Seeking Advice on Bonding and Caring for My 45 Days Old Female Eclectus Parrot

[Amna]

Hello everyone,
First of all, please excuse my English as it’s not my first language ..

This is my first time posting here, and I’d love to get some advice on taking care of my 45 days old female Eclectus parrot. I just got her yesterday, and everything seems to be going well so far. However, she’s still a bit afraid of me
I would appreciate any advice you can share, even if it’s something I might already know there might be things I’m missing or unaware of.

The main things I’d like to know are:

1. How can I bond with her and make her feel safe around me?

2. Are there any ways to play with her? She seems bored, and I want to keep her entertained.

Thank you in advance!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'm no expert, but I have saved these threads over time.

I'm glad you're here.

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

Parrots rarely bite each other, because they convey their feelings beforehand or fly off to avoid physical contact. If it feels cornered and frighten then need to bite will be from the natural instinct of self -preservation. The cage is the Parrot safe haven and any attempt to enter, add or...

www.parrotforums.com

General Parrot Information

Post here for general parrot related topics

www.parrotforums.com

http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html

 

[Amna]

Thank you that will help a lot!

I'm no expert, but I have saved these threads over time.

I'm glad you're here.

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

Parrots rarely bite each other, because they convey their feelings beforehand or fly off to avoid physical contact. If it feels cornered and frighten then need to bite will be from the natural instinct of self -preservation. The cage is the Parrot safe haven and any attempt to enter, add or...

www.parrotforums.com

General Parrot Information

Post here for general parrot related topics

www.parrotforums.com

http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Is your baby Ekkie weaned?

 

[Amna]

Is your baby Ekkie weaned?

No i still hand feed her .

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I thought so. 45 days old is really young. At what age do Ekkies wean?

 

[Amna]

I thought so. 45 days old is really young. At what age do Ekkies wean?

About 2.5 to 3 months

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Baby parrots, like most baby animals, are so wonderful and their babyhood is too short! This looks like a great opportunity to bond with your baby to me. I've handfed babies and they grow up seeing you are a safe trustworthy human that takes care of them- a very special bond, indeed, even though they won't "remember" being a baby (do you?).

Make mealtimes pleasant and she will look forward to them. Respond quickly to her cries for food. Play with her after feeding. Cuddle her when she's receptive. Give her a stuffed animal to cuddle with between meals. Doesn't this sound familiar?

When it comes time to wean, don't force wean her- give her lots of healthy foods appropriate for an Ekkie (they have special dietary needs). Don't make her go to sleep hungry if she wants formula, not big bird food.

Try to clean all formula off her face and feathers right away after feeding. It dries like concrete and it's then very difficult and unpleasant to remove.

Above all, be careful if you're feeding her with a syringe. Unlike in a lot of countries, in the US, baby parrots are rarely sold unweaned for good reason. I have heard about too many inexperienced hand feeders who accidentally put too much formula in the baby's mouth a once and formula went into the baby's lungs and they died within a day or two. I always use a spoon.

Enjoy this special time with your baby- you will miss it when it's over!

 

[Amna]

Baby parrots, like most baby animals, are so wonderful and their babyhood is too short! This looks like a great opportunity to bond with your baby to me. I've handfed babies and they grow up seeing you are a safe trustworthy human that takes care of them- a very special bond, indeed, even though they won't "remember" being a baby (do you?).

Make mealtimes pleasant and she will look forward to them. Respond quickly to her cries for food. Play with her after feeding. Cuddle her when she's receptive. Give her a stuffed animal to cuddle with between meals. Doesn't this sound familiar?

When it comes time to wean, don't force wean her- give her lots of healthy foods appropriate for an Ekkie (they have special dietary needs). Don't make her go to sleep hungry if she wants formula, not big bird food.

Try to clean all formula off her face and feathers right away after feeding. It dries like concrete and it's then very difficult and unpleasant to remove.

Above all, be careful if you're feeding her with a syringe. Unlike in a lot of countries, in the US, baby parrots are rarely sold unweaned for good reason. I have heard about too many inexperienced hand feeders who accidentally put too much formula in the baby's mouth a once and formula went into the baby's lungs and they died within a day or two. I always use a spoon.

Enjoy this special time with your baby- you will miss it when it's over!

