New Electus owner

[solrac13]

Hello

Is been 15 days been watching this thread !

Well on the 11 of December I purchased a baby Electus who was not weened and he had like 12 weeks

At the beginning I was paranoid about the corbeau noise that he was making, from the very first 5 minutes he bonded to me and everything was ok except for his constant cryings every time he saw me and that wont stop until i hand fed him and even do will will call me if not near him

Well immediately i weighted him and ended up finding out he had a very light weight, that got me nervous since I just lost an Africain Grey and did not wanted to go trough that again

Any way I did the best i could by feeding his formula with home made carrot juice mix with celery and banana some days I smashed different veggies that i would ad to his formula

He was doing fine except that was not playing as it supposed to do and very little chating and lots of craw noise

Yesterday his poop was not solid and it had some bubbles, that got me worry again and decided to go back to the Chinese pet store who had 3 of them, ones there i saw his fellow electus who he had by the touch a correct weight, ( feeling his breast i could not feel the middle bone, wish my previous had and he was weighting only 300 grams)

I ask the dealer if i could exchange and he agrie if i handed him 30 usd more already handed him 400 usd for the previous one

So I return my ex baby with his sister in the little cage he was use to be and he seem delighted to rejoin his family

Then I pick up the new one and run back home with it, well he seems in much better form and the pet shop told me he was only feeding him formula ones every night before bed time, since he was already refusing 2 formulas a day and he seem to be eating grains very well

They feed them with some mini dark sunflowers first time i see one of this so small, I will mix those grains with others and will add some pellets to it

Also will try to get him started on veggies and fruits ASAP

So far I introduce him his new cage ( 26 Height X 20 inches large X 20 inches deep ) witch is 6 times bigger that the one he was use to, but not as big as the ones must Electus owners use, I will wait few months before going into big cages

He seems very quite and very sleepy and refuses seeds or any kind of food, i think is normal since he is only been here since 20 minutes so i just let him relax next to a warm source on my bedroom were i am must of the time working with my computer

Btw I had many parrot through my life, Yellow Naped Amazons, Cockatoos Moluk, Aras, and so on, but this is the first time i own an Electus and for the very little i went trough with the previous one I could felt in love with this kind of birds >> Hope i am not wrong

Ps He started eating an apple 40 minutes since he is home, guess he will definitely be ready to wean soon

 

[Mike17]

Welcome to the forum, Solrac. We have several eclectus (only one tame) and they can be challenging. What sub-species is yours? I was a bit flummoxed by some of your vocabulary... think French Canadian with things like "corbeau" but then you went to a Chinese shop for the birds. Where are you ?

 

[solrac13]

Hi Mike thanks for welcoming me

Well I was born in Mexico city were I spend my youth years then moved to USA for few years and from there i carry on to France were I spended must of my life

Now since 6 years im located in Shenzhen South of China

talking about the kind of Electus is one of the biggest, the previous one was definitely a Red sider Ecky, now this one who appears to me 1 month older don't know it looks almost the same except that the colors are more pale, the previous one had deep red under the wins this one is more pale also this one is more light green, I will post some pics as soon my mobile phone recharges

Well all birds are demanding and all have there issues, always been a bird men so i get the feeling

I don't mind few Crow calls, but i definitely don,t like screams like cockatoos can do on the son Set

My african grey who just passed away was a very noisy bird, but must of his sounds were pleasant, even do he got on my nerves more than ones, i still miss him alot, he was a very sweety bird

Cross fingers the new boy will behave ok

BTW one of the main reasons that push me to exchange the bird was because the previous one was not a healthy bird and i be living in a Month during 4 weeks to Thailand and did not wanted to leave such responsibility to my house taker

So this new bird boy will be with me during the next 25 days and then he will stay home with some one taking care of him, but not as well as i will try to do, hope he dont hate me on my way back as ones my Amazon did because i left him home during 2 months lol

 

[Mike17]

Ahh.. a true internationalist I know of Shenzhen one of my other hobbies is hifi, speaker building and associated stuff. I have bought some amplifier gear off a Dutch guy (married to a Chinese lady) out of Shenzhen. I couldn't identify your subspecies from your description, in Australia we mainly see Solomon Island sometimes Red-Sided (my hen who died a week ago was a Red- Sided) and occasionally Grands or Vosmaeri (the latter rare and expensive). Pictures will help, and so will people more knowledgable than me.

