Pretty sure I'm going to become a creepy bird man :)!

[Joshuwaaa]

So I haven't posted in such a long time, but I just had a few questions to pose to the eclectus community.

Still been looking and researching into getting an eclectus, it's not something I wanted to take on lightey.

Think I've decided on a female eclectus as I think we could best hit the needs of a female

I'm slightely worried about the sexual maturity, egg laying and such, however I think I could deal with that better then the males sexual maturity. Anybody have an advice on egg laying to prepare me? Any experiences?

I'm so freaking excited to actually get one now, it's killing me, name suggestions would be great too

Thanks xx

 

[Chikoo]

I think a male's sexual maturity will be more benign than the female's. Females are intense and sensitive. Be prepared. They have strong instincts to nest and you cannot get rid of that instinct or "train" her out of it. You don't want your female to get into a pattern of egg laying because it can lead to issues such as becoming egg bound. So, if you are getting a female, be prepared to take good care of her, be prepared to get a good bite at least once, and don't give her nest boxes and snuggle huts and so forth, she won't be able to fulfill her biological impulses as your companion bird. In my experience, this frustrates the females quite a bit, but it depends on the bird. I honestly feel that my female ekkie would be better off in the wild, except that she has been a pet bird her whole life, and wouldn't be able to survive out there. But I notice the conflict and frustration in her. The females are the dominant gender of the species, and they are hard-wired to lay eggs, protect their eggs, and raise their young. That is their natural purpose in life. That is why I always recommend people think twice before getting a female eclectus. They can make excellent companion birds and are very sweet-natured, but there is more to take into account (in my opinion) than if you were to get a male.

 

[LoryLover]

I haven't had an eclectus. But my Chattering Lory who I have had for 15 years now, laid an egg when she was 9 years old. We thought all that time that we had a male! Well that was 6 years ago, and the way we have kept her from laying any more eggs is not to let her be in any area that would prompt her nesting impulse. At the time she was 9, we were allowing her to go into a towel cabinet and spend time in there. We thought we had a male bird and didn't see any problems with it.

Our Chattering became egg bound and a vet had to put her to sleep to remove the egg. She also sustained damage to her internal tissues by becoming egg bound. It took 3 years to completely heal. She became incontinent during most of those 3 years.

Every time she starts to do some regurgitating, I quickly distract her from that. I don't want anything to re-activate her egg laying impulse.

 

[moni.k]

Congratulations!! Ekkies are awesome birds. I do have to agree with Chickoo that females tend to be a bit more "challenging" than the males. They tend to be cage bound, aggressive, pick and choose their favorites (although they aren't one person birds), and sexual maturity, hormonal behaviors will be difficult for you and your bird. I don't regret Nalani, but I do wonder what it would be like if I had chosen a male. I do know that males tend to be better talkers, less nippy and are less stubborn to work with in the clicker training department.

Whether you get a female or a male, they both have the capability to be amazing companions/pets as long as you put the time and effort into them, they will trust and love you for 70 years!!! haha. good luck on your search. find a reputable breeder in your area that you can build a relationship with and ask tons of questions.

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Wow thank you for your guys is input, where I have read it seems more like she is less destructive, less needy and just as cuddly. That when is done with the egg she will be fine providing you have fed her and kept her healthy with vitamins etcs.

My partner wanted a boy so maybe it's best I go with a male

I've been looking for the right bird breeder for a while but Im not sure if any are about at the moment, at least not any with birds in the near future.

Are there any things I should be looking out for when choosing a breeder and bird? When I go for hand reared birds I often want to see how tame they are, get them out and see how they are around people and such without stressing any bird out. I check their plumage for marks or discolouration. Anything else anyone can think of?

Thanks

 

[Chikoo]

I would not describe any eclectus parrot as "cuddly", though some can be. My male likes to be touched and cuddled, but my female starts freaking out and whipping her beak around if I stroke her head more than 5 times. If I even think about touching her anywhere else she freaks out. Some might say a properly socialized bird will allow cuddling, but in general, most people have noted that eclectus parrots do not like being touched as much as other parrots might. They may be less needy in some sense, but from the perspective of being their companion and flock "leader", females require more attention and nuanced care than a male, in my opinion.

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Aww darn, I was kinda getting used to the idea of a female bird, however I don't want to test things and start off on a bad note so I think il go for a male. I am never really bothered on the gender anyway, it's what I think I can look after the best, an I trust your guys' experience and judgement !

I just can't wait now, I'm looking at cages and such at the moment, an trying to find a breeder too !!!

 

[Chikoo]

I'm happy for you, and do not mean to discourage you. Just sharing my own experience having a female and a male both. Good luck!!

