its a given that she will be moody or nesty or whatever you want to call it for several months out of the year, especially if she isn't allowed to sit in dim areas. If she leads an active, stimulating life there will be no reason for her to think its a good time to lay eggs.
Now, if your lifestyle requires that she sit alone all day in a cage there is a good chance she may begin to look at her cage as a nest, to a degree. In this case you would need to move the cage frequently, especially keeping in mind where the best lit areas are in the room throughout the year.
Clipped birds and especially hens who have been clipped their entire lives, or floor walkers as I call them, are much more likely to be determined nest hunters. It can be challenging to keep a clipped bird up off the floor and the floor is where they find the tempting spots to claim.
The more she is taken places and stimulated to do things beside sit, the happier you both will be.
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