Eclectus.sitting in the corner

[feathers556]

Wait, I forgot about the egg in there.

Feathers, what exactly is her diet like? In the manner I treat noodles, I promise you pasta would not be contributing to any of your issues (for a separate thread), so if he's registering as too much protein I would really take a hard look at what you are consistently giving him in larger quantities and on a regular basis. How much did she come back weighing?

Speaking of protein, this thread actually reminded me I need to get Parker a little by of boiled egg and shell. He's just started his annual molting.

She weighs 460 grams. She eats zupreem pellets and her favorite treats are hard boiled egg, pasta and celery. She only gets 2 pieces of pasta at a time. As far as treats, she doesn't get a lot of any one thing but I was giving her egg almost every day because she lives it so much but I haven't given her any at all for 2 days now.

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[Anansi]

What sub-species of ekkie is she again?

 

[feathers556]

Solomon Island .

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[Anansi]

Hmmm... generally speaking, that is indeed rather hefty for a Solomon Island. But of course, there are individuals within sub-species that defy the typical parameters, so the best bet is to feel on either side of the keel bone.

 

[feathers556]

She doesn't feel really fat, but she's not too keen on being felt that way. The lady that had her before me used to hold her tightly to her chest to try to calm her down. It took me 6 mos to be able to even touch her

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[plumsmum2005]

Perhaps a call to your AV to check out how much overweight he/she feels Belle is?

To gain that opinion I should hope it was based on actual weight and physical exam.

 

[feathers556]

He said she was about 6-8 grams overweight

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[plumsmum2005]

Ok 6-8g is not loads but worth acting on so it doesn't go to 10-20g IMO. In all honesty if you can up the activity each day that will drop without too much effort, if resistant to any extra exercise then it's a case of reducing the obvious from her rations unfortunately. Even a waddle about the home is Ok.

 

[feathers556]

That's pretty much all she does is saddle around the house. Lol. I have cut down in her treat foods like eggs and pasta. I am trying to get her to eat more fruits and veggies but she's pretty resistant to most of them.

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[plumsmum2005]

I have a RB2 on a diet as he is pretty resistant to exercise but in the beginning he wouldn't fly but I could get him to follow me, waddle around the house. Even prefering to walk up the stairs to flying can you believe? As soon as he caught me up I went into another room calling him.

As he has dropped weight he is more easily encouraged to fly a bit, even getting a bit of aerial acrobatics if he feels like it.

BTW if they are a bit hungrier they will try new foods I have found. Still have favourites to go to first but on the whole eating more things not accepted before.

If she likes pasta put it through a processor and then mix it through the veggies and she will have to at least taste some to get to the pasta. Chop is good for this as all mixed up.

 

[feathers556]

I dont think Belle ever flew. They clipped her wings as soon as they got her. They were still clipped when I got her and even tho I let them grow out, she has never tried to fly. She plays on the play gym and waddles around the house and thats about it. I will try chopping and mixing stuff and see what she does



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[plumsmum2005]

If you can get her to chase after you around the house she may use her wings a little to give her some extra pace? Be good dyt?

 

[RisingSun]

My boy is clipped, and never flew even when he wasn't. But he likes to "fly" on my finger. If you put her on your finger and start running, she will flapher wings. I do this with Matisse nearly every time I go to pick him up. Now as soon as I pick him up he immediately starts flapping his wings in anticipation. I pick him up a lot, so sometimes we end up doing this up to 10 times in a day.

I also make him do pull-ups. I have a huge rope twist that circles the entire width of the outside front of his cage and whenever I put him back, I put the rope level with his beak, forcing him to pull himself up. He also likes to run the length of the rope.

After reading up on atherosclerosis in large birds I have been trying to find ways to make Matisse do more physical things. It is hard, especially for Eclectus who aren't usually known for their high energy. Here is a nice article with a section about cardiovascular health in parrots https://theparrotuniversity.com/my-bird-gets-enough-exercise-doesnt-he

I find it interesting that it mentions raising HDL cholesterol. I am going to look into getting a metabolic blood panel done on Matisse to see what can be improved diet wise. He also has gotten the dreaded overweight status from the vet the last several times.

Also make sure she get some sun to help process vitamin D. I imagine indoor birds could become lethargic due to low vitamin D. This means if she is not in a spot where she has access to sun, bring her around to a sunny window for several minutes a day, or sit in the car in your driveway with her, or get a special light. I take Matisse for short car rides through neighborhoods a few times a week, and his favorite chair he likes to climb up, is right underneath a skylight, so he gets plenty of sun.

In terms of improving nutrition when she's picky. I've heard Eclectus's referred to as large lorikeets, which like to feed on nectar....so not surprisingly he enjoys drinking juices. Maybe you can make smoothies for her that have healthy things in it, with some fruit for added sweetness.

 

[Anansi]

My boy is clipped, and never flew even when he wasn't. But he likes to "fly" on my finger. If you put her on your finger and start running, she will flapher wings. I do this with Matisse nearly every time I go to pick him up. Now as soon as I pick him up he immediately starts flapping his wings in anticipation. I pick him up a lot, so sometimes we end up doing this up to 10 times in a day.

I also make him do pull-ups. I have a huge rope twist that circles the entire width of the outside front of his cage and whenever I put him back, I put the rope level with his beak, forcing him to pull himself up. He also likes to run the length of the rope.

After reading up on atherosclerosis in large birds I have been trying to find ways to make Matisse do more physical things. It is hard, especially for Eclectus who aren't usually known for their high energy. Here is a nice article with a section about cardiovascular health in parrots https://theparrotuniversity.com/my-bird-gets-enough-exercise-doesnt-he

I find it interesting that it mentions raising HDL cholesterol. I am going to look into getting a metabolic blood panel done on Matisse to see what can be improved diet wise. He also has gotten the dreaded overweight status from the vet the last several times.

Also make sure she get some sun to help process vitamin D. I imagine indoor birds could become lethargic due to low vitamin D. This means if she is not in a spot where she has access to sun, bring her around to a sunny window for several minutes a day, or sit in the car in your driveway with her, or get a special light. I take Matisse for short car rides through neighborhoods a few times a week, and his favorite chair he likes to climb up, is right underneath a skylight, so he gets plenty of sun.

In terms of improving nutrition when she's picky. I've heard Eclectus's referred to as large lorikeets, which like to feed on nectar....so not surprisingly he enjoys drinking juices. Maybe you can make smoothies for her that have healthy things in it, with some fruit for added sweetness.

Great tips for exercise and health. Just one thing, though. Most windows block the components of sunlight that parrots need for Vitamin D. To truly get the benefits of sunshine, we have to take our birds outside for the unfiltered good stuff. (In either a harness or carrier, of course!) Sucks for me and my flock, as I live in Jersey and cannot do so in the winter, but I get them out as much as I can in the warmer months.

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[RisingSun]

^ Never considered that! Makes sense. My windows are from the 60's, so maybe it isn't so filtering? It is my dream to build a screened in area in the yard, where I can set up a play area for them. I agree sunlight, and natural air are what all birds need to be happiest.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Maybe the lamp would be a good investment, sure is here in the UK. You do not get any benefit from sunlight sitting behind any glass unfortunately.

There are foods that are good for the liver such as beetroot. How much overweight is Mattisse?