Minding high temps and giving Ekkies their sun time.

[nicki]

I am an ekkie owner to Eko the ekkie right to the east of Dallas, Texas. It was 104 today, UGH. I realize their body temp is around 107 and have much higher tolerance to heat as we do, but how much?

I have his cage next to a window, which I understand filters out all the wonderful things from sunlight he needs, yet when i take him out to bask in the sun, using my finger as a perch, i feel bad. He doesn't seem upset but I am afraid of him deciding of fly off and catching the Texas prairie wind, or worse trapping him in his carrier in the sunlight!

This is his beautifulness with my finger on a foot, just in case imgur: the simple image sharer (d'aww!)

I have a small carrier with an open screenish top, but not a full cage. I can push his cage outside but it just is too darn hot for the amount of time I think he needs!

This also brings up the topic of showers. He has only showered like a bird should 3 times ever! I will usually let the shower go full steam and put him on top of the shower door to see if he goes thru his "I wanna get wet" motions. Most of the time he just gives me the "Ugh, I'm wet" look.

If only they can talk.. oh, wait ..

Also, happy hatch day to my fella .. 5 months on the 27th

 

[moni.k]

Man I totally know how you feel with the heat. It was over a 100 here too in LA! The trick to catching the sun is early in the morning. Nalani gets a few hours out of the week outside. Majority of the times it between 7-10am. By noon it gets way too hot, even under the shade I don't feel comfortable with her in the heat. I do know a friend who has an aviary for her two U2's, she has a misting system built along the top of the roof. Her birds would be out for hours throughout the day and had no issues. Maybe I'm just too paranoid, but I'm way to nervous about leaving her out in the heat for so long.

For the shower, I have a showering perch. I first let the water run a little so she gets used to the sound, then I hop right in and hold her on my hand. I hold her close to the running water and flick the water towards her and usually that gets her to responds a bit better to the water. She starts drinking and then gets all fluffed up. Once she starts to really get into it I put her back on the perch and continue to flick the water (much more frequently). It takes a few minutes of encouraging, but she enjoys showers almost every time now. She even hangs upside down with her back facing the water like "hey, don't forget you missed a spot!" . If I don't follow the routine, she'll just sit on the perch miserable. I never put her directly under the water, it runs a little strong and she tends to get freaked out and scared.

OMG!! Eko is adorable. I love his little beady eyes!! His feathers look AMAZING too! Great pic, thanks for sharing

 

[nicki]

how cute!!! I always take him and put him on the shower enclosure with me when I shower, if he fluffs up while on top I know he MIGHT be ready. It's so darn amazing when he does, I wish he did it more! I know when he looks for a way out (I see him looking to the top of the shower) I let him out. When it has been a few days, I give him a good soak still. Makes me so sad when he tries to fly soaking wet

I was thinking of getting a flight suit, the diaper kind but it just feels so .. unnatural.

It sort of cracks me up about a mist system, when I once tried to mist him for a shower he was like "hell no!" and jumped off the side of his cage lol. I find it so amusing when they waddle so quickly ><

 

[weco]

Most companion parrots begin to get heat stressed when temps rise past 80 degrees Fahrenheit.....you have to remember that while a bird's history may well be in tropical environments, they were raised in, live in and are acclimated to environments somewhat cooler.....

I used to hold my thumb over my patty's foot too and can say that that's not a good idea, because you're going to be afraid of hurting the bird, by squeezing harder, if it gets spooked and you may be as startled as the bird, if something startles you too.....my patty is about the same size as a small ekkie & the one time she lifted off, with my thumb on her foot, I was afraid of breaking her toe or foot.....

 

[sodakat]

When my eclectus parrots are in the outside aviary they move out of the direct sunlight into the shade quickly, unless it is cool. When its cool they will sit directly in sunlight. If the bird has its beak open or its wings lifted slightly the chances are great it is too warm.

IMO showering a reluctant bird is part of parrot keeping. Sometimes it takes a few minutes of sitting under falling water for them to get into it. I do have two who prefer bowl baths and they keep themselves clean that way so I don't force them to accept spray baths. I mostly use a pump up garden sprayer.

 

[Chikoo]

I hold my both my ekkies' feet when they are outside with me. This is usually quite brief, because their cages are outside, so when I have to bring them in or put them, I have my finger over their cage.

