So much Poop?

[skylala]

Hi everyone.

I got my first Male eclectus parrot yesterday. Things aren't going as smoothly as I'd hoped, but that's another story lol. Things seem like they're getting better now.

Anyway, I got him out of the cage for the first time this afternoon, and he pooped a LOT. I don't know if it's normal or not?
It was happening every couple of minutes. I swear at one point he did at least 10 poops in as many minutes. It was just constant!

Is this normal?

He's about 12 weeks, could possibly be as young as 10 weeks. He doesn't seem to be eating the sprouts and veg I'm offering, but has had some pellets. He started squawking last night (It got REALLY loud) and I tried for a good 2 hours to keep offering him food, but he kept at it so I ended up giving him this 'formula' that the breeder left in a bag for me. No information given on what it was or how to use it, but I gave in and had to hand feed it to him. He ate it as if he was starving and I fed him until he didn't want anymore.

Breeder finally got back to me telling me it wasn't formula, it was an egg + biscuit mix he apparently only has for breakfast in a bowl.
Well same deal in the morning, needed to feed it, as well as the afternoon. Tonight he took some pellets and hasn't been squawking for the biscuit mix, which is good. It's almost his bed time so hopefully wont need it tonight. Yeh!
Anyway, do you think it's the Mix making him go to the toilet so much? Or is it normal for his age, or?...

I'm just a little shocked at how much he has pooped...

 

[weco]

Hello & welcome to the forums.....

When I first read the second paragraph of your post, my first response thought was.....hmmm, she scared the ...... right out of him, but it may well have been nervousness from the move.....

I've never had an ekkie, but did have a nanday that was rather prolific at first, but after a few days he settled down to a normal 15 minute routine.....hope that's the case with your new feathered friend.....

Good luck.....

 

[antoinette]

He has only been with you for a day sure it could be from excitement and a change from what he was used to.

Perhaps it could be the mix as well.

What else is he eating?

 

[coltfire]

please please get him off the pellets and on to fresh fruit and veg pellets are no good for eckkies in any way, the only food they should be eating is fresh fruit veg nuts and a very little amount of seed, meat, chicken,fish, pasta, rice,sprouts, lentils, please look up my old thread eckkie breaky and eckkie fruit lunch

 

[skylala]

please please get him off the pellets and on to fresh fruit and veg pellets are no good for eckkies in any way, the only food they should be eating is fresh fruit veg nuts and a very little amount of seed, meat, chicken,fish, pasta, rice,sprouts, lentils, please look up my old thread eckkie breaky and eckkie fruit lunch

I know what to feed him, please dont think I'm ignorant because I did a LOT of research before getting him. I spent a lot of money buying heaps of veg/herbs/fruits, growing sprouts and I spent many hours making 'dinner baggies' for him with them, but like I said, I tried to offer it and he won't take it. He's still a baby and Ive only JUST got him, I'm just happy he's eating anything at all. Pellets are better then being hand fed an egg and biscuit mix 3 times a day lol

Thanks for the info guys! I hope the poops do slow down when he settles in more.

 

[coltfire]

please please get him off the pellets and on to fresh fruit and veg pellets are no good for eckkies in any way, the only food they should be eating is fresh fruit veg nuts and a very little amount of seed, meat, chicken,fish, pasta, rice,sprouts, lentils, please look up my old thread eckkie breaky and eckkie fruit lunch

I know what to feed him, please dont think I'm ignorant because I did a LOT of research before getting him. I spent a lot of money buying heaps of veg/herbs/fruits, growing sprouts and I spent many hours making 'dinner baggies' for him with them, but like I said, I tried to offer it and he won't take it. He's still a baby and Ive only JUST got him, I'm just happy he's eating anything at all. Pellets are better then being hand fed an egg and biscuit mix 3 times a day lol

Thanks for the info guys! I hope the poops do slow down when he settles in more.

i was not implying you were ignorant, just that pellets are no good for him , now if he is only 10 weeks old thgen he should be still on formual once a day even at 12 week old that is just at the weaning stage , ive breed eckkies for 14 years, all i was doing was giving you information for your bird.

 

[BillsBirds]

Since you've had him just one day, maybe he was scared and wouldn't poop. So, when he finally did, there was a lot to do. Also, the egg mix could add bulk to his droppings.

 

[skylala]

please please get him off the pellets and on to fresh fruit and veg pellets are no good for eckkies in any way, the only food they should be eating is fresh fruit veg nuts and a very little amount of seed, meat, chicken,fish, pasta, rice,sprouts, lentils, please look up my old thread eckkie breaky and eckkie fruit lunch

I know what to feed him, please dont think I'm ignorant because I did a LOT of research before getting him. I spent a lot of money buying heaps of veg/herbs/fruits, growing sprouts and I spent many hours making 'dinner baggies' for him with them, but like I said, I tried to offer it and he won't take it. He's still a baby and Ive only JUST got him, I'm just happy he's eating anything at all. Pellets are better then being hand fed an egg and biscuit mix 3 times a day lol

Thanks for the info guys! I hope the poops do slow down when he settles in more.

i was not implying you were ignorant, just that pellets are no good for him , now if he is only 10 weeks old thgen he should be still on formual once a day even at 12 week old that is just at the weaning stage , ive breed eckkies for 14 years, all i was doing was giving you information for your bird.

I appreciate receiving information, but you didn't give me any information I wanted. It felt a little condescending especially when I said in my original post I was giving sprouts and veg. It didn't seem like you read what I wrote, just read 'pellets' and jumped on me. I didn't really think it was a fair comment, even though I could tell what you wrote was with good intentions.