Cockatoos don't need sunset to scream, our guy does it any time, including middle of the night! Thankfully he's on the verandah, not inside the house.

 

[solrac13]

New Ecky update can thinking he is a Vosmeri type

Well I weighted the new eckie and i was right his weight early morning with no food is 358 grams a huge difference to the previews 300 grms Ecky which im sure he will be alright

If i hadn't be force to go for a trip next month I would keep him as he was so sweet and tender to me

Now the new boy nameless so far, has a different personality so far he is afraid of me he shakes and breeds a lot if i manipulate him, in 2 words he is scare and learning his new environment

He eat some seeds this morning and few bites to his fruits but definitely not eat a lot, I keep reading eckys have a huge appetite, still haven't see that, compare to my grey who was a monster eater lol

He refuse everything i hand to him directly to his mouth, I try to offer him some formula by seringue as he was use to and also by spoon he also refused, tomorrow night I may force hand feeding through deep through seringue method ONLY IF NECESSARY

Im guessing he is just stress of been separated of his sister and so on

https://plus.google.com/photos/101331219663854833541/albums/5959365088055077937

https://plus.google.com/101331219663854833541/posts

 

[Mike17]

It's much more difficult to tell male subspecies than female, Solrac. Beautiful bird though- he looks to be older than a bird needing syringe feeding, he has no black on upper mandible that I can see. Which would point to him being 5-6 months or more old. I wouldn't be trying to force-feed him, eccies will eat if they're hungry, just make sure there's a variety of foods available to him.

I see you work in wood- the furniture pieces in other pics at the site you linked to look beautiful. As mentioned earlier, I've built hifi speakers and am really envious of expensive ones with veneer, inlays etc. My first attempt at veneering was something of a disaster! Still, it's all a challenge for a woodworking-challenged guy like me

 

[solrac13]

Hi MIke

Well the other 300 grams baby who really was on hand feeding had also no uper black bec at all BTW the 300 grm bird never drink water during the 12 days at home, something that the last does 2 times per day

https://picasaweb.google.com/101331219663854833541/EEctus?noredirect=1#

, I do agree this bird is older and may not bee his brother even do they were all in the same cage (there was the sister too but she was always making ugly noise and she was always very nasty too)

Well as u said for the time been i let him eat what he likes (so far he is into millet and some other small seeds, next to that there is a dish with veggies sprouts, broccoli, carrot all raw and fruits papaya, banana, grapes and apple that he dont touch except for the apple)

I will not force on feeding him at all but if for any reason he stops eating well then i will recur to the hard method, I think will no need that, tonight he is been eating seeds on an on so i guess he will survey

So far not a single craw noise keep finger crossed if he stays that way

BTW I dont work on wood, I am a trader I sale electronic devise and what ever my European clients wish from China, so I do sourcing and trading

 

[Mike17]

Hi MIke

Well the other 300 grams baby who really was on hand feeding had also no uper black bec at all BTW the 300 grm bird never drink water during the 12 days at home, something that the last does 2 times per day

https://picasaweb.google.com/101331219663854833541/EEctus?noredirect=1#

, I do agree this bird is older and may not bee his brother even do they were all in the same cage (there was the sister too but she was always making ugly noise and she was always very nasty too)

Well as u said for the time been i let him eat what he likes (so far he is into millet and some other small seeds, next to that there is a dish with veggies sprouts, broccoli, carrot all raw and fruits papaya, banana, grapes and apple that he dont touch except for the apple)

I will not force on feeding him at all but if for any reason he stops eating well then i will recur to the hard method, I think will no need that, tonight he is been eating seeds on an on so i guess he will survey

So far not a single craw noise keep finger crossed if he stays that way

BTW I dont work on wood, I am a trader I sale electronic devise and what ever my European clients wish from China, so I do sourcing and trading

Great pics- and I can see now his beak isn't adult- hasn't developed the carrot shade and a bit of black.

There is some really nice electronic stuff coming out of China- some really high end brands like Vincent are made there. I really like some of the valve amplifiers and CD players etc. Quite pricey though!