I have been doing this for a long time now and from what I can tell it does not hurt them. In some cases, I have had to squeeze with moderate force, and they have not shown any change in response. I think their feet are hardier then we think. In any case, I usually just have enough to pressure to prevent them from flying if spooked. I cannot count the number of times this has saved me, especially with my female. She is so nesty, broody, and feeling like "I want to be a wild bird let me fly into the horizon" that when I take her out of her cage she often just gets so excited that she will try to fly. Without my thumb on her foot, she would've been a goner way too many times.

I train them to accept it though. My male was not accustomed to this at all because his previous owner of 10 yrs never did it. He used to move his foot out of my grip when I would do it like "stop let me out!". But now he doesn't even flinch, I just kept doing it time and time again and would let off when he started to let me know he didn't want it. Now he is used to it. In any case, his balance is pretty bad because he has weird feet/legs, so it helps stabilize him on me even when I am carrying him around the house.

My birds spend many hours outside in the hot humid Hawaiian climate. However, their cages surround a eucalyptus tree, so they are completely shaded while receiving unfiltered sunlight at the same time. It is summer now and I still have yet to see them panting or holding their wings away from their body from overheating. Shade is the key. Remember, ekkies are arboreal, they are canopy-dwellers. They need shade.

 

[coltfire]

i must ask you say you dont want him catching the Texas prairie wind then where is his harness, iv'e heard of so many birds flying off and not every being found , and the stress it puts the bird through is bad enough, so if you are going to take out side please do your self a favor and get a harness that way he wont be on the Texas prairie wind, i had one guy buy a bird off me go home and walk out side with a new bird on his shoulder, he didnt have it more than 2 hours, a lot of money to watch fly away.

 

[Chikoo]

Coltfire, what happens to birds bred in captivity who then fly away? Can they make it in the wild?

And I agree, please harness!

 

[lpolliard]

Coltfire, what happens to birds bred in captivity who then fly away? Can they make it in the wild?

And I agree, please harness!

I would think many die, stravation, hit by a car, predation. Some are recapatured and not returned. A very few survive a natural life span in the wild.

 

[mtdoramike]

A lot of folks think that because their birds wings are clipped that they can't fly. This is not correct unless their wings were improperly clipped making the bird drop like a rock. They may not fly a long distance at once, but they can go quite a ways in short bursts and well enough to be gone in seconds. I don't recommend anyone take their birds outside unless the bird is wearing a harness or trained well enough that theowner feels comfortable that the bird would return.

In central Florida, we have snakes, hawks, eagles just to mention a few threats to a lost bird.

 

[drlisaort]

Oliver loves the shower but only if I'm holding him, then when he's soaked I place him on the shower perch where he flaps and sings and goofs around--happy to be clean.

I live in South Florida and it's quite hot so he doesn't "sun bathe" for more more than 15 minutes with supervision. I will hold Oliver with my thumb over his feet and he stays put. I also use a little basket to transport him, but defiitely not if their is a breeze and I must admit I'm never relaxed for fear something could go wrong and I'd lose him.

 

[coltfire]

holding a birds foot or feet my be find 99 times out of 100 but it only takes a trip, the bird to nip the fingers and out of shock you let go, or any thing that may startle the bird could make it fly, no matter how you look at it, you take a risk of losing your bird every time you take it outside with out a harness, and i love my birds to much to take that chance, the only one's that go out side with out harness are my two free flying eckkies and even those two very rarely get to free fly.

 

[Littlebird2]

Hi! I live in Arizona with IPO. My rule of thumb is, if its too hot for me it is toohot for him! Seriously, our outside time is early morning. I spray him with a little hand held spray bottle and he seems to enjoy it. On occasion, if I am cleaning his cage with a power washer, I turn it way down and spray him. Then he just sits in the sun and relaxes. In the hot hot months we are usually outside for only an hour or so.

 

[coltfire]

Hi! I live in Arizona with IPO. My rule of thumb is, if its too hot for me it is toohot for him! Seriously, our outside time is early morning. I spray him with a little hand held spray bottle and he seems to enjoy it. On occasion, if I am cleaning his cage with a power washer, I turn it way down and spray him. Then he just sits in the sun and relaxes. In the hot hot months we are usually outside for only an hour or so.

and that would be the best rule of thumb you can go by.,