|
|
Post by angelicvampyre on Feb 21, 2012 10:14:35 GMT 10
I got a young male Ecckie handed in, first they told me he was over a year but on the 1st of Feb he only weighed 333grams. On the 14th when I picked him up I got him home and weighted him and he was down to 301grams. Since then he has held his weight. I think he might be younger then everyone thinks. After a few days to settle, I started to let him out to fly around and he reminds me of a bird learning to fly for the first time. I have called him rocket as he has one speed and one trajectory and that is it. Landing is crashing into something (he is getting better). He did not seem that interested in seeds or pellets or veggies and fruit. The other night my father was down and made a cup of tea, while he was stirring the cup rocket crashes into the kitchen, climbs his leg and goes head first for the cup. This got me thinking and I am now subbing his food with a cups a quarter full of handrasing mix, since doing this he has put on weight. I am not feeding him but letting him eat out of the cup as I don’t want him to get sooky.
From what I can see, if he is around the 6 month mark (which is where I believe he is) he should weigh nearer 400grams.
Also I have like 110 people wanting him, I know of three homes that I would adopted him out to as they have previous experience or the currently have an Ecckie what weight and age would people suggest he needs to be before you would be happy to rehome him? I was going to try and get him near 400 grams and off the HR mix. Also he seems to like the pellets that I have supplied him with (designed for Ecckies) and also as long as the veggies are chopped up fine he likes them. So his eating is getting better and better by the day.
The other issue I am working with is when he was at the Lort Smith everyone stuck their hand in the cage to pat him and now he is hand shy, he does not bite or anything just more gives warning signs, any ideas on how I can deal with his, he is getting better and I am working with him and can now stroke his belly but he hates his head touched and the lady at Lort smith says this was not the case when he arrived.
Any help would be great.
|
|
|
|
Post by avinet on Feb 21, 2012 12:31:23 GMT 10
I wouldn't get too hung up on the weight being a certain number of grams - go more on the feel of the bird - prominent keel bone or good solid feel to the breast muscles type of thing. However before moving him to a home I would make sure he is eating a good diet by himself - and not needing any hand rearing mix. Also his flying skills are up to scratch as well.
His behavioural issues will likely improve with time - when he starts to feel relaxed and not stressed. And of course the usual reward based positive reinforcement methods that you are familiar with.
cheers,
Mike
|
|
|
|
Post by meandem on Feb 21, 2012 13:00:04 GMT 10
I wouldn't get too hung up on the weight being a certain number of grams - go more on the feel of the bird - prominent keel bone or good solid feel to the breast muscles type of thing. However before moving him to a home I would make sure he is eating a good diet by himself - and not needing any hand rearing mix. Also his flying skills are up to scratch as well. His behavioural issues will likely improve with time - when he starts to feel relaxed and not stressed. And of course the usual reward based positive reinforcement methods that you are familiar with. cheers, Mike Couldn't have said it any better! Thanks Mike ;D |
|
|
|
Post by Robyn on Feb 21, 2012 14:44:29 GMT 10
AV your doing all the right things. As Mike said don't worry about his actual weight, feel is the best indication whether or not he is on the thin side. It also depends on which sub-species he is as well. Also they don't aquire their desired weight until they reach 3 years of age.
As far as behavior goes that is where you will have to go slow & steady. Most eclectus are very shy when moved to a new environment. Some bounce back rather quickly but some tend to be on the shy side. Sounds like you have a bit of a shy one. Take it a day at a time & if he looks uncomfortable just back away & try again later. He will come around beautifully.
Chopping up his food small is a great idea for his age. Usually they don't hold food in their foot until about 1 year old. And his flying skills or lack of maybe because he just wasn't let out enough to fly or had a restricted area to fly in.
|
|
|
|
Post by angelicvampyre on Feb 21, 2012 14:55:42 GMT 10
Thanks guys, I always worry when I get something out of the norm in. I must admit he loves his toys as long as they have a cow bell style on the bottom. I will wait till he shows less interest in the HR mix before rehoming, at the moment he is eating about 400 to 500 mls a night and begging for more but working on finding others things that he loves. Honey Bun my Sunnie loves blackberries and is very protective of them (as she does not get them to often) so he seems to want to eat whatever she is eating so has gone for them over the past few days. Also grapes and watermelon are becoming a big hit, so I feel we are starting to get somewhere with the other foods.
