Hello! This is definitely not my first time having a bird in my home but it is my first time with an Eclectus, and I would love to bend the ear of those who are happily owned by one.
Last week, I adopted a 6y/o Ekkie who has so far acclimated very well to his new home and gotten very comfortable with me in no time at all. I have some questions about getting his diet on the right track, as I know they have very specialized needs- needs that at this time I am still working to meet for him because his previous owner wasn't quite there yet.
Regretfully he is on Roudybush pellets but I have made him a very filling chop recipe that is making up a good 90% of his diet until the TOPS pellets come in the mail.
He has a sweet tooth (beak?). Loves his fruits, sweet potatoes and sweet peppers. He wouldn't touch any other vitamin a-rich orange foods like pumpkin, carrots and butternut squash until I made them taste like something else in his chop (tossing with a dash of fresh cinnamon and some fresh ginger juice, it smells like pumpkin pie and now he can't get enough of it).
Still, I'm having trouble getting him to try anything green. If he sees anything leafy, it goes straight to the floor. If he sees the color green in his chop, he deliberately and carefully avoids it, no matter how small I shred it. I'm worried he will not take well to the TOPS pellets now, knowing they are mostly made up of greens.
Have you found any tricks to introducing vegetables to an Ekkie with a sweeter palate?
He has an appointment next week for his first well bird check-up and beak trim (the latter of which I'm hoping isn't diet related!)
Last week, I adopted a 6y/o Ekkie who has so far acclimated very well to his new home and gotten very comfortable with me in no time at all. I have some questions about getting his diet on the right track, as I know they have very specialized needs- needs that at this time I am still working to meet for him because his previous owner wasn't quite there yet.
Regretfully he is on Roudybush pellets but I have made him a very filling chop recipe that is making up a good 90% of his diet until the TOPS pellets come in the mail.
He has a sweet tooth (beak?). Loves his fruits, sweet potatoes and sweet peppers. He wouldn't touch any other vitamin a-rich orange foods like pumpkin, carrots and butternut squash until I made them taste like something else in his chop (tossing with a dash of fresh cinnamon and some fresh ginger juice, it smells like pumpkin pie and now he can't get enough of it).
Still, I'm having trouble getting him to try anything green. If he sees anything leafy, it goes straight to the floor. If he sees the color green in his chop, he deliberately and carefully avoids it, no matter how small I shred it. I'm worried he will not take well to the TOPS pellets now, knowing they are mostly made up of greens.
Have you found any tricks to introducing vegetables to an Ekkie with a sweeter palate?
He has an appointment next week for his first well bird check-up and beak trim (the latter of which I'm hoping isn't diet related!)