enjoying my new ekkie...too soon to get another one?

[Presley]

Hey guys, I posted over a month ago about getting an ekkie. I was deciding between a Hahn's macaw and an ekkie at the time. After getting some good advice about how it's best to go see the bird in person instead of having it shipped from an out-of-state breeder, I ended up acquiring a one-year-old male ekkie in my area that was being rehomed. It's been about 6 weeks and he's exceptionally well-adjusted to his new home. He is already developing a really good bond with me which I wasn’t excepting so soon because he was hand-weaned by his previous owner and lived the first year of his life with him. I'm really enjoying my ekkie and I was planning on getting a female ekkie to keep him company when I’m not around and also for me. (Okay, mainly for me. ) Back when I first started researching ekkies, I was thinking of getting both a male and a female but I wanted to start out with one first and see how it went.

Now, there is an opportunity for me to acquire a 6-month-old female ekkie, also a rehoming situation. I do want my birds close in age together and I read it's better for the female ekkie to be the younger one.

I know about quarantining them from each other for at least 30 days and introducing them to each other gradually. They would have their own separate cages and playstands. After they became used to each other, they would be spending time outside of their cages in the same area. They would do it under close supervision in the beginning. My male ekkie actually came from a home that had several other birds of different species and they would hang outside their cages together. So, I think the process may be easier for him, though I know there are no guarantees.

However, I'm getting some conflicting info. I've read that ekkies, even when paired up with the opposite gender, don't lose their bond to their owners. Generally, most birds would, but ekkies are supposed to be the exception to this. However, I have also heard of ekkies losing their tameness after mating. I also read that if you get both birds before they are sexually mature and raise them together, they won’t view each other as sexual mates (not sure if that's specific to ekkies or not). Any thoughts on this?

I don’t want to risk losing the bond I have with my current ekkie. Would it make any difference if I got a female ekkie at a later time so the bond I have right now can become more established, so there is less risk of having it ruined? Or is the same risk, regardless of the timing? I’m also aware they might not get along, but that’s something I could address in the future after giving it some time and supervision. Right now, my concern is that I end up losing the bond I have. Is that unfounded with regards to ekkies or not?

 

[LordTriggs]

Ekkies are one of the few birds that don't pair bond

but what I will say is you're slap bang in the middle of the honeymoon period right now.

I personally would wait until your guys hits sexual maturity and goes through puberty to be honest. That's when they can change their personality greatly. I think we all know what you mean, the moment you get one you want another, then another, then another 50, then once your home resembles a zoo you think "one more can't hurt"

Enjoy your green bean for himself right now. Nothing is stopping you in the future

 

[itzjbean]

Six weeks is not long at all to be with one bird, I know you are excited to have him in your life but I would suggest waiting, as mentioned above, another year or at least until sexual maturity. With another bird is double the cots of food, toys, cage, etc, though it will give him companionship, there is no rush!! Really get to know your new guy and develop that trust bond with him first before jumping into the Ekkie bandwagon again.

 

[Jottlebot]

I'm interested in why you would get another eckie, but it didn't look like you were thinking of getting 2 Hahns?

Also your comment about eckies changing after mating has me a bit concerned. Are you planning to allow your birds to breed? I'm not sure, but I don't think you have experience of breeding parrots. I might be mistaken. I think there are probably enough breeders out there already.

I ENTIRELY understand the new bird appeal though! Especially as your boy is so well adjusted. I would spend more time with him before you take the plunge with another.

 

[Presley]

I'm interested in why you would get another eckie, but it didn't look like you were thinking of getting 2 Hahns?

Also your comment about eckies changing after mating has me a bit concerned. Are you planning to allow your birds to breed? I'm not sure, but I don't think you have experience of breeding parrots. I might be mistaken. I think there are probably enough breeders out there already.

I ENTIRELY understand the new bird appeal though! Especially as your boy is so well adjusted. I would spend more time with him before you take the plunge with another.