 

[EclectusRoratus]

Hello. I just recently got a male Eclectus, We named him Gannicus. I read your post and you said you were thinking about getting one, but you are more interested in a female. I did some research before I got mine and wanted to tell you a little bit about what I read about the females. I read they are very temperamental! My male is awesome. When I wake up he's a little bit of a grouch but through out the day, he's so loving! I read you are worried about the female laying eggs. In my research I read you should leave her and her eggs alone until she "abandons" them. I don't know about you but I always want to play with my eclectus! So leaving him alone is NO fun. It can take a few weeks until the female leaves her eggs, Do you really want to just leave her alone and not play with her for weeks? It's something to put into consideration. I hope I have helped you. The female has amazing colors but my males temperament makes up for it all!! He's such a sweet boy. And also think about adopting! I got my boy from Craigslist! Good luck!!!

 

[EclectusRoratus]

ONE MORE THING, there are HUGE cages on amazon for really cheap. You can get a big one with a play stand on top for like $120!!

 

[94lt1]

Nothing wrong with being the creepy bird man we'll be pals

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Im 21 this year and pretty sure I'm already obsessed with my birds lol. Kids will run in fear from the creepy bird man covered in bird poo, old clothes and screeching birds loll

I did read about both genders but had such mixed reviews as always, being that each bird is so different.

I read that although she will lay eggs, if you can cope with her only coming off for like 10 minutes then it's better then having a male because when he hits sexual maturity his behaviour changes and it can be hard to tame. On the other hand the male is generally more docile and kind natured all together.

I didn't mind which gender I just wanted to make sure when they hit that sexual part of their life I could handle them, an some sites put me off the boy because of how much he may change, so leaving her for a month didn't sound so bad if I could have her back afterwards.

This is why I love this forum, people with real experience can tell you, sometimes websites are a little mis informed. I do know that everyone here says male, and I think in all his overall behaviour and needs would suit better then a female.

I don't know why I'm so gutted to not get a female lol

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Oh and I'm attempting to get the biggest cage possible. Some suggest 1 metre by 1 metre cages and they seem expensive?

Is that a bit excessive for an eclectus because we found one which looked huge at a local pet store for like £90.00 so we may go back and measure it

 

[mtdoramike]

News flash, you already are a creepy bird man, join the club hahahahahahahaha

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Haha yea I know, when your this excited about getting a new bird you have kinda lost it. Good job I've already found a partner, otherwise I'd be buggered loll.

I really want to go looking today and buy a cage and stuff xx

 

[Chikoo]

Just for the sake of balance, check out this article: Parrot Mythbusting - Eclectus Parrot Breeders, Companion Parrot Specialists : Are Eclectus Males Better Pets Than Hens?

 

[Joshuwaaa]

I went looking and got my cage!!! Aaaaaaaaaaa I'm so excited.

Day 1:

This is the first stage. Now I just need more perches and toys! An obviously an eclectus!

 

[moni.k]

Hmm, what size dimension is the cage?

If you're bird gets a lot of "out of the cage time" then you can go as small as 32x23x40 (inside dimension). However, with that said... the recommended size for an eclectus is at least 36x28x60. These are rough estimates of the size, but the length (not height or width) should be minimum 32". I had a 40" long cage for Nalani, but she didn't utilize half the space and so I used it as a large outdoor cage until I recently sold it. I down graded to a 32" wide cage and she loves it! But she is out of the cage at least 6 hours a day... So it really depends on how much time your bird will be spending in the cage that matters. Just mentioning it because in the photo it looks like the length is smaller than 32".

Oh and have you decided male or female??

 

[Joshuwaaa]

I spoke to the lady at the pet store and she said its perfect for an eclectus, they had a Congo grey in one and it had lots of room.

Inside it measures 42"tall, is that not enough? That's why I wanted to get one ready before moving her in. We did go for one of the biggest we thought, and most expensive


We have decided on a female, the hen just sounds too lovely too miss out on.


We just wondered and we may be completely wrong, but does being in a same sex relationship have any effect on which sex we should have?


Thanks for your guys" replies x

 

[moni.k]

I have listed some popular sized cages so you can compare.

32" long
Marianna Victorian Bird Cage - Bird Cages at Bird Cages

Sonoma Playtop Bird Cage - Bird Cages at Bird Cages

36" long
Lovington Dometop Cage - Bird Cages at Bird Cages

Note: ignore the styles, because there are soo many to choose from. Just look at the general size and measurements of the cages described.

As for the same sex owner/bird, I have heard that female birds tend to like male owners and vise verse (in all species), but that is generalized speaking. Nalani is a girl, and so am I... we get along perfectly and from what I can tell she prefers females over males. It really depends on how you raise the bird, socializing and just the bird's personality. They have a tendency of picking and choosing who they like, dislike and tolerate. Luckily, eclectus aren't one person birds and can love and bond with the whole family which is a big plus.