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advice about ekkie

Farzad

Strolling the yard
Joined
11/16/16
Messages
92
Real Name
Farzad
Hi Farzud! Welcome to the avenue and I'm glad Coco landed with someone as caring as you! And hello from my Coco to yours :)
1: This seems to depend on the bird, and sometimes just their mood. Mine was very shy with everyone when she first moved in, and is now very vocal. If I'm talking to someone over skype video or on the telephone she insists on being the conversation. If we have guests over she's pretty happy to hang out with us for awhile and then wants alone time.
2: Do you know how cuddly he was with his previous owners? This could just be an adjustment thing where he'll settle in with time. But it sounds like a great start!
3: My girl does this too, and as far as we know she's never flown. But just before tucking in she loves to flap and then rest her outstretched wings on her perch for a few minutes. I think it's just stretching before settling in.
Hello and thank you for your detailed reply, today he did an odd thing he started screaming loudly in the morning at 8
I scared that may be he has fallen or something has happend to him since he does not like screams
When I went there I could see he is sitting on his food bowl and watching me angry.
I picked him up and talked to him then gave him some seeds that he likes much (beaphar xtravital)
But I dont want this behaviour again anyone has any idea??
 

Farzad

Strolling the yard
Joined
11/16/16
Messages
92
Real Name
Farzad
Hello guys,
Although I am not a specialist but I found a way to manage night scares of Coco, I share the way may be it can be any of use for you too.
Last night my wife suggested that may be Coco is scared because he thinks we leave him alone in night and then come back in morning...
She started to talk to him very gently and show him around the house on her shoulder right before we sleep ... (Please note that my wife talks to him with lots of love and very gentle that even can make him sleep at afternoon)
Even tonight we tested this method by not talking first and Coco started flapping but after my wife showed him around the house and talked to him about we are going to sleep next door and ... Coco went back to his perch and lift a leg to sleep

So this worked for us may be this works for you
 

EkkieLuv

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/31/13
Messages
638
Location
Houston
Real Name
Leslie
I will try to answer your individual questions better in a little while... but wanted to share one of my past posts about diet for you to start off. :welcome: to AA and your Coco is adorable!

I wanted to post diet info in a separate space here - mainly because it's so important for ekkies. This site - diets
is very comprehensive and I think very good. Go through the links on the left and take time to read it all. You will hear opinions from both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between about what is right and good. As I mentioned before, do your homework ;)

More great info here - Psittacine Cuisine

My boys get all fresh and homemade food with the exception of some "store-bought" mixes. Those mixes are offered in small amounts - think side dishes or treats, not main course:
  • Higgins Worldly Cuisines
  • Dr. Harvey's Veg to Bowl
  • Dr. Harvey's What's Cookin'
  • Phoenix Foraging Unpellet Mix (excellent stuff!)
  • Volkman Eclectus Seed Mix (on occasion, not daily)
  • Nutriberries as special treats

Stuff I make:
  • Bird Bread (lots of recipes out there!)
  • Sweet Potato Puffs (Cook sweet potato mixed with chopped veggies and made into little balls, rolled in coconut. Freeze and defrost as needed)
  • Chop... details below.
  • They are always offered fresh greens (kale, spinach, etc. whatever I bought that week) and veggies (usually what I find in season and organic when possible). They're not really crazy about fruit unless I'M eating it. LOL Then they want some - they'll usually try banana, apple, cantaloupe, berries. I don't typically put fruit in their bowls because they always toss it out.
Ok, about the CHOP. Chop day is a big production at my house - and it's just what it sounds like - a bunch of chopped stuff. :) But I make it by the sink-full then freeze it in smaller portions for defrosting as needed. They get this for dinner daily. I mix it with rehydrated Goldenfeast Bean Supreme but you can serve chop all by itself, too. Basically it contains the following:
  • Variety of cooked beans - Volkman Soak & Simmer is a good blend or sometimes I just use a variety from the grocery store (black, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, etc.). They should be fully cooked!
  • Variety of cooked grains - brown rice, millet, barley, quinoa, buckwheat.
  • Chopped/diced/shredded Seasonal veggies, organic when possible - you can go crazy here. Staples in my chop are carrots, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash. Sometimes I add hot peppers, cabbage, broccoli, whatever looks good at the market!