|
|
Gerard
Bronze Member
Hototo
Posts: 165
|
Post by Gerard on Feb 21, 2012 20:53:42 GMT 10
How hard is it to give them up once you've nurtured them and gotten to know their personalities? I think I'd be struggling to part with him.  |
|
|
|
Post by avinet on Feb 21, 2012 20:58:01 GMT 10
How hard is it to give them up once you've nurtured them and gotten to know their personalities? I think I'd be struggling to part with him. That is one reason we have 25 pet birds in the house  cheers, Mike |
|
|
|
Post by meandem on Feb 22, 2012 16:39:02 GMT 10
How hard is it to give them up once you've nurtured them and gotten to know their personalities? I think I'd be struggling to part with him. EXTREMELY HARD!!!! |
|
|
|
Post by anzac on Feb 22, 2012 17:55:17 GMT 10
That's why my other half won't let me foster greyhounds either, the first time I tried it I kept her ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by meandem on Feb 23, 2012 8:46:50 GMT 10
That's why my other half won't let me foster greyhounds either, the first time I tried it I kept her ;D  Glad it's just not me. |
|
|
|
Post by angelicvampyre on Feb 23, 2012 23:16:29 GMT 10
It's horrible! I still cry over MoeMoe and Sammy the big guys are always harder, normally before they go the have one of the other animals names down and I feel empty, however I currently have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 3 rabbits, 2 chickens and 2 parrots of my own and cage space is limited so everyone that stays is another I can't save.
|
|
|
|
Post by Robyn on Feb 24, 2012 6:36:55 GMT 10
How hard is it to give them up once you've nurtured them and gotten to know their personalities? I think I'd be struggling to part with him. For me rehoming an older parrot is not to hard if the new owner is as dedicated as I am & i know the bird will be well looked after. However I had a few tears when i dropped my last baby off at the air port last month. All was going fine until he saw me walk away an started to call. I had a very anxious day until his new Mum convinced me he was fine. Sometimes you get attached to 1 baby for some reason & yes they are the ones that are hard to let go. Eclectus & RTB2"s pull on my heart strings though. |
|
|
|
Post by meandem on Feb 24, 2012 7:06:16 GMT 10
I had to rehome 150 birds when we had to move here!
I AM STILL CRYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
Gerard
Bronze Member
Hototo
Posts: 165
|
Post by Gerard on Feb 24, 2012 21:44:10 GMT 10
Oh Gawd...I think I've made everybody cry...again  However AV, I think that it is a wonderful thing you are doing there and I'm sure it must give you an enormous amount of satisfaction to rehabilitate them and send them on to a home where you know that they will receive as much love as you have given them. Never mind, when you're feeling a little empty I'm sure one of pooches puts a wet nose in your face or gives you a big lick when you least expect it and lets you know you're still loved. They seem to know when you're not quite yourself. ;D |
|
|
|
Post by vankarhi on Feb 25, 2012 13:55:19 GMT 10
How hard is it to give them up once you've nurtured them and gotten to know their personalities? I think I'd be struggling to part with him. However I had a few tears when i dropped my last baby off at the air port last month. All was going fine until he saw me walk away an started to call. I had a very anxious day until his new Mum convinced me he was fine. Lucky he is in a good home and you get plenty of updates  |
|
|
|
Post by vankarhi on Feb 25, 2012 14:04:29 GMT 10
I will wait till he shows less interest in the HR mix before rehoming, at the moment he is eating about 400 to 500 mls a night and begging for more . woah that is a humungous amount of food even for the piggy of the bird world (eclectus)........do you mean 40 to 50 ml?  ? Even Erik only had at the most when he was just on a night feed 100ml and he did look like he was going to bust and just sat on the perch for hours like a big fat budha. Mostly he had around 50 to 70 mls when he was weaning and just on night feeds. |
|
|
|
Post by vankarhi on Feb 25, 2012 14:07:57 GMT 10
oh and I meant to say not to worry about weight either.....depending on age and subspecies and the individual bird over 300grams can be ok. When they are weaning they tend to lose a lot of weight and then gradually put it on once they are eating properly on their own and then by the time they are mature they should be heavier. But ekkies can vary from around 330 grams to close to 500grams ........ some a bit less and some a bit more once they are mature. As long as they look and act normal and their droppings are normal.......then I would say not to worry too much.
|
|
? Even Erik only had at the most when he was just on a night feed 100ml and he did look like he was going to bust and just sat on the perch for hours like a big fat budha. Mostly he had around 50 to 70 mls when he was weaning and just on night feeds.