The Eclectus Diet: The Do's, the Don'ts, and Everything You Need to Know But Were Too Afraid to Ask

[azflcowboy]

Still working. The boy cleans his bowl of veggies if I mix in a little Tops+fruit. There's so much less wasted chop.

Hello
I noticed some day Moses eats alot of the Tops and some days hardly any.
Any ideas or do you think it depends on his mood
my wife tried mixing the tops with fruits and then the veggies and it worked well
thank you and God bless
Larry azflcowboy

 

[Talaya]

Hi all,
I thought I would post this here as I hope that myself and others may learn from It or want to give suggestions.
I try hard to give a diverse range of fresh veg which I chop and freeze plus a little fruit everyday. He gets about half a teaspoon of mixed seed most days and occasionally a third of a spray millet, Maybe a couple of pumpkin seeds a day.
sometimes my boy toe taps when nodding off. I’ve cut out his topper for the last few weeks and it has got a little better, but sometimes he still does it.
Tuesday: Yesterday was awful he was fast asleep, open eyed but blind to the world of shadows.. and yet kept to his regular 1 minute tap for about 2 or 3 hours. The only difference yesterday was he had a piece of melon with the seeds for the fruit in his dinner. I wash all his food in an apple cider solution and rinse twice. I peel it after.
So on to Wednesday: today.. he’s had his normal frozen chop breakfast. Then a third of a Millet spray, cucumber and celery in a foraging ball, half a lychee, a drop of organic coconut oil and a slice of peach. I don’t think he has touched the peach though, and no other seed. Anyway, there’s been no toe tapping at all tonight.
I now suspect he might be sensitive to melon seeds. I say this because in the tub of roasted pumpkin seeds, I also roast my melon seeds and add these too. I’m wondering if the odd days that he taps 4 or 5 times at night, is when he’s had melon seed instead of pumpkin seed In his dinner.
So tomorrow, I have a morning of emptying the tub, sorting out the melon from the pumpkin seeds and throwing out the melon ones and I’m also going to source a supply of straight plain millet rather than the mixed seed the breeder suggested. Over the last year of having him I have found out, he can’t eat too many chickpeas or sweet corn over a short period., as it sends him into crazy overdrive, like a child on colourings and sugar.
He avoids carrots, bell peppers, cinnamon and dried fruit., And that Asparagus also makes him toe tap.
He will do anything for an almond.
I hope to get to the bottom of it.

 

[cytherian]

Process of elimination. With a complex chop, it can be tedious to narrow it down. In our case, we gave a little bowl full of edamame which the birds enjoyed... then a few hours later, the adult male started toe tapping. He couldn't stop. Went on for hours, then about 1am he stopped. Next day, early morning, he started tapping again and his mate, she started tapping too. But then a few hours later, stopped... and that was it. They've had edamame before, but always mixed with other veggies. Soy has a lot of protein and that may have been too much for them, just all edamame.

 

[Talaya]

Process of elimination. With a complex chop, it can be tedious to narrow it down. In our case, we gave a little bowl full of edamame which the birds enjoyed... then a few hours later, the adult male started toe tapping. He couldn't stop. Went on for hours, then about 1am he stopped. Next day, early morning, he started tapping again and his mate, she started tapping too. But then a few hours later, stopped... and that was it. They've had edamame before, but always mixed with other veggies. Soy has a lot of protein and that may have been too much for them, just all edamame.

That’s quite interesting Cytherian.
In humans, Soy actually causes internal inflammation plus an increase in oestrogen production. So boys and people with any kind of auto immune disease such as lupus, ME or RA; should not eat soy. My friend who is a nurse told me, and she won’t give soy products to her son, even though he is dairy intolerant. It is the reason I have not given any soy products to Solo.

so just after I posted yesterday,, he tapped very Lightly for about half an hour.
Thursday: today. He’s only had his chop am & pm, an almond wiped over with red palm oil. About 6 niblets of corn in his piñata, A grape, a blackberry (left) & slice of plum (left)fruit with dinner. no seeds of any kind at all. I’ve just heard 4 clicks on his perch now, but quite far apart, as he falls asleep. That’s it 6 light clicks in half an hour and now it’s stopped.
I know he’s feeling better today because he’s tucked his head in behind his wing to sleep tonight.