Hope that helps you on the diet stuff! As for pellets, if they ate them in their previous home, you can still offer them a good pellet. Choose one that is NOT colored or artificially fortified. TOPs is a good one. Goldenfeast Golden'obles is also good.

If you have trouble getting them to try fresh/homemade food, eat some yourself, make a big deal about how yummy it is, etc. They'll watch you! You can also check out my blog that is all about parrot-safe human dishes to share with your fiddies! :) It's at Beak Bites!

Please ask if you have more questions! This is all a lot to absorb! :)
 

EkkieLuv

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/31/13
Messages
638
Location
Houston
Real Name
Leslie
I'm going to answer within the quotes below!

1 : how should I settle him down so that he get used to oir home and ...
2 : my ekkie is home bred and hand reared he comes to my shoulde and hand but when I let him in home he quickly goes to his cage like it is the safest place ....
His cage is the most likely place he feels safe so it's normal for him to want to be there. It's ok and once you build more trust with him he will start to acknowledge YOU as a safe place. He is in new surroundings so it's natural for him to be wary, a bit stand-offish, etc. until he feels more comfortable and learns about you and your wife and the routines in your home. This was a question from a few weeks ago so hoping he's getting accustomed to your home. Don't be worried if it takes him a while!

3 : what should I feed him with since I am in Iran and I dont have access to every tropical fruit in this season I have these fruits and greens available, carrot, sprouts, broccoli, kiwi, apple, banana, pomegranate, orange, peppers and ...
Those are all good foods. Ekkies don't need a lot of fruit - most are high in natural sugars. They're not bad for them but the ekkie digestive system is so efficient, which is why fortified foods such as pellets and even a lot of seed mixes are not recommended. My boys love kiwi, banana and definitely pomegranates! They get a little fruit with their breakfast daily - a blackberry, raspberry, blueberry or small piece of whatever is in season and looked good at the store. When poms are in season they get some of that every day because they love them so much and poms are very healthy!

4 : he is 2-3 years old and ex owner had him fed with sunflowers and millets most, how can I change it diet si he eats fruits most
BTW I have bought him dried mealworms since my vet says he is lacking protein becase his feathers are not ordered well
My guys don't care for millet so I don't even buy it but if that is a favorite treat, reserve it for training/positive reinforcement! Sunflower seeds are a fave here. They get them occasionally but I do not offer seeds daily as they are high in fat. Not bad fats but they are not a necessary part of the ekkie diet and can lead to problems if eaten in excess - not to mention they're addictive to them in a way! LOL They'll chow down on seeds given the chance then not want their healthier foods.
He wants to be out of traveler cage in our car and be on my shoulder so I can not drive ... This is something I think I need to fix soon any idea on these problems?
In my opinion is can be very dangerous to let him out of his travel cage while driving! For his safety and yours, keep him in there. Hang a small toy and put something yummy in the bowl to keep him occupied while driving. Just best all around to not let him out in the car.
Is it safe to feed him with this food? (The photo)
I had a hard time finding a complete list of ingredients for this food. If it is fortified, which it very likely is, I would not feed it. A better choice would be a mix without added vitamins and minerals. I'm not sure what is available to you there in Iran! Is there a website you shop from?