 

[solrac13]

Well to tel u the true all the branded items ( eg Apple, Valve or whatever) even they are made in China the price will be same or little higher then USA

What is interesting is the OEM products

PS that the chinese boy on my blog working with wood is just a worker redoing the office lol Im spanish look

Any way will love to visit Australia and New Zealand one of this days!

 

[JerseyWendy]

As already stated, it's quite difficult to determine which sub species of Eclectus this is.

One thing is certain: He is NO baby, and should be completely weaned by now. He is definitely older than 4 months (beak color is a dead give away).

If he is a Vosmaeri, his beak won't develop the candy corn color.

 

[mtdoramike]

Wendy is right, this Ekkie is way over a few months old and should have been weaned. He looks to be well over a year old and maybe even a few years old. You should also take him to an avian vet or any vet around that will see him because he looks like he might be a bit malnourished due to the coloration of his beak.

 

[Mike17]

Well to tel u the true all the branded items ( eg Apple, Valve or whatever) even they are made in China the price will be same or little higher then USA

What is interesting is the OEM products

PS that the chinese boy on my blog working with wood is just a worker redoing the office lol Im spanish look

Any way will love to visit Australia and New Zealand one of this days!

Yes, I figured from your bio you were José the Spanish looking guy and not the Chinese one

You're fairly close to Oz and NZ in China- lots of flights, they're a big trading partner of Oz these days. You'd need weeks to see Oz, it's as big as the contiguous US. NZ has a lot to see, but much easier to get around. Spectacular, I love it in fact wanted to move there- but no work. NZ-ers are moving to Oz in droves. We chose Tasmania (the island state to the south of Oz mainland) which is beautiful but lacks the pointy mountains of south island NZ, and the amazing blue glacial water- whole big lakes are the most amazing blue. Tasmanian rivers are brown! (it's the tannins from the forests).

What Wendy said is interesting, about Vosmaeri beaks, but one thing's for sure, he's not a baby. Mind you, our 3.5 year old SI will still take food from a syringe!

 

[JerseyWendy]

I should rephrase what I said about the beak. Male Vos beaks DO get orangey, but not as pronounced as in the Red Sided.

Here are some great reference guides:
subspeciesID

Subspecies ID

 

[Caesar]

Id like to view the picks but am unsure about how I get to see them.

 

[Caesar]

Hi Solrac.
I agree that the bird in the picks is a fantastic looking bird and I also agree that he is older than you were told. MY ekie is 5 months and still has black lower mendable and a small black strip across his upper beak.
I am no expert but it seem to me from what you r saying the bird has been over weaned. And that's going to give you a headache down the track.
species wise (I'm no expert) but he looks likes like the sub species The Grand Eclectus....

 

[JerseyWendy]

Id like to view the picks but am unsure about how I get to see them.

If you are using a computer, all you have to do is click on the blue writing/links, and a new window should pop up with the photos.

 

[solrac13]

Hi Solrac.
I agree that the bird in the picks is a fantastic looking bird and I also agree that he is older than you were told. MY ekie is 5 months and still has black lower mendable and a small black strip across his upper beak.
I am no expert but it seem to me from what you r saying the bird has been over weaned. And that's going to give you a headache down the track.
species wise (I'm no expert) but he looks likes like the sub species The Grand Eclectus....

HI Cesar

There were 2 birds and 3 links with pictures the very first bird who stayed with me 15 days was really not weened and a real baby face and baby crys as well he was 300 grams NO weened AND HE HAD THE SAME Bec COLOR

The present weened bird picture link https://plus.google.com/photos/10133...65088055077937


And the previews bird no weaned with baby foots and so on
https://picasaweb.google.com/101331219663854833541/EEctus?noredirect=1#

The second bird with is much less than a year as i saw him eating formula 15 days ago on the petstore is waited early morning with no food is 358 grams so i assume he is on his 5 months or so age

And here a link of a baby ecky 5 weeks old with no black on his beck

And here the same bird Eddie at 11 weeks

And here what his owner says >> by kimforster on Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:18
Found a baby Ekkie - Have a BIG problem : Eclectus Chat

Not all ekkies start with black beaks. Those that do don't lose the black until about 2 years old. His beak is duller like a young ekkie. Eddies was exactly the same & didn't go into the bright candy corn until just under 1 year old. His under beak isn't all black also so he is young

Here a 4 months an half Ecky video, yellow bec as well [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwoxzR4FQg4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwoxzR4FQg4[/ame]

 

[Josk]

He sure sounds like he's ready to be weened if he goes to eat an apple on his own. Congratulations on your new friend!