 

[azflcowboy]

Hi all,
I thought I would post this here as I hope that myself and others may learn from It or want to give suggestions.
I try hard to give a diverse range of fresh veg which I chop and freeze plus a little fruit everyday. He gets about half a teaspoon of mixed seed most days and occasionally a third of a spray millet, Maybe a couple of pumpkin seeds a day.
sometimes my boy toe taps when nodding off. I’ve cut out his topper for the last few weeks and it has got a little better, but sometimes he still does it.
Tuesday: Yesterday was awful he was fast asleep, open eyed but blind to the world of shadows.. and yet kept to his regular 1 minute tap for about 2 or 3 hours. The only difference yesterday was he had a piece of melon with the seeds for the fruit in his dinner. I wash all his food in an apple cider solution and rinse twice. I peel it after.
So on to Wednesday: today.. he’s had his normal frozen chop breakfast. Then a third of a Millet spray, cucumber and celery in a foraging ball, half a lychee, a drop of organic coconut oil and a slice of peach. I don’t think he has touched the peach though, and no other seed. Anyway, there’s been no toe tapping at all tonight.
I now suspect he might be sensitive to melon seeds. I say this because in the tub of roasted pumpkin seeds, I also roast my melon seeds and add these too. I’m wondering if the odd days that he taps 4 or 5 times at night, is when he’s had melon seed instead of pumpkin seed In his dinner.
So tomorrow, I have a morning of emptying the tub, sorting out the melon from the pumpkin seeds and throwing out the melon ones and I’m also going to source a supply of straight plain millet rather than the mixed seed the breeder suggested. Over the last year of having him I have found out, he can’t eat too many chickpeas or sweet corn over a short period., as it sends him into crazy overdrive, like a child on colourings and sugar.
He avoids carrots, bell peppers, cinnamon and dried fruit., And that Asparagus also makes him toe tap.
He will do anything for an almond.
I hope to get to the bottom of it.

Hello
Very Interesting recipes
We give Moses pretty much the same formula fresh everyday. Never seen him toe tap. We recently taught him to poop on request and he usually complies
Thank you for you post
Larry azfl cowboy

 

[Talaya]

Hello
Very Interesting recipes
We give Moses pretty much the same formula fresh everyday. Never seen him toe tap. We recently taught him to poop on request and he usually complies
Thank you for you post
Larry azfl cowboy

hi, yes I agree too, his chop is more or less the same, but I do add what is seasonal in the shops. So since October Ive added Squashes. Then I save all the squash seeds too. He usually has about 5 squash seeds a day. But I’ve reduced that right down to 1 maybe 2 as a goodboy for going in his sleep cage. It’s reduced greatly. And had two days of no sounds at all. I never see it, just hear it echo through the perch and rungs, for about half an hour. I still suspect melon seed and now maybe pumpkin/squashes, so I’m going to swap to a pine nut. Last night he decided to roost on a different perch all together, a much thinner diameter one and there was no noise at all. Usually he rests up on a big fat bamboo perch about 7cm diameter.We are slowly getting there.

 

[azflcowboy]

hi, yes I agree too, his chop is more or less the same, but I do add what is seasonal in the shops. So since October Ive added Squashes. Then I save all the squash seeds too. He usually has about 5 squash seeds a day. But I’ve reduced that right down to 1 maybe 2 as a goodboy for going in his sleep cage. It’s reduced greatly. And had two days of no sounds at all. I never see it, just hear it echo through the perch and rungs, for about half an hour. I still suspect melon seed and now maybe pumpkin/squashes, so I’m going to swap to a pine nut. Last night he decided to roost on a different perch all together, a much thinner diameter one and there was no noise at all. Usually he rests up on a big fat bamboo perch about 7cm diameter.We are slowly getting there.

