Almost 10 weeks old

[sodakat]

Jersey is peeking out of nest box entrance hole. She has climbed up to the ledge and spent the day there the past 2 days.

Skipper has not made it out on his own yet, but does enjoy perching on the boing in the cage with his parents for a while each day.

These are parent raised Solomons.

 

[Peeker]

Oh they are beautiful! How long before Skipper will get some orange on his beak?

 

[sodakat]

Oh they are beautiful! How long before Skipper will get some orange on his beak?

Not for quite a while. The black needs to leave completely first. Maybe by the time he's a year or a little before.

 

[Peeker]

It's been so long since my Jax was a baby I couldn't remember just when the color changed! I remember the brown streaks though. I bet it's really wonderful to watch them grow from eggies to such beautiful birds.

 

[sodakat]

It has been a long time for me too! Luckily I have some photo diaries from the clutches in 2009 that help jog my memory.

 

[Birdboy]

they are cute

 

[LoveMyParrots]

They are beautiful!!

 

[moni.k]

Aww, they're so cute! Although they're parent raised, how are they with being handled? I've always wondered if hand feeding vs parent raised really makes a huge difference in the babies socialization growth. Of course babies hand fed are used to being handled, but if the same amount of effort was given to parent raised babies, can they still be "pets" and not "breeders"?

 

[CathnPoe]

So cute. Beautiful healthy looking birds you have there.
Poe's barely got any black left on his beak and he's 6 months, so I think it's individual/ genetic.
I've heard that it's meant to be better for their psychological health if they stay with the parents for the first month, because they get a level of attention and closeness that people cannot provide (without literally sleeping next to them!)

 

[sodakat]

Aww, they're so cute! Although they're parent raised, how are they with being handled? I've always wondered if hand feeding vs parent raised really makes a huge difference in the babies socialization growth. Of course babies hand fed are used to being handled, but if the same amount of effort was given to parent raised babies, can they still be "pets" and not "breeders"?

Yes, they will be pets. But because they know they are birds, they will breed if given the opportunity when they are adults.

As you can see with the parents of this clutch, just because they have a mate and raise young does not mean they are not still my pets.

I think most birds who have their chicks pulled for hand feeding were never given the opportunity to be pets because people figure "breeders" should or could not be "pets".

Or maybe they think the babies will not be friendly if they aren't hand fed. I'm not sure of the reasoning, truthfully.

 

[drlisaort]

Your babies are so beautiful!!! I LOVE when you share pictures of their journey. And what a beautiful little setting they have. I want to live in there!!!

 

[sodakat]

Thank you! I'm glad you all are enjoying watching them grow. They both crawled all the way out into the cage today and are flapping their wings a bit. Soon they will take off flying!

 

[Tami]

Speaking of feeding...the ekkie I'm getting has been on zupreem fruit pellets her entire life, with fruits, veggies, and some seeds. She's 6.5 yrs old. She appears to be very healthy, in great feather, and no apparent bad habits. Should I keep her on the zupreem diet or change it?

 

[sodakat]

Speaking of feeding...the ekkie I'm getting has been on zupreem fruit pellets her entire life, with fruits, veggies, and some seeds. She's 6.5 yrs old. She appears to be very healthy, in great feather, and no apparent bad habits. Should I keep her on the zupreem diet or change it?

That is a tough question to answer fairly. I've heard of other Eclectus who tolerate colored pellets but I'm sure you know that many/most do not.

I would not make any drastic changes to her diet when you bring her home. The change of moving may be stressful so everything tht can remain the same should.

But over time you may want to slowly transition her from the colored Zupreem to the plain Zupreem. See how that goes. *Some* Eclectus reach a point where they can no longer tolerate the colored pellets.

It's great that she also eats lots of fresh food! If a good variety of fresh foods is provided she really doesn't need pellets. Again, no drastic changes. But, I think if you offer a chop that includes fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens and dark orange foods, along with a grain and sprouted or cooked legumes, you will find she has little interest in pellets.

I do offer a bit of seed in the afternoon too. I purchase non fortified seed.

 

[Tami]

Hi Sodakat,
That makes perfect sense. I was hoping you'd say exactly that. Is there any other advice you our anyone can offer me to make her transition as easy on her as possible? Can you tell me what I should definitely do, and not do with a new ekkie, if you have the time? I hate making mistakes at the cost of my fids, kids, or furkids.

 

[Tami]

Also...what do you think of Lafaebers?

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Sodakat your babies are lovely, please keep updating

Hope your well x

 

[sodakat]

Hi Sodakat,
That makes perfect sense. I was hoping you'd say exactly that. Is there any other advice you our anyone can offer me to make her transition as easy on her as possible? Can you tell me what I should definitely do, and not do with a new ekkie, if you have the time? I hate making mistakes at the cost of my fids, kids, or furkids.

I want to share this well written post by Laurella Desborough regarding bringing home a new bird:

Newly arrived eclectus parrots, young, old, wild, or domestic, want to be
SECURE in their new world. Most do not want to be handled... handling can be
threatening when they do not know you. If this bird was a small baby bird, a
little handling in a towel would be fine. But, with a fully developed, flighted
youngster, handling a new bird in a new environment is nothing short of
extremely frightening. I have seen the calmest sweetest easiest handling birds
become totally different when their environment is changed. That is instinct at
work. Instinct demands that youngsters be wary, or they are dead in the wild if
they are not wary. About half survive to their first hatch day.




Their whole world has changed. They need to feel safe, study the new
environment, the cage, the perches, the toys, the food, the walls, the wall
paper, the photos on the wall, the other pets if any, the people, and all
movement in the environment. They are afraid.




So, move slow around her. Talk to her. Give her the food where she feels
safest...and do not try to handle her until she moves to the perch near the
door and does not retreat when you open the door. Of course, do nothing without
talking to her first...lots of talking. Talking lets parrots know you are not a
predator!


While some eclectus parrots are comfortable in 10 minutes, some can
take up to three weeks. NEVER worry about an eclectus being "cage bound" because
as soon as they are comfortable with their new people and new world, they do
want to come out of the cage and will make that very clear by going to the door
area and marching around or even putting their foot up and some say "step up" so
that you will know they want to come out.


For people who insist on taking the bird out of the cage when it is new
and frightened, they are only extending the bird's fearful experiences and
possibly alienating the bird for months! Then, there are those who want to
stroke and pet the new bird...well that will also alienate it. Stroking or
touching on head or back is too much like a predator when you are the new person
and the bird doesn't know you. These birds are not cockatoos, macaws or amazons
and they do not like head stroking and body touching when they are new.


I hope this gives you some hints about handling a new eclectus.

When she becomes calm and comfortable, she will be fine to handle. Always
remember that talking makes a huge difference.

 

[sodakat]

Also...what do you think of Lafaebers?

Read the ingredient list. How many additives and supplements are listed?

The thing about Eclectus that is a bit unique is they have a rather long intestine for their body size. This means they efficiently extract all nutrients from any food source.

This is why enriched products like bread can sometimes be too much for them.

Try to feed non processed foods as much as possible and you'll keep her healthy.

 

[Tami]

Sodakat, Thank you so much for the valuable and priceless infomation. I see that I'd have made a mistake straight off if you hadn't of posted Laurella's write up.