Worried about Gaia

[Fleur]

So it has been one week today since I brought Gaia home and I thought I would update everyone on the progress.

First I will start with the concerns. She will barely eat any of the fresh fruits and veggies I prepare for her. She will let it sit there until it spoils. So far I have made her dishes that contain Kale and red bell peppers, apples and a small amount of seed, and oranges with bananas. She weeded through the apples to get the seed and as for the rest she will eat a small amount and then let it sit. With the bananas and oranges I noticed that she seemed to be annoyed that they were sticking to her beak and kept drinking water and rubbing her beak on the cage and her rock perch. I chop all of these dishes finely into small manageable cubes.

Secondly she has been doing this thing with her foot where she opens and closes it almost like it's rhythmical. I thought she was just testing her talons but I noticed she was still doing it when she was eating. I immediately thought of toe tapping Right now she eats mostly a small amount of seed, roudybush eclectus tablets, dried corn and green beans, and that's pretty much all she will eat. That's what she was eating when she was weaned. She was doing this today in the morning and hasn't done it since.

Now for the warming up progress. She is still VERY protective of her cage. As soon as she is near it she turns from sweet as can be to extremely aggressive (lunging and all of that). I respect her space so I do not try and go in her cage. Because of this she hasn't stepped up out of her cage in a week, however, she does come out on her own and she has twice now. She found out that there is a playgym and foot toys on top of the cage and has taken quite an interest in them but even when she is on top of her cage you can't get too close or she will lunge.

She has been really quiet the past week but now when I talk to her, she talks back! Just chips and such, but it's a start. She doesn't talk to my boyfriend and as soon as I come home she seems to be happy to see me She will continue to talk to me all night as long as I am talking to her and we even started playing peek-a-boo so I think this is a good sign. She will get close to the cage if I put my face up to it and start talking to me as well but as soon as she sees my hands she retreats to the back of the cage. I am very happy she is paying attention to me.

Tomorrow I am going to the pet shop I got her from and getting her some more dried foods. I can't figure out why she would not like the fresh foods other than they might be hard for her to eat, or she is just not used to them. Anyone else have an Eclectus like this?

 

[MeganMango]

When Mango came to me he would only eat sunflower seeds and peanuts. Just keep offering her the food, and if you can, eat it in front of her and make a big show of enjoying it. Mango is not an eclectus, but its a good way to both bond, and get them to try new things. Even now, if I dont at least pretend to eat a new food Mango wont touch it. He also usually has to try it two or three separate times before he will actually eat it. Lots of wasted food, but dont give up. Someone with an eclectus might have more advice to offer.

 

[MarciaLove]

it took me about a month before my Blue Crown Conure would step up off his cage to me comfortably he just wasn't sure about it i guess it takes time and he was a rescue. Im still having some trouble with them eating all their fruits and veggies they will eat some but not all of them. Here is a bird mash you can try with your Gaia

Parrot/Conure Mash

1. plumped deer corn/popcorn. to plump put in crockpot overnight

2. frozen veggies containing peas, corn, green beans (and any other ones thast just what i use)

3. fresh broccoli and whatever other veggies you have (EXCPET AVOCADO)

4. undercooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta

5. cooked beans, any except fava beans

mix it all together you can make large amounts and freeze it for storage then just thaw out when its time to feed it.

 

[Mitz]

Check this website out: Eclectus Parrots (Electus roratus / Lorius roratus)

It has great info. I don't have a pet parrot yet but I have read a lot of stuff and it seems that your bird is Toe Tapping. If you scroll down on that website you will info about toe tapping and I think you might need to cut your bird off of the SEEDS.

 

[CRYROLFE]

Well, she is still getting used to you guys....takes time. I would see if she will step up onto a handheld perch to get her out, then put her on a stand (like a table top kind) so she can be with you in the kitchen while you prepare her food.

I put a plate down in front of them.....then arrange the food on the plate but not mixed up. I offer all sorts of fruits to see what she will go for first. Then don't look at her too much, and hopefully after awhile she will start to look at the plate of food.
That way you can get a good idea of what she likes first.
My boy eats EVERYTHING so he's pretty easy, but our new rescue girl is more picky.
Make sure to buy organic fruit!!! Rinse well.

Here's a great seed mix....

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Avian-Science-Super-Eclectus-Bird/dp/B0085624HI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1358110005&sr=8-3&keywords=volkman+eclectus]Amazon.com: Avian Science Super Eclectus Bird Seed 4 lb: Pet Supplies[/ame]

I offer about a tbl of this at night, but you can just leave a little in her cage.
Get a skewer and stick some fruit right next to where she perches all day.