Hello Very Interesting I usually wrap all his perches with vet wrap i order on amazon. The vet wrap i used on my horses legs when they were working or exercising. I just use the 1 inch wide wrap. I have never hear Moses toe tap. His diet is the same all year round as we have all the stuff available in Florida. Now i have the job of finding a good avian vet in the ocala crystal river area.
The 2 different vets who said they were bird vets were obviously not as they claim. Each time I got Moses back from the vet when they tried to take blood he was traumatized. I am looking for a vet who is really qualified.
Thank you for your feed back. Have you gotten much help from other eclectus people on the forum
stay well and God Bles Larry in sunnu warm Florida at least for the next few days (49 degrees in the morning and now 72 degrees

 

[Talaya]

Hello Very Interesting I usually wrap all his perches with vet wrap i order on amazon. The vet wrap i used on my horses legs when they were working or exercising. I just use the 1 inch wide wrap. I have never hear Moses toe tap. His diet is the same all year round as we have all the stuff available in Florida. Now i have the job of finding a good avian vet in the ocala crystal river area.
The 2 different vets who said they were bird vets were obviously not as they claim. Each time I got Moses back from the vet when they tried to take blood he was traumatized. I am looking for a vet who is really qualified.
Thank you for your feed back. Have you gotten much help from other eclectus people on the forum
stay well and God Bles Larry in sunnu warm Florida at least for the next few days (49 degrees in the morning and now 72 degrees

Hi Larry,
people on here are always helpful. Unfortunately food sensitivity is always going to be specific to an individual, just like us. So it’s a process of elimination, and detox time. Though I did read about asparagus being a ‘known’ irritant for parrots, so was able to stop that immediately. Fortunately he’s not very bad.
It’s always really useful to hear other people’s experiences and knowledge, to build my own knowledge up. I’ve previously had cockatiels but not a large parrot.
Ooh, I was a horse riding teacher and still have some vet wrap somewhere, I’ve used it on various bits and pieces.
Solo forgives me pretty quick if I’ve done something wrong, though yesterday he stole a hair band & flew off with it, which then flipped over his head whilst in flight and slid to his shoulders, I had to hold him tight whilst hubby cut it off, he’s still not 100% forgiven me for that yet, I get the glare if I hold my hand up near him, so we are back to basic training. Which was a perfect Session.
Hope you find a proficient vet soon x x well wishes from across the water, in a chilly damp UK.

 

[saxguy64]

Oh, you hit the nail on the head. It's definitely a case of individual sensitivities. My first ekkie, patches was a complete chow hound. Not so much with a lot of veggies, but any fruit in front of him and he was in his glory. I didn't worry about the extra calories since he was pretty naked, so he needed it to keep warm and maintain body weight. Nothing bothered him, and he never ever toe tapped.

Fast forward to Tucker... He's definitely sensitive to certain things. Process of elimination, corn, even in small amounts, and dark purple grapes caused him to tap badly, and took more than a week to completely subside once I figured it out.

Now I have my cute little grey, who's also somewhat plucked on his chest, burns tons of calories, I'm back to offering higher calorie stuff like fruits, and seeing what he likes as he's still quite new to me. He was losing weight soon after I got him, despite the improved diet that he took to very easily.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I thought I'd let Tucker have a treat since I was offering it to the other two. A couple chunks of mango which he loved, and a blueberry that he didn't even finish for breakfast. Bad idea. By supper time, he started tapping, and next morning it was to the point of about every 2-3 seconds, and periodically kicking one leg out behind him and shaking/scratching/scraping on the floor of the cage. I realized what I had done, and sat there and cried for my poor boy, and my own stupidity. I screwed up, and my sweet Tucker paid for it. Despite always trying our best, once in a while I manage to feel like a total failure, even though there's no way I could have known. It's humbling for sure. It again took over a week to completely clear.

