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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 12, 2008 15:25:05 GMT 10
Hi there, newbie here, both to the forum & parrot keeping.
We acquired a year old Eclectus called Max, unfortunately he was not very well looked after by his previous owner(they were getting rid of him as he wouldn`t talk and had been feeding him mostly seed). When we got him he was being kept in a tiny cage, his beak was so overgrown he had difficulty using it to get around, his muscles were wasted anyway and he could hardly move.
We took him to the vets who was appalled at his condition, his keel was all bone, no fat or muscle on him at all. The vet didn`t think he was going to make it and advised us to get him better before trimming his beak.
We`ve been feeding him a mix of brown rice, mixed with all sorts of veggies & fruits, the odd boiled egg and sometimes some nuts as a treat. He is much better now, we`ve had him about 3 months and he now clambers about his cage and hangs from the roof of it to eat the Eucalyptus & Rosemary Branches I hang from it. Unfortunately last week he managed to get his beak stuck inside one of his wooden toys (the parrot version of a kid with a saucepan stuck on his head). A quick trip to the vets (it took 2 vets to sort him out and a lot of noise from an unhappy Max) they also trimmed his beak for him, as anything making that much noise and fuss was obviously feeling strong enough.
The only real problem we do have with him is the fact that he is very scared when you put your hand in the cage, or even get too close to the cage,we can`t handle him and feel that both we and him are missing out on something (we`d love to be able to let him out the cage to play safely), does anyone have any tips???
Oh and by the way since we`ve had him he has started talking - not much, just the odd hello, he also meows & imitates a Kookaburra!!
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summit
Bronze Member
Posts: 174
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Post by summit on Jun 12, 2008 15:36:45 GMT 10
Hi gobbyjock and welcome to the forum and bird keeping.
It sounds like you have done a good job on getting Max back to health, or at least on his way. As they say with kids and animals you will always have dramas.
The key with parrots, even more so with previously mistreated ones is patience and persistance. Work slowly with him, talk calmly. Slowly offer his favourite food, be it a piece of apple, sunflower seed or whatever it is he really likes. Hold it out where he can reach it but don't poke it at him. Let him make the move towards it.
This may take quite some time so be patient.
Again, welcome ......... and don't be affraid to ask questions.
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Post by just4birds on Jun 12, 2008 15:43:02 GMT 10
perfect eg of people that pee me off with keeping eckies they have no clue about .... Lucky for Max he may have just found the perfect owner in you gobbyjock .... I also took on an eckie who had been left to play by himself for 8 hours a day .... and the owner also said they must have a stupid bird cause he didnt talk ... well after being bitten and pinched 100's of times ... i now have a somewhat eckie i can handle ... and he can also say about 6 or more words ...and wolf whistles the house down ... I have some of Loki's tricks on youtube www.youtube.com/l0tty .... My suggestion to you is to get ahold of some bird/parrot training dvds ... Parrot Rescue Centre has some www.parrotrescurecentre.com I learnt heaps of great tips from watching the dvds ... and teaching Loki ... which helped with out bonding ..  Also diet with eckies is REALLLLLLLLLLLY important ... must of us call what we call a veggie mush ... which is just made up of lots of veggies boiled or steamed ... add some cooked soup mix , brown rice and veggie pasta ... you can make it in bulk and freeze it ... then just microwave it warm for meal times .. I think there is some how to cook etc on www.eclectusparrots.net hope that helps *Lisa* ps.. i found sunflower seeds the best treats for training with all 3 of my eckies |
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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 12, 2008 16:35:05 GMT 10
Thanks guys! I will definately look at those sites. He is very food orientated and will rattle on his food dishes if they get empty and he is hungry, I haven`t tried him with sunflower seeds yet so that is something to try.
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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 12, 2008 16:45:34 GMT 10
I started playing the clips and turned the volume up, you could see him listening and then Max started really chuntering away!! He is very entertaining!!
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Post by just4birds on Jun 12, 2008 16:50:40 GMT 10
i found the basic training tips ... helped with Loki 100% ... when i first got him ... i couldnt get him out of his cage ... and if we went up to the cage he would go sit in the corner far away from us ... Now i can get him to step up and get him out of his cage and onto the play stand ... i can sit him on a table to do the other little tricks he has learnt ... and get him to step up to my hand to put him back in his cage ... and if he wont step up .. all i have to do is get a treat that he doesnt get any other time (sun flower seeds) and he is straight up onto my hand... he will never do the tricks to get my attention so then we do some training so he gets the treats ... Soo i think the dvds are well worth the heads up on just how to do the simple things with birds that dont know how to ... and a great way to bond together *Lisa* ps. my loki is a whingy bird ... drives everyone in the house crazzzy .. and i keep saying he is the most spoilt yet the most whingy ... but i still wouldnt give him up for the world ! ! ! ! |
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Post by pinkdevil on Jun 12, 2008 17:28:20 GMT 10
Hi and welcome gobbyjock. Sounds like you are doing a great job with Max. Good on ya for saving him from his previous home. Things can only get better for him |
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Karen
Addicted Member
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Post by Karen on Jun 12, 2008 19:59:42 GMT 10
G'day! Welcome.