Check her feet also to make sure they are not sore....keep her on good perches, not dowel rods.

ADD SPROUTS to her diet.....maybe she'll like them?

 

[kc_y0]

Have you tried to take the seed out and only offer the fruit/veg mix? thats what I had to do to get Audrey to start eating the good stuff! Also try offering corn to her, not a whole cob but just individual pieces of corn, and pomegranate. They kind of look like seeds, but are healthy and yummy, that is what Audrey first ate, for the first few days she wouldn't touch her fruit/veg and so my breeder suggested that and it worked for her. Then build up to other things by adding more things to the mix.

With being comfortable, my girl took months to come around, so your girl might be the same. Just don't give up, and keep trying every day. Its okay if she doesn't want to step up just yet, but open up the cage for her to give her the option to come out on her own. I think it was about 6 weeks before audrey would stop lunging at me and now she can't get enough of me lol! Don't worry, she will be confident and comfortable soon!

 

[Oedipussrex]

The only way i get pickle to eat anything new is to mix it with something else he hates. (i agree you should try having the seed unavailable while the fresh food is there). then he is forced to chose between the lesser of two evils as it were. It has worked a few times, though ill admit there are other times i just got screamed at until his next meal when something nicer came along. XD

As for the beak scraping. I cant tell you for certain it isnt in annoyance as i havent seen it. but pickle does this every time he eats. Food is going to get on his face no matter how big or small the pieces are (i make them just big enough for him to hold, but small enough that not too much of each piece is wasted). It is also a major part of the way they wear their beak down, so unless you have other body language to think that its actually discomfort i would'nt discourage this behaviour at all.

 

[Chikoo]

My male was mostly into eating seeds when I got him from his previous owner. In order to get him to eat fresh foods, I just mixed fresh foods in with his seeds, and steadily decreased the amount of seeds I would mix in, as I saw him eating the fresh food. Eventually, within a week, I had it down to only one or two sunflower seeds, which would catch his attention, and he would start eating from his bowl. Now he eats everything I give him, he eats better than my female does, and she was never on a seed diet!

Also the key to this is to have the fruits and veggies in the same bowl as the seed mix. Just chop it all up into a mash and mix it together well with the seeds. Keep doing it. As you notice her going for the fresh food more, start decreasing the seeds. Eclectus love soft mushy fruits the most, such as passionfruit, guava, papaya, kiwi, banana, and also pomegranate is very seedy too.

Apple seeds contain cyanide btw, and are not recommended for birds. I'm sure a few apple seeds is fine, but as a general rule, I would stay away from it.

 

[Fleur]

I gave her pomegranate tonight with her roudybush pellets and she loved them but wow are they messy! I know that a few other members had said that this could be a messy treat but I didn't realize how deep red they stained lol.

She is getting more affectionate with me and I am so happy. I think next week we might be able to work on the step up command.

I have been reading other posts about female ekkies being reserved and not a great companion bird and this makes me sad. I chose Gaia because of her reaction to me and I was looking for a great cuddly companion bird and reading the other posts about female ekkies it doesn't sound like this is going to happen

I already love her to pieces and she reacts very well to me, if I tell her to come to me she will and it seems like she really enjoys my company. I am scared that once she reaches sexual maturity that this will change.

The breeder told me that they are affectionate birds and now I feel like I was deceived knowing what I know now. Are there any hopes of females being affectionate birds?

 

[kc_y0]

It depends on her personality. My eclectus is very affectionate and a big sooky bum, she always want cuddles and head pats. She's also so calm and lets just about anyone pat her and give her scratches. I suppose I somewhat conditioned her to like this, as she got used to me I just kept patting her and touching her all over, under wings, head, belly, neck etc and she doesn't bite me, although she would turn around with her beak open as if a warning, but I didn't pull my hand away. Now she is in love with pats! If you have the time, you can see a video of my girl enjoying her head pats, so don't lose hope!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi83-IaUA30]Audrey Pats - YouTube[/ame]

How old is Gia? And yes, the pomegranate can leave your room looking like a murder scene lol! I always lay out old towels on the floor, but it still managed to get half way across the room lol!

 

[Fleur]

Gaia's hatch date was 9/16/12 so she is just about 4 months old. Thank you for the video, your bird looks like she is such a sweetheart! How old is she?

Gaia seems to like me I think. When I come home or enter the room as soon as she sees me she calls for me. When I talk to her she is very happy to talk back and if I don't talk enough she will make up for it lol. She has a specific call for me and when I watch tv she will make other noises but when she calls to me its different sounding. She will not greet my boyfriend like she does me, she actually doesn't talk to him at all, just stares at him and gets really quiet.