And lettuce?is it safe for a ekkie to eat lettuce?
Lettuce is safe! Dark, leafy greens are excellent foods and it's good to offer them daily. I rotate mine - spinach, lettuce, kale, collard greens, carrot tops, etc.
At the moment his favourite food is:
Sunflower seed, miller, cotton seed, lettuce, wheat sprouts and pomegranate
My vet says I use this combination:
Sunflower seed, roasted soybeans, roasted wheat, walnut, pistachio and dried sugarless fruits
What do u think?
All of those things are ok. Sprouted seeds are a more complete nutrition than unspotted... so if you can sprout and he'll eat them, that's excellent! Be sure to add fresh vegetables to his diet.
Hello guys,
Just wanted to mention some new odd behaviours from my ekkie:
1 : as far as I know and researched, male ekkie is not ok with a crowded house, Coco is just 180 degree different he is very active, ultra happy and talkative when we have guests in our house !!!!!!
I am maybe not understanding this statement... he's MORE or LESS active and happy with guests in the house? My boys are all different - Mr. Spock is very curious and likes to check out new people. The other 2 are more reserved and would rather watch from their cages.

2 : he is not a cuddly bird at all during day, he will grown and push our hand back with his beak if we try to pet him or touch any part of his body, but at night just before sleep, he begs for cuddle, he takes my hand with his beak and puts it on his back and let me pet him and touch every single spot of his body even I can expand and collapse his wings !!!!!!
Ekkies generally do not like to be cuddled or pet. There are exceptions though. In my experience my guys do not want their feathers messed with except when they are hormonal, they don't care... one track minds! LOL It's best not to stroke them down their back as that is sexually stimulating to them. How old is Coco?

3 : when we want to sleep and we say good night to him he goes up and down in the cage and flaps his wings quickly!!!!!!
You might see if you can encourage that wing flapping from your hand to give him some exercise before bed. Does he fly? If not, flapping is a needed and healthy exercise for him! Do you cover his cage at night?

Anyone has any idea what to do to fix these?
Hello and thank you for your detailed reply, today he did an odd thing he started screaming loudly in the morning at 8
I scared that may be he has fallen or something has happend to him since he does not like screams
When I went there I could see he is sitting on his food bowl and watching me angry.
I picked him up and talked to him then gave him some seeds that he likes much (beaphar xtravital)
But I dont want this behaviour again anyone has any idea??
Does he do this often or was it a one-time thing? Maybe something startles him or maybe he's just ready for breakfast and ready for the day! If it's a daily thing around the same time, it might just be what is natural for them as in the wild - calling to his flock mates. Mine tend to be louder around dusk in the evening. But if I'm really late with breakfast they sometimes get fussy too. :)
I hope this was helpful... please ask more questions if you have any!
 

CarmieJo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
10/17/09
Messages
1,660
Location
Raleigh, NC
Real Name
Carmie
Hi Farzad! Coco is a lucky bird to have landed with you! I have a couple thoughts for you. Regarding protein, Howard, our ekkie, likes chicken. When we have it for the family we always give him a bone with scraps of meat and cartilage on it. He especially likes the leg, thigh and the big bone from the wing. I don't give him the thin little bones that he might splinter.

We have found that he will often try food that we are eating if we give him a bit off of our plate. So if you are having a new fruit or veggie, share a bite with Coco. (But you should not give him food that has your saliva on it as that could make him sick.) Howard has learned to eat many new foods this way. But there are some foods that he still only eats if we are eating them. You may have read this in some of the food threads that have been recommended but it worth repeating the advice to give him the new foods you want him to try first thing in the morning when he is hungry.

Howard was 18 months old when we got him. We saw a huge positive change in him over the first 6 months or so as he became comfortable with us and our house. From the beginning he was also more cuddly at night. Now he will let us touch him all over any time but he still only really likes to cuddle at night.

Regarding screaming - is Coco's cage where he can see out the window? Howard will scream if he sees a hawk or other bird of prey outside. He can not see the door from his cage but he also screams if a stranger only steps on our porch. They don't have to knock on the door or ring the bell it is just coming onto the porch. We are not sure how he knows but he does. We call him our home alarm system!

I think walking around the house with Coco before bed is smart. Maybe it helps him settle down. Maybe it reassures him you are there. Maybe he just likes the close time with your wife. No matter what the reason it sounds like you've hit on the perfect solution!
 
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