Sounds like you are a very caring person to rescue poor Max from horrible conditions.
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Post by rainbowfeathers77 on Jun 12, 2008 21:10:43 GMT 10
Hi and welcome Gobbyjock! Good on you for rescuing this bird... it sounds like you are doing an excellent job...a God-send for Max!!! I wouldn't worry about it if he's still scared of you etc...you've only had him 3 months, who knows how he was treated b4 you came into the picture...he probabbly needs to build up his confidence with people again... but sounds like he's already improved heaps...just let him learn to trust you first, get used to you...it may not take too much longer or may still be some while....just be patient, spend time infront of his cage everyday and offer him treats. Good luck and good on you!!! WELCOME to AB too  |
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Post by farseeker on Jun 12, 2008 21:41:46 GMT 10
Welcome to AB Gobbyjock!
It's great to see someone willing to remove a neglected bird from the situation, and I hope you and Max have a great and long friendship.
As far as getting him used to you goes, when Squee was going through his 'people are scary' phase I'd eat beside his cage and have it placed near my bed when I was sleeping - the idea is that birds eat and sleep with their flock, so if you engage in that sort of behaviour with them it makes it easier for them to identify you as flock rather than a predator.
Don't know how well it actually works, but Squee did become a big softie for me again, so I hope this helps.
Good luck and keep us updated!
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Post by silvercloud on Jun 13, 2008 13:30:16 GMT 10
Hi and welcome Gobbyjock and Max. You have done a wonderful job with Max it sounds like. Patience and persistence are the ways to gain Max's trust. Also a lot of birds become cage territorial so are less inclined to let you near them when they're in their cage but are fine when out of the cage. It'll take time but you'll both be the best of friends once he trusts you I'm sure ;D
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Post by courtzrocks on Jun 13, 2008 19:53:29 GMT 10
Welcome and thank you for rescuing him!!
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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 14, 2008 0:18:24 GMT 10
Well today I spent a lot of time with him, I put his cage out in the sunshine, which he really seemed to enjoy, he didn`t shut up most of the afternoon once I brought him back in. I`ve been offering him bits of food and you can see he wants to take it, he shuffles forwards, then back again, so I`ve been offering it, then putting it in his bowl. Hubby came home tonight and offered him a peanut in shell and he did eventually take it - and scuttled off very quickly with it to eat it!! I will try & attach a couple of before & after photos (hope it works) he is still a bit manky looking but we are getting there (hi beak being trimmed has made a difference too).[img src="[/img] ![]() "] |
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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 14, 2008 0:22:22 GMT 10
![]() [/img]Cant seem to do it - how do you attach photos?? |
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Post by vankarhi on Jun 14, 2008 8:06:25 GMT 10
can you save them in photobucket?? I do that or I use imageshack as a host. You can click on the left side (there is a button there saying "browse" to find the pic on your pc that you want, then you click on "host it" and wait for image shack to load, then I click on the second link and then come back to your post and then press cntl and v at the same time and your pic should be here.
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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 14, 2008 9:56:14 GMT 10
Still can`t do it, will try again later.
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Post by vankarhi on Jun 16, 2008 20:32:44 GMT 10
ok send me your pics..........I will post them for you. I just posted some for Chris not long ago. I probably wont get to it though until tomorrow arvy after work.
My email addy is birdlover60@yahoo.com.au
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Post by bullibirdshow on Jun 18, 2008 13:32:59 GMT 10
Hello and Welcome gobbyjock, You have done really well with getting Max back up on his claws again. Well done. Move slowly around eckies until they get to know you. I am a fan of clicker training which may or may not be helpful for you. pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/ is a list you might like to try for advice. Don't put your skin (or anyone else's) where the bird can reach it until some progress has been made with clicker training, and the bird has calmed down. Talk to your Max alot and let him get to know you.  Kate |
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Post by gobbyjock on Jun 19, 2008 14:34:20 GMT 10
Thanks guys! Vankhari - I will send you the pics!!
Kate thanks for that I will try the clicker, he is really good until you put your hand near and he goes for it, yet doesn`t seem to bother about faces or heads. He lets you fill up his food dishes ok, so he`s not daft!
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Post by bullibirdshow on Jun 20, 2008 19:26:12 GMT 10
How about using dowel or branches until you have worked through this stage?
If you don't allow him to bite you it will really save you a life time of hassle.
Cheers,
Kate
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