Need tips for new Eclectus!?

[calieckies]

Wing clipping is a personal choice. Sometimes it is in the best or the bird to be clipped if your home is not suitable for a fully flighted bird. I do rescue along with owning my own parrots. All my Eckies are fully flighted. My male is flight trained and comes to me on call and goes to his cage when asked. My female is fully flighted and chooses not to fly but walk everywhere. If my home was NOT safe for a flighted bird or I did not have the time to train a bird or wanted the work of a fully flighted bird (yes it is more work imo it is worth it but it is more work) i would clip. I do not think it is cruel to clip I think it is all up to the owner and their ability to control a flighted bird and the time you have to train them. Clipping your bird does not stop it for flying away or flying into a window etc - there are also many types of clips you can do- a show clip, baby clip etc so you can give your bird the ability to control himself if he was to fall but not necessarily get lift off.
I recommend feeding all natural diets. Our male came to us with toe tapping and wing flapping due to being fed a pellet diet for his first 4 years. After a year of transition to all natural mixes, soaks, chop he is back to normal.

 

[Mike17]

Our male Eccy also loves pomegranate, although they're not always easy to get (or especially cheap) in the Australian outback. Our guy loves leafy greens, spinach especially. He also occasionally gets chicken drumstick bones to chew. The lady we got him off fed her birds cooked sausages (the ones you fry, not salami). I noted that someone in an earlier post fed their birds kiwifruit- I've been led to believe these are unsuitable for birds although I don't know the reason (could it be the hairy skin? In which case the flesh might be OK). Our guy also loves sprouted seed eg mung, and chilis.