Oh no, it was between a hahn's macaw and an ekkie. I would consider getting a pair of ekkies because from what I've read they do not pair bond. I would not consider pairing other birds unless they are like the ekkies and do not pair bond. Especially since I do have the time to spend with my bird, like I said the other bird is mainly for me.

I absolutely do not want to breed birds, (I could never part with those babies and my house really will turn into a zoo!) but they would be hanging outside their cages in the same area during the day. I heard that's okay, because it's not that easy to get birds to mate. The conditions have to be just right and I wouldn't provide any areas for nesting, etc. But who knows what they will do when my back is turned? So my concern was if they were to mate, that they would become untamed.

 

[chris-md]

Yep, totally agree, you need to wait. Especially if this is your first bird (or even first "big bird"), you still don't really have the full grasp of what it is like to care for one ekkie, let alone two. Give it a few years.

I agree with the advise about waiting until puberty hits, but not for the reason you would think. Ekkies I don't think experience the same personality shift that other birds do - that shift references
1. Tolerance for coercive handling - macaw youngsters allow it then reject it as older bird which gives the appearance of a dramatic personality shift, ekkies never really do to begin with (though individuals will vary), and
2. Tolerance of strangers - ekkies (especially the males) generally like most people regardless of age. Macaws and conures may tolerate a wide range of people naturally as pre-pubescents, but as pair bond birds their inclination after puberty is to gravitate towards one person, and likely become aggressive to anyone who isn't that one person).

The reason I agree is 1) because puberty sucks with any bird, and 2) ekkies can get hormonal at any time of the year, unlike other birds. You need to learn how to handle and cope with hormonal bouts, because they can be pretty spectacular events with ekkies. At his worst, Parker makes me doubt getting a parrot...until it calms down, then I realize suffering through that month long hormonal rage was worth it. If you find your boy's hormonal bouts alone are overwhelming, two birds going through it will make you absolutely regret getting a second bird.

Parker is admittedly a little different. In males, hormonal behavior can manifest in a few ways, categorized as either amorous behavior - masturbation, regurgitation - or aggressive behavior. Amorous behavior tends to be seen much more often - you'll find countless threads about the males rubbing on a person or perch or toy, or regurgitating for same. Aggressive hormonal behavior in males is less common, from my observations. You'll occasionally come across a thread complaining about how aggressive their male is when they are hormonal. These males make up a smaller proportion of hormonal cases, lets call it 20% of males. Parker is aggressive when hormonal. Doesn't regurgitate for anything, and rarely rubs himself on me, occasionally a perch while making out with a bell toy. Parker gets so aggressive at times that I have to leave him in his cage for a day, no coming out. After a day or two it subsides enough to come out.

Your larger question about losing the bond: You won't, because you aren't planning on mating them, nor should you be. The nature of the bond may change, it just depends. You can never predict how two birds will react to each other. Either you remain the favorite and they really hate each other, or they shift their bond to each other.

If they bond more strongly to each other than to you, they don't become untame. It would typically manifest in simply more gravitating behavior (moving more towards the other bird than to you). You can still handle both of them as you would if they were solitary birds. Questions about becoming untame, I promise, do not in any way pertain to you or what you are contemplating.

 

[Scott]

Congratulations for adopting! You seem clear on wanting a second Ekkie mainly for yourself, which is generally the best reason. There is never a guarantee two birds will be friendly or mate. I would advise waiting until you are fully bonded and your male has established himself comfortably. While it is certainly possible to acquire multiple birds at the same time, it is very challenging.

Ekkie social and mating structure is quite different from many parrots. As stated, there is a lot of free-lancing in the wild! I had a pair of Ekkies and the female hated the male. Surprising, as he was a very large and beautiful bird. They were paired for a while but miserable, so they lived their lives peacefully separated. The best accommodation was to occupy a playstand together.

I assume you are familiar with Ekkie dietary needs?