Just 19 months ago I had mistakenly purchased a male Ekkie at 5 weeks old (10-12 weeks too early for a new parrot owner FOR SURE). I was told by a so called "professional" breeder that it was fairly easy to hand-rear a parrot. It's not. It should only be done by people who know what they are doing.

He said it would be necessary for him to bond with me. That might have some minor influence on our relationship, but look at all the awesome relationships people on these forums have with their birds, I bet you most of them didn't have to rear/wean them themselves.

You should be very pleased that he is taking to you so quickly. I was so anxious about raising my Ekkie at 5 weeks old. When I had done extensive research, I realized what I had gotten myself into. I spent hours watching videos, reading guides from professionals, in order to make sure I took every precaution when feeding him. The consistency and temperature of the formula had to be so precise. I took him to my vet every other week to check up.

Fortunately, I never had any issues rearing him, even though a rookie like myself could have easily messed something up. Never again would I do that, I was extremely concerned every day for his well-being and I am so thankful that he turned out to grow up without any issues whatsoever.

Hope you enjoy your new Ekkie, make sure you spend time learning the nuances of this very special parrot species. You will raise a better companion for it!

Also might I add, the Ekkie in the picture you claim is 5 weeks does not look 5 weeks old. Mine only had a few feathers at that age! He was mostly a fluffy ball of gray downs. I have to agree with everyone else's opinions: Most Eclectus parrots will still have very dark beaks prior to the age of 6 months or so (although it varies slightly between subspecies).

 

[solrac13]

He sure sounds like he's ready to be weened if he goes to eat an apple on his own. Congratulations on your new friend!

Just 19 months ago I had mistakenly purchased a male Ekkie at 5 weeks old (10-12 weeks too early for a new parrot owner FOR SURE). I was told by a so called "professional" breeder that it was fairly easy to hand-rear a parrot. It's not. It should only be done by people who know what they are doing.

He said it would be necessary for him to bond with me. That might have some minor influence on our relationship, but look at all the awesome relationships people on these forums have with their birds, I bet you most of them didn't have to rear/wean them themselves.

You should be very pleased that he is taking to you so quickly. I was so anxious about raising my Ekkie at 5 weeks old. When I had done extensive research, I realized what I had gotten myself into. I spent hours watching videos, reading guides from professionals, in order to make sure I took every precaution when feeding him. The consistency and temperature of the formula had to be so precise. I took him to my vet every other week to check up.

Fortunately, I never had any issues rearing him, even though a rookie like myself could have easily messed something up. Never again would I do that, I was extremely concerned every day for his well-being and I am so thankful that he turned out to grow up without any issues whatsoever.

Hope you enjoy your new Ekkie, make sure you spend time learning the nuances of this very special parrot species. You will raise a better companion for it!

Also might I add, the Ekkie in the picture you claim is 5 weeks does not look 5 weeks old. Mine only had a few feathers at that age! He was mostly a fluffy ball of gray downs. I have to agree with everyone else's opinions: Most Eclectus parrots will still have very dark beaks prior to the age of 6 months or so (although it varies slightly between subspecies).

Hello Josk

Yes is a big challenge raising an on-weened ecky, I have experienced that with my Yellow Naped Amazon and a Sulfur Crested Cacatoo and some other birds

I would kept him if i would not have to travel soon, as I say before dont want to give such huge responsibility to anybody, so thats why i decided to exchange it before to late

How old is you Boy now? Is he very messy? Im saying that because my young boy when ever i feed him grapes he spills some all the way stray to the wall

Reporting my boys day 2, he is eating eating and eating and so far total silent, sure soon he will start announcing his self, hope nicely :41:

 

[Josk]

Kiwi will be 2 years old in April. He was very messy when I weaned him. He still is today when he eats fresh vegetables and fruit! The only difference is that now he will wipe his own beak off after he is done eating, he never did that during his weaning/childhood phase. Although I assume that might be a learned behavior, since he got so pissed at me for wiping his beak with a paper towel when he was younger XD

I meant to say in my first post that you should be glad he is bonding with you so quickly. It's a good sign! I assume English is not your first language.