Anyway, I could use your help on the poop problem. Today same problem, pooping every couple of minutes. Is it normal for his age?
I went out today and got 'real' formula and wont be using any more of that egg+biscuit mix.

 

[coltfire]

due to his age and diet if its constant then you may need to take him to the vets, with the formula add baby food to it just make sure its pureed , and change it up every second day so maybe a fruit or two the the steak and veg lamb and pasta what ever they sell where u live now i put one heaped tea spoon to two teaspoons of formula mixed up should make around 25/35 cc which is plenty if your crop feeding just make sure u keep the temp at the right level other wise if to hot will burn the crop to cold and only by a few degree;s he wont be able to empty the crop now the right temp should be on the packet, but in Celsius its between 36 and 38 degree;s so keep a bowl of hot water close by and a thermometer. the temp is the most important part of formula feeding, if his poop does not change with in a day or two i would be going asap as they dont show us when they are sick until its to late

 

[Boysmom]

My advice would be to schedule an avian vet visit ASAP ! Young birds can decline very quickly and even die. That many poops would have me running to the vet. The usual weaning age of Ekkies is 3 to 4 months but some take as much as 6 months to wean. It sounds to me like your little guy is on the early side of weaning, so I would definately have a vet check him out and advise you from there as to his feeding. Are you perhaps well trained in handfeeding ? You may have some handfeeding time with your baby' especially since he isn't eating well on his own. offer some mashed up cooked sweet potato and see if he takes to that. You can also offer some baby food that is warmed in a bowl of warm ( not hot ) water. Please keep us updated, but in my opinion that is way too many poops for such a youngster who isn't eating well. He could become dehydrated very quickly. I would also recommend you keep him warm and calm, maybe in a quiet room and cover part of his cage with a blanket to hold in heat, just in case it is from stress or sickness. Did you get him from a breeder? Was he vetted before you got him ?

 

[skylala]

Thanks for your help everyone! I've been watching him closely the last 2 days and it looks like his poop frequency is 'normal' now. He's also behaving just all round better. He played with a ball and some toys I put out for him today. He hasn't been playful since I got him so that was nice. He's also eating some veggies! I'm really happy about that. It looks like he's becoming more interested in the fresh food then the pellets, so I'm feeling confident I can eventually phase out the pellets. I only ever wanted them in the cage over night in case he got hungry from dinner to breakfast.

Still needing 3 formula feeds a day. How will I know when he doesn't need it anymore? I'm concerned if I keep feeding him when he's squawking at Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner, that he will just make it a habit.

with the formula add baby food to it just make sure its pureed

Just wondering why you do this? Is it to help with weaning? I'll give it a shot, thanks

the right temp should be on the packet, but in Celsius its between 36 and 38 degree;s

The packet doesn't have the temp :S It just said to add hot water, so thanks for the information!

 

[Mike17]

The initial egg-n-biscuit diet plus nervousness were probably the cause of initial "overpooing". Our hand-raised eccies stayed on Neo-Care until fledged then moved to a "foundation" mix and up until our current guy was about two he had an afternoon feed by syringe of Paradise pellets ground and mixed with water. This is a complete diet, fed to to him (and anyone else that wanted it) to make sure he got a supplement to his normal diet (vitamins etc).

You can test temperature with back of hand (like babies milk) but the most sensitive, easily accessed part of the body for testing temp is the lower lip. Just keep tissues handy...

We have a Princess Parrot with a deformed beak who is fed on a mash of ground Paradise Pellets, and his bowel movements are frequent and messy. Nothing else we can do- he can't eat seed. He does "have a go at" hulled sunflower so maybe I should put a container in for him as it's a real pain when we travel, can't leave him with anyone. He's a prodigious eater so I'd worry he'd not get enough seed into his tummy to satisfy him.

Interesting to see suggestions of "take him to the avian vet". I live in the outback (small country towns on 3 year terms) and we're lucky to have a vet of any kind, let alone avian. The closest in my last town was a 6 hour drive away- but he closed anyway to concentrate on the bird pellet food and supplement business (making the Paradise pellets mentioned above). When our current eccy got sick at 6 weeks we took him to local vet who spent considerable time looking in books and on web for a solution, in the end he was fed a paediatric suspension of antibiotics as he was too young for an injection (apparently).

 

[coltfire]

yes i add the baby food to the mix as it makes weening easier , ok now you said 3 feeds a day if he is well now 11 weeks or 15 weeks you can cut it down to 1 feed at night and as long as he is eating his fresh food during the day he will be fine , now once you see he is eating most of the fresh food cut the night feed, he may scream for one or two night but it will stop after that, just watch his weight and as long as its going up your doing the right thing remembering once of formula he may lose a few grams over two day but then it should go back up and that will be the best way to know no more formula is needed. Eckkies will take a night feed for as long as you give it, so it will be up to you when to stop but the sooner the better that way he is fending for him self, hope this helps, also with the baby food i add more and less formula over the last week till its just baby food for a day or two then that's when i stop

 

[skylala]

Did you get him from a breeder? Was he vetted before you got him ?

Yes I got him from a 'breeder'. I use the term very lightly now lol. I found the website off a specialised forum for Eclectus owners and he wasn't cheap, especially because I had to flight him to my airport to pick him up.
Apparently he went to an avian vet to get his wings clipped before I got him and I would assume it would be a general check up as well, but I can't be sure he even went. Wings are clipped and I paid extra for the vet visit, so I hope so!

Here are some photos of him

Thanks coltfire for the information. I'll try cut back on the feedings now. I actually felt like he didn't need one this afternoon. He started squawking like he does when wanting the food, so I went and made a bit and came back and he was eating other food. I'll keep the night feed and attempt to cut out the other 2