Well, first off, hello and welcome. Sorry, havent welcomed you yet. Hm, well the choosing the bird part.
Lets see, ekkies in general:
-They are observers, not the cuddly bunch you know (so true, believe me

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-They love to eat, munch, munch and munch some more. They eat alot, not too much pellets, but if you feed him too much other yummy stuff you'll have a fat ekkie!
-They are not known to be screamers, but as Indigo said before, and its very important that you understand, that if it does scream, how does it affect you, your household and neighbour. I have never actually heard an ekkie scream, the ones i saw was very cute and quiet. But i would recommend you trying to get the screaming somewhere. Its a big bird, so loud noises could emerge from it.
-They are known to be family birds, altough i think mine is very attached to me, he wont bite the other members, but isnt quite eager to go to them.
-Remember, a big bird has big beak, and an ekkies is quite big. What if the bird starts to bite, will you know how to handle it and how to train to stop or prevent it from ever happening?
-Dont think because its thought to be an independent bird, they wont need as much attention as other birds, ekkies can also become a plucker.
-Know the problems/diseases associated with your specific breed, toe tapping is one to keep in mind.
-And to keep your ekkie healthy, you must know what its diet is about, what they may or may not eat, they are a bit different in their dietary needs. The digestive system is longer, i suggest you look into that seriously, because it could affect the health of an ekkie.
-There should be a website of some sort where they list birds for sale, check with those sites, call up the people, and if they are close by, go and visit them to find out if they are reputable breeders. Thats the way i found my bird, remember, good and backyard breeders advertise in papers and websites, you just have to call up and go visit them.
Well, i dont know what to say anymore, talking too much again, please feel free to ask me any questions concerning the breed. Thanks!
Talk to you soon!!
Wilma!!!
