Eclectus not Eating

[jfish930]

Hello Everyone
Our Eclectus Sophie has been sitting on her eggs for a little over a week now. She seems to be eating much less than usual and feels very "light". Her "nest" is at the bottom of her cage, and she spends about 23 hours a day there. She comes out to poop and will eat from her bowl for about a minute-basically just picking.
Since she chose me as her "mate" she makes a pathetic whining sound when I walk by or come in the room, and I just know she is expecting me to feed her. Also, when she does want to be held (about 90% less than when she wasn't laying) she makes moves towards my mouth and expects to be fed.
If I put some pomegranates in her playtop bowl she will eat this but I am not sure how much nutrition she is getting from it. She wont eat the spinach etc.

My question is, if I put some food in front of where she lays, she will eat it. But am I not just making the problem worse? I have read to not change anything and let her find her food bowl because she knows where it is.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Crazy4Birds]

I have had experience with an egg layer as well. She was a cockatiel so I don't know how different a laying cockatiel is from a laying eclectus. But anyways, it does help if you put her food and water bowls closer to her so she doesn't have to go far from her eggs. In the wild she wouldn't be leaving her eggs to find food because the male would come and feed her (which is why she was expecting food from your mouth). She will not be as social as usual. I am surprised she lets you hold her at all. My cockatiel didn't want to be bothered. For a cockatiel it takes about 3 to 4 weeks before she abandons her eggs. She went back to her friendly self again afterwords. Another note, Sophie may feel lighter now because she was heavier last week when the eggs were developing inside her.

 

[jfish930]

Hi Erin
Thank you for your response! I have done quite a bit of reading and agree with everything you have mentioned. I meant to say she ways less than before when this whole egg laying process started. I did put her food bowl down where she is nesting but she wanted nothing to do with it and just bit it! I am going to try to make her a small "box" near where her eggs are so she can see her food and see it this helps.
Thanks again for the advice!
Joel

 

[Crazy4Birds]

Hope it works! Let me know how things turn out.

 

[Pedro]

This may be a bit over the top but i have problems with one of my males feeding his hen or not feeding her more like it, even when the chicks hatch. Think he is a male chauvinist actually.

Something to try. I mix up some hand rearing formula & either feed her from a spoon or she will eat it from the dish. One way of getting some goodness into her & she really enjoys some warm mush. My girl will get off the nest every day & feed about 3 times. But i guess you would have to take into account what your weather is like.

If you are at all worried about her it might be worth considering taking the eggs from her.

Other than that you may have to get a vet to look at her in case she has a bug & may not feel like eating.

 

[greycloud]

How long has she been sitting on her eggs? If she is not eating well you may have to remove the eggs and all nesting supplies. I agree that you might try mixing up some handfeeding formula, or oatmeal with mashed fruits and cooked sweet potato. Make it soupy and warm and offer off of a spoon.
Hens will get very protective of themselves and thier nests. If they feel that leaving the nest will harm the eggs they will sit tight. In the wild female ekkies have several males that stop by and feed them so they never have to leave their nests. Try offering food by hand and if she still refuses you may have to take the eggs so that her health does not suffer.

 

[jfish930]

Thank you all for your replies. I am worried that if I take the eggs, she will lay more? She has been sitting on this clutch of 2 eggs for about 11 days. Also, the 1st egg she laid broke--so thats 3 eggs total. I just fed her some warm organic oatmeal from a spoon and she ate about a 1/2 tsp. Also, if I give her pomegranate she will eat that--but how much is ok to give her? Plus, I am not certain how much nutrition she gets from pomegranate? Thanks everyone!

 

[Cowtown]

I would contact you local Avian Vet and let him know what is going on.
It may be natural for her, but them again don't want to take any chance that she might be sick.