Thank you so much for sharing all this valuable information and advice! It really means a lot to me as I’m still learning how to properly care for Rudi. You’re absolutely right, this baby stage is so precious, and I’m already cherishing every moment I get to spend with her. I’ll make sure to follow your tips, especially about making mealtimes pleasant and not rushing the weaning process.

Your kindness and knowledge have reassured me, and I feel more confident now. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it’s truly appreciated!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Your welcome! My love for birds is only exceeded by my love for BABY birds- I just can't resist them!

I've never had an Ekkie but if you have any questions about handfeeding in general please don't hesitate to ask. I've successfully hand fed baby budgies from hatching and they are especially challenging because they are so tiny- only one gram at birth!

 

[Amna]

Your welcome! My love for birds is only exceeded by my love for BABY birds- I just can't resist them!

I've never had an Ekkie but if you have any questions about handfeeding in general please don't hesitate to ask. I've successfully hand fed baby budgies from hatching and they are especially challenging because they are so tiny- only one gram at birth!

Omg 1 gram is sooo smol I can’t this is so cute how did you not eat them!. And thank you again for everything.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

You may need to "teach" her to play. Give her some small plastic things to play with, baby rattles, plastic bottle caps, large beads, plastic pen caps- small things she can pick up in her beak and feet and toss around. You'll be surprised at the silly little cheap items that birds are fascinated with! Roll things to her to encourage her to play with them. Tie a string to an object and toss it to her and pull it back with the string. She may like colorful shredded paper toys. Small cat toys are good, too. Supervise her play if you're unsure of an item and don't give her anything she can get wound up in unless you're supervising.

What is her cage set up? Is she in a cage yet? Put these toys in her "house" with her. It does take a while for some babies to learn to play with toys.

 

[TiredOldMan]

I have always felt that female Ekkies were beautiful. But that little girl has them all beat. You are very lucky to have her and she you.

 

[Amna]

You may need to "teach" her to play. Give her some small plastic things to play with, baby rattles, plastic bottle caps, large beads, plastic pen caps- small things she can pick up in her beak and feet and toss around. You'll be surprised at the silly little cheap items that birds are fascinated with! Roll things to her to encourage her to play with them. Tie a string to an object and toss it to her and pull it back with the string. She may like colorful shredded paper toys. Small cat toys are good, too. Supervise her play if you're unsure of an item and don't give her anything she can get wound up in unless you're supervising.

What is her cage set up? Is she in a cage yet? Put these toys in her "house" with her. It does take a while for some babies to learn to play with toys.

This morning, I put her down in my bedroom so she could explore the area. She found a plastic bottle cap and was so happy playing with it! She also found my hair clip and went crazy for it. She took the clip everywhere, even when she slept . I’ll attach a photo here. As for the cage, she doesn’t have one yet because she’s still in the nursery, but I think she’s ready for it. I’m planning to buy her one next week.

 

[Amna]

I have always felt that female Ekkies were beautiful. But that little girl has them all beat. You are very lucky to have her and she you.

Aww, thank you so much! She truly is such a special little girl, and I feel so lucky to have her in my life. Your kind words mean a lot to me!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

This morning, I put her down in my bedroom so she could explore the area. She found a plastic bottle cap and was so happy playing with it! She also found my hair clip and went crazy for it. She took the clip everywhere, even when she slept . I’ll attach a photo here. As for the cage, she doesn’t have one yet because she’s still in the nursery, but I think she’s ready for it. I’m planning to buy her one next week.View attachment 77915

Awww! What a sweet baby! Who says bird toys have to be expensive?
You two are going to have a great relationship!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Are those are live plants I see in the picture? If so, watch out- lots of them are toxic!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Put very low perches in her new cage and line the bottom with paper towels. She's going to be on the bottom a lot still.

 

[Amna]

Awww! What a sweet baby! Who says bird toys have to be expensive?
You two are going to have a great relationship!

Thank you! She really is the sweetest, and you’re so right she makes the simplest things so much fun! I’m so excited to build a special bond with her.

 

[Amna]

Are those are live plants I see in the picture? If so, watch out- lots of them are toxic!

Yes, they are live plants, but don’t worry I watch her closely whenever she gets near them to keep her safe!