She focuses on me all of the time when I am in sight. When I am just sitting on the couch watching tv I can see her watching me from across the room and if she gets bored she will call for me with her short squak and I will go over to her.

When I am near her cage she will put her beak on the bars so that she can give me kisses and she likes when I pet her beak. Sometimes she will let me pet her head too but not too often. She also likes to grab my finger with her foot and put my finger in her mouth while holding it with her foot. She doesn't bite and she's very gentle about it but she will just leave it in her mouth for a while or until I remove it, it's a bit odd and I'm not sure why she does it but I find it silly and I laugh at her every time she does this.

I really want Gaia to be my cuddle buddy and be involved in my daily activities as much as possible. I am praying that she loves to cuddle and doesn't turn into a reserved female.

 

[kc_y0]

So she's still a young bubba! Audrey is a year and a half. As babies it takes them a while to come out of their shells and follow you around the house and be involved. She has to feel 100% comfortable with you and trust you. With audrey I pat her in areas that I could tell didn't make he feel the greatest (like under the wings) and praised her when she let me do it without giving me any warnings. I think it was a way of showing her that I wasn't meaning any harm and that it was a good thing to be pet.
Some birds take a lot longer to settle in then others, some are harder to earn their trust. But it will be worth it in the end don't worry, no matter what her little personality shapes up to be, you will love her and form a very tight bond with her in the coming months

I think the grabbing with the foot might be playing, my girl holds open her foot for me to give her my finger then she rolls onto her back and starts biting it and playing around being silly lol!

 

[lene1949]

Please don't let the food sit there till it spoils... Just keep giving her fresh foods.,.. Eventually she'll take it...

 

[BiancaK]

I had almost the same problem when we got Layla. She only picked the seeds and didn't eat any veggies or fruit. (She's been with us just over 2 weeks now)

I then removed the seeds, and now only offer a little bit to her every 2nd or 3rd day (recommended by one of the members on the forum). I've found that it's best given as a treat, because if I leave it in her cage, she doesn't touch her fruit or veg.

My girl is still on formula, but I leave the fruit and veggies in her cage, and I find that she eats a little more every day. She loves apples and devours them when I put it in her bowl!

I also read about the females not being "affectionate" and started to worry, but my baby showed the opposite, as she loves to cuddle. When I'm on the couch relaxing, she will start to run up and down in her cage, and sometimes if I don't get the message right away she will give a scream / squak (whatever it is called) so I can come fetch her, as she just wants to be with you, and cuddle... so sweet and adorable!!!

My breeder told me that the more love and affection I give Layla, the more tame and affectionate she will be.

I work from 7am to 4pm, so she is alone most of the day, but as soon as I get home, I take her out of her cage and then it's bonding time!!! She loves to sit on my shoulder while I prepare dinner, and sometimes comes around for a kiss, and then back to the shoulder.

I've tried the "eating together " once (also recommended by a member). I gave her, her own plate with the same food I had for dinner (her food with no salt etc) and she ate some of it, but later climbed onto my shoulder and wanted the food that I was having, so it was one bite mom, one bite Layla. I enjoyed this "excercise" but think I will leave it for weekends, when I have more hours in my day...

Maybe your girl is still a bit frightened with the "new" home (Layla was also a bit unsure about the new environment), just give her some time, I'm 110% sure she will come around one of these days...

 

[Fleur]

I don't actually let the food sit for more than an hour or two if its fresh so that it doesn't spoil but my point was that she would let it spoil before she ate it.

I cleaned her cage and perches today it took me about an hour talking to her and encouraging her with treats but she stepped up! I put her on her play gym and cleaner her cage. She seemed nervous but calmed down and got sleepy. When I was done cleaning her cage I talked to her for about 5 minutes and asked her to step up and she did once again .

making progress, slowly but surely

 

[Chikoo]

Female ekkies are affectionate birds. Whether or not your female becomes cuddly or not is a different matter. As I stated elsewhere, ekkies are not famous for being cuddlers. But some of them will be cuddly, it just depends on the bird. In any case, they are affectionate birds no doubt, some of the sweetest you will ever find. My female who doesn't like to be touched is incredibly sweet and affectionate. You don't have to touch your bird all over to show her that you love her and she will show her love for you in her own birdy way, whether she lets you touch her all over or not is really irrelevant. We just have our own ideas and desires when it comes to pets. If she does let you (which I'm sure she will) pat her head then just keep it to head scratches and whatnot, don't go too crazy touching her, especially under the wings, as this kind of touching just stimulates her hormones.