 

[azflcowboy]

Hi Larry,
people on here are always helpful. Unfortunately food sensitivity is always going to be specific to an individual, just like us. So it’s a process of elimination, and detox time. Though I did read about asparagus being a ‘known’ irritant for parrots, so was able to stop that immediately. Fortunately he’s not very bad.
It’s always really useful to hear other people’s experiences and knowledge, to build my own knowledge up. I’ve previously had cockatiels but not a large parrot.
Ooh, I was a horse riding teacher and still have some vet wrap somewhere, I’ve used it on various bits and pieces.
Solo forgives me pretty quick if I’ve done something wrong, though yesterday he stole a hair band & flew off with it, which then flipped over his head whilst in flight and slid to his shoulders, I had to hold him tight whilst hubby cut it off, he’s still not 100% forgiven me for that yet, I get the glare if I hold my hand up near him, so we are back to basic training. Which was a perfect Session.
Hope you find a proficient vet soon x x well wishes from across the water, in a chilly damp UK.

Hello the UK I love travelling to our home in Lithuania and stopping off in the UK via boat from florida or airplane I have cousin in Norwich and also York I was Mounted Policeman (Booby) in south florida and eventually became instructor at the Kentucky Horse Park I have had parrots nw for over 40 years but my Moses (Solomon Island Eclectus) is the BEST, i got him as a baby and now after 3 years when i leave for what ever reason he will ask "Where's Daddy" ,he along with my retired k-9 go for a car ride every day about 2 pm and if i stop at a store while Duchess and Moses are in the car He looks for me and tells my wife who stays in the van "Where's Daddy" and when people walk by the van in the parking lot he always greets them and says "Hello" tell me about your parrot The picture is when he sits on my shoulder as I take him for his daily drive around the village of Beverly Hills (florida) not hollywoodstay well and God Bless

 

[Talaya]

Oh, you hit the nail on the head. It's definitely a case of individual sensitivities. My first ekkie, patches was a complete chow hound. Not so much with a lot of veggies, but any fruit in front of him and he was in his glory. I didn't worry about the extra calories since he was pretty naked, so he needed it to keep warm and maintain body weight. Nothing bothered him, and he never ever toe tapped.

Fast forward to Tucker... He's definitely sensitive to certain things. Process of elimination, corn, even in small amounts, and dark purple grapes caused him to tap badly, and took more than a week to completely subside once I figured it out.

Now I have my cute little grey, who's also somewhat plucked on his chest, burns tons of calories, I'm back to offering higher calorie stuff like fruits, and seeing what he likes as he's still quite new to me. He was losing weight soon after I got him, despite the improved diet that he took to very easily.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I thought I'd let Tucker have a treat since I was offering it to the other two. A couple chunks of mango which he loved, and a blueberry that he didn't even finish for breakfast. Bad idea. By supper time, he started tapping, and next morning it was to the point of about every 2-3 seconds, and periodically kicking one leg out behind him and shaking/scratching/scraping on the floor of the cage. I realized what I had done, and sat there and cried for my poor boy, and my own stupidity. I screwed up, and my sweet Tucker paid for it. Despite always trying our best, once in a while I manage to feel like a total failure, even though there's no way I could have known. It's humbling for sure. It again took over a week to completely clear.

Gosh I hadn’t even thought about grapes. He has one smallest one most days, but it is just one & not every day. I try to buy black grapes as I’ve heard they’re healthier. he seems to prefer the red and often that’s all I can get. As his tapping isn’t every day or very hard, it could even be those, another one to add to the suspect list then. Thanks Saxguy. I’m going to try a week without grapes.