 

[Presley]

Ekkies are one of the few birds that don't pair bond

but what I will say is you're slap bang in the middle of the honeymoon period right now.

I personally would wait until your guys hits sexual maturity and goes through puberty to be honest. That's when they can change their personality greatly. I think we all know what you mean, the moment you get one you want another, then another, then another 50, then once your home resembles a zoo you think "one more can't hurt"

Enjoy your green bean for himself right now. Nothing is stopping you in the future

LOL, I was just thinking that about my future! Don't worry, I swear the limit is two ekkies! I do love and enjoy my green bean!

 

[Presley]

Six weeks is not long at all to be with one bird, I know you are excited to have him in your life but I would suggest waiting, as mentioned above, another year or at least until sexual maturity. With another bird is double the cots of food, toys, cage, etc, though it will give him companionship, there is no rush!! Really get to know your new guy and develop that trust bond with him first before jumping into the Ekkie bandwagon again.

Sounds like good advice, itzjbean. I was thinking of that, too. Thanks!

 

[Presley]

Thank you Chris, I appreciate the thorough explanations regarding the hormonal changes and for my bonding question. It answered a lot of related questions.

I was mainly concerned about the bond but you guys have given me a different, valid reason to hold off that hadn't occurred to me, so thank you guys for that.

I wasn’t planning to get another bird so soon either, it’s just this opportunity presented itself. It’s just rare to find a local ekkie that’s being rehomed, (like I stated in a previous thread of mine, there are no local regular breeders of ekkie that I’m aware). So this ekkie was not only in my area, but also the right gender and age I was wanting for my next bird, and she looked so beautiful and adorable in her pics. I know I could make her happy! But…I will hold off. Now to text the owner about why I won't be getting her bird.

 

[Presley]

Congratulations for adopting! You seem clear on wanting a second Ekkie mainly for yourself, which is generally the best reason. There is never a guarantee two birds will be friendly or mate. I would advise waiting until you are fully bonded and your male has established himself comfortably. While it is certainly possible to acquire multiple birds at the same time, it is very challenging.

Ekkie social and mating structure is quite different from many parrots. As stated, there is a lot of free-lancing in the wild! I had a pair of Ekkies and the female hated the male. Surprising, as he was a very large and beautiful bird. They were paired for a while but miserable, so they lived their lives peacefully separated. The best accommodation was to occupy a playstand together.

I assume you are familiar with Ekkie dietary needs?

Thanks for the reply, Scott. To answer your question, yes and this forum has been very helpful on what to feed him and what to avoid!

 

[psychocircus91]

A lot of good reasons presented on why to wait.

With that being said, I decided not to wait when adopting a second cockatoo almost immediately after the first. The plus side of acquiring two birds closely together is that the dynamic can unfold together. There are no territorial issues yet, no one is overly bonded, and the first isn't upset by an "intruder." The birds are getting used to the amount of time they will get with MULTIPLE birds in the house, rather than their time being cut down when acquiring a new bird. The dynamic will certainly still change over time, but there are less moving parts.

With all of that being said, I have lived with parrots more of my life than I have lived without; I know what I'm getting into. Ultimately, only you will know if you are ready, and you are taking the right step by asking for advice.

 

[Soyajam]

Wow lol I've been 3 weeks with my ekkie and the thought of a second makes my blood run cold!

(I'm sure it's the baby squawks talking but still)

Agree with everybody else. Wait for a little while. There are always birds to adopt and it may benefit you to understand your bird a bit better too.

 

[Presley]

Hey Don, I like you bringing up the “pros”. I was thinking along the same lines of for the positive reasons, but you expressed it better than I could have. Thanks for the insight! It did give me pause to think.


Hey Soyajam, I can understand. It has not been perfect with my ekkie but nothing yet that has made me say I wouldn't get another one. However, the more I think I about it the more I'm leaning towards waiting it out instead of getting the one currently available.
Hopefully, when the next opportunity comes up the timing will be better.