Screaming Eclectus

[becandsam]

Hello, i have a 12 week old male eclectus parrot.. We purchased him at 10 weeks and he has bonded with us instantly. He was fully weaned when we got him and he is eating fruit and veg twice a day. So far he has been a little angel however over the last 2 days he has been screaming.. He spends a lot of time out of his cage with us. He is screaming when he is sitting on us, on the lounge or in his cage and while he is eating. The screaming just does not stop i am not sure what he wants and its starting to get really frusterating let alone ear peircing. Someone please help me!!!!!

 

[Pedro]

Hello & welcome. 10 weeks is unheard of to wean an eclectus are you sure you have the age right. Mine are weaned at 14 weeks but i don't sell them until they are 16 weeks old.

Although the screaming is a learned behavior especially at this age. I am just wondering if he hasn't regressed back to wanting hand rearing food. It does happen if they are forced to wean to early.

He needs more than just fruit & veggies. Also sprouted seeds, raw nuts, a small amount of seed.

diets

 

[becandsam]

He is eating lots of fruit and veg and also home grown sprouts and beans and fruit and nut mix and nutriblend eclectus pellets as a treat.. When we bought him home the breeder we got him off gave us some egg and biscuit mix and we tried it for a few days however he didnt seem to want it so we started him on the other stuff. He has been great he gives us lots of cuddles and kisses.. when he is in his cage before bed he was mumbling and making sweet noises but its like the last few days he wants attention thats why he is screaming however no matter what we are doing now he seems to scream. I know he is happy because he plays with his toys. He is getting a lot better on his feet now when he climbs over different things in his cage and he is also learning to fly. I am just getting really frusterated because even sitting on his favourite spot getting kisses off me he is screaming.. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Robyn]

Hello,
When we got jack he was 14 weeks old and still being weaned. We were shown by the breeder what to do and what to feed him. We took him home , got a teaspoon, bent it to fit into his beak, shape of a 'V' and this is how we fed him for probably the next 2-3 months slowly getting him onto fruit and veggies etc.
We noticed that when he was hungry he would scream, sometimes extremely loud and we started to think ' what the hell have we done bringing hone this loud thing', he actually was our very 1st and we were a little scared that this was how it was going to be.
When we made up his mix we would use the kettle, so upon hearing the kettle, when we would be just making our coffees he would be screaming. Even hours after he was put to bed, if we made coffee in the night he would hear that kettle and scream.
Thank god he doesn't do it now, he has a very big vocabulary so his talking took over from the screams and he no longer cares about the kettle.
But 10 weeks being weaned ???? Sorry I have never ever heard of this. If you google weaning eclectus, info should come up for you. Even At 14 weeks they are still being weaned as my jack and even the following few months.
He might be eating the fruit the veggies but maybe he is screaming for baby food that will fill him ?
To me it reminds me of when Jack was hungry, even after he was weaned. We were still learning and we found he was hungry so he would scream. Once we worked it all out the screaming instantly stopped.
We were sooooo lucky with Jack, he isn't a screamer, only as a baby when he couldn't talk.
To me it sounds like your baby is hungry for baby food.

 

[Robyn]

Have you maybe tried the egg and biscuit mix with some baby food mixed in with it ?
We were given stuff from the breeder who told us to mix it with some hot water and a bit of baby food and he loved it, screamed and screeched after each mouthful because I wasn't quick enough for him. I can't remember the mix I was given from the breeder.
But we went out and got him different flavored jars of baby food. As we got more confident and he got a little older we started to buy buy baby foods that were a little chunkier. This made him very happy.
That was only our experience with Jack though.

 

[JJones1719]

I think we need more info on his screams. Does he scream in the morning, night before bedtime. Right before eating, if so, this is pretty normal for an Eclectus. If he he is screaming just to scream, then there is an issue that perhaps is not learned and perhaps a vet visit is needed.
It's true that at 10 weeks being weaned is super dooper fast for an Eclectus. If he regressed, this means he is not eating pellets, fruit, and veggies. If this is the case, then you may have to either spoon feed him or take him back to the Breeder.
There are so many reason that a Parrot screams, the faster you figure this out, the better off you will be. I agree that is not easy to listen to but I am thinking how this is effecting the Eclectus here. Can you describe his body positions when he screams, does he lower his body, flap his wings really fast, this is begging for parrots, perhaps there is something in the room that he wants or wants to be moved to another area. Is he close to a window, if so, move him, something outside maybe scaring him. Bird are pray animals and near windows are pretty scary for parrots.
He maybe screaming for your attn. Be careful here, don't always give in just because he screams.
I use the time outs with both my boys, This means, whenever my boys do something that is not wanted and after I have told them NO. I take them to their cage, cover them for no more then 5 min for a time out. Just like you would do with any child. After the 5 min and after they are quiet or calm down. I remove the cover, give them a treat for being so good and praise them.
Parrots respond to positive action more then negitive so kee0p this in mind.
Both my boys are very good, respond to me and thrive to make me happy. I live in a Condo and have never had one complaint. I hope this info helps. Best of luck Joe

 

[Ollie13]

Hello I must admit that is really good advice and I totally agree! My eky baby "Ollie" is 11 weeks and still has his formula. He isn't fully weaned as he can't eat solids as yet. I'm picking up things he is telling me by his body language and what I just read is so true about wanting to be moved to another location. Definitely be feeding formula to a baby eky at this age they cry for it and then once their belly is full that normally would stop and the crys get fainter and fainter

 

[skylala]

In my experience my bird will only scream because he is hungry. 10 weeks is too young to be weaned. I got my boy at 12 weeks old and he was apparently weaned, so said the breeder. Got him home and no, he was not weaned. She gave me some egg and biscuit mix with him, but I went out and bought real baby formula for him instead.

It didn't take him long to get off the formula which is good. Like 2 weeks or something? He was still eating some fruit and veg in this time but he needed the formula.

Then I remember one day, my boy just started screaming for no apparent reason. By this stage he really was completely weaned. He had heaps of food in his cage but he screamed. All. Day. Argh I could have killed him that day XD But as it turns out, he was just hungry! Even though he had a bowl full of food, I guess he didn't much like what I put in there for some reason.

Gave him food I knew he loved, and he ate it all.
Try giving him some food you KNOW he loves and watch him eat it. Make sure he is not just throwing it out the bowl.

Also I would maybe consider giving him 3 meals a day instead of 2? Maybe not enough.

Edit: Oh I just realised this is a super old thread? Why is it at the top? :S

 

[MikeyTN]

Just sk you guys know your replying to a post going on 3 years old and the posters aren't even posting here anymore.

 

[Ollie13]

I'm new to the forum so my bad if I have any questions what's the best thred to post questions to? I have a 12 week old eky I thought I was meant to go by topic. I have an eclectus owners hand book but not answers are found there hence why i post a few things here will know for next time cheers