 

[Talaya]

Hello the UK I love travelling to our home in Lithuania and stopping off in the UK via boat from florida or airplane I have cousin in Norwich and also York I was Mounted Policeman (Booby) in south florida and eventually became instructor at the Kentucky Horse Park I have had parrots nw for over 40 years but my Moses (Solomon Island Eclectus) is the BEST, i got him as a baby and now after 3 years when i leave for what ever reason he will ask "Where's Daddy" ,he along with my retired k-9 go for a car ride every day about 2 pm and if i stop at a store while Duchess and Moses are in the car He looks for me and tells my wife who stays in the van "Where's Daddy" and when people walk by the van in the parking lot he always greets them and says "Hello" tell me about your parrot The picture is when he sits on my shoulder as I take him for his daily drive around the village of Beverly Hills (florida) not hollywoodstay well and God Bless

Aw, that’s so adorable Larry. 😍 I hope Solo becomes as clever as Moses.

 

[Talaya]

Just thought I’d update the monsters diet issues, we gradually reduced all of his food eventually he was just on 3 items for dinner. But it actually made it worse.
It seems that it is too much brassicas irritate him, last year this was fine, his green chop base was kale or collard greens and Pak choi.. I’ve tried collard greens, hispy cabbage, Chinese cabbage, spinach & Pak Choi. I swiched to everything organic that I could but no difference.
everytime I fed just fruit and none of the above he was fine, but when fed these on their own he tapped a bit. one night he ate a wedge of organic celery too and was tapping for several hours.
I’ve been reading a bit by Laura Desborough and a chap whose name escapes me, anyway after looking at their food pics, I’m reducing the leaves to virtually none, probably it will just be herby leaves and going back to the pulses and root veg (with tops if possible)
The slightly negative is he has put on about 40g in weight In just 8weeks.. Last time I weighed he was 460g, where he was holding at about 420g. He is a real pig with food.

 

[Birdman666]

Yep. Very diet sensitive birds. Seeing what happens to them if you feed them wrong is heartbreaking. This is great info!

I've fostered a couple, but never had a permanent resident until now.

 

[Terry57]

Yep. Very diet sensitive birds. Seeing what happens to them if you feed them wrong is heartbreaking. This is great info!

I've fostered a couple, but never had a permanent resident until now.

Mark, did you get an Ekkie? I'm really happy for you, I've been wondering how you've been doing. It's good to see you.

 

[Birdman666]

Mark, did you get an Ekkie? I'm really happy for you, I've been wondering how you've been doing. It's good to see you.

I was given a 9 year old male eckie. I've had him for about two weeks, and he's already my most bonded bird. In fact, the problem I have with him is that he is absolute velcro.

I never thought of eckie's as touchie feelie birds. THIS ONE IS A CUDDLEBUG/NEVER SET ME DOWN BIRD...

He had a mate. They were raised together and inseparable. The female died of a seizure disorder recently. He's obviously transferred that bond to me...

I also have a G2, a golden conure, a BFA... and deposits down on two big macs. So I'm Soon going to be back to six.

 

[chris-md]

Welcome to the Ekkie world, Mark!

 

[Sama]

You’re certainly very welcome, caring!

and Thank you guys! especially you, Terry, for being a sounding board for this. I really have to credit Wingdings for sending some interesting stuff to me that kinda triggered some thinking. The writing was much harder than actually piecing everything together.

Going through this, I’m definitely reevaluating what I believe to be true and how best to process all this. I think we know more than we realize about their digestive system, but have contorted ourselves into pretzels to ignore or deny the obvious: they were built for fruits…mostly.

It’s not some big mystery about why they are so different from all the other granivores we’re taking care of.

I’ll say this: reviewing all of this, I personally strongly believe the longer digestive system explanation for their dietary needs is bunk. Too much seems to actually be known about their “upper” digestive system for the intestines to be a source of contention. Perhaps we don’t still understand why they have problems with enriched foods, but I don’t believe it’s because of the intestines.

Hi and thank you for your information, our eclectus food varieties but going overweight so worry what is best list of food exactly can stop that , feed them mix vegetables and fruits, vetafarm paradise pellets add flaxseed , pumpkin seed ,with one table spoon small birds seed ,mix vegetables and fruits at the morning mix pellets afternoon .so why going overweight really hard to feeding them best way .what samples of food can lower Eclectus weight especially indoor birds