Can Improper Diet Trigger Aggressive/Hormonal Behavior?

[Nostromo]

Hello,
I am looking to adopt a second parrot soon. I'm looking for an adult bird who needs a new home. I am speaking with a woman who is looking to rehome her 2 year old male eclectus. I don't know a whole lot about eclectus, but I love to research and learn, so I've been doing some reading. The lady seems very kind and loving, but she told me that she is rehoming him because he is cage aggressive and will only come out of the cage on his terms. When I asked, she told me that she feeds him "parrot food", seeds, nuts, eggs, and chicken bones. My understanding is that this is an entirely inappriopriate diet for an electus, who needs primarily fruits and vitamin A rich veggies. My question is, could the diet be causing the aggression? Part of me wants to take this boy in and give him a better life, but the other part doesn't want to take home a parrot with known aggression issues...

 

[Pixiebeak]

I don't know, but such a terrible diet is bound to have some affect..

If their knowledge is so terrible on diet , I imagine their other skills and knowledge is lacking...

 

[Nostromo]

I don't know, but such a terrible diet is bound to have some affect..

If their knowledge is so terrible on diet , I imagine their other skills and knowledge is lacking...

From what I've seen they kept him in a nice spacious cage and had lots of toys for him. There was also a female eclectus in the home that he was close to but she died (not a huge surprise given her diet). Apparently their vet has told them to feed him this diet - I'm assuming not an avian vet. But they do seem like kind and affectionate owners who meant well.

 

[Mizzely]

I would say it could affect hormones as a diet plentiful in proteins and fats can certainly trigger the body to be breeding ready.

However I wouldn't expect a diet change to resolve cage protective behaviors. He'll likely need to be worked with, and sometimes parrots are just really bothered by us messing with their houses!

 

[Pixiebeak]

From what I've seen they kept him in a nice spacious cage and had lots of toys for him. There was also a female eclectus in the home that he was close to but she died (not a huge surprise given her diet). Apparently their vet has told them to feed him this diet - I'm assuming not an avian vet. But they do seem like kind and affectionate owners who meant well.

Best intentions...but I'm glad to hear of nice roomy cage and toys .

I definitely agree with mizzly...lol I have quakers! Ain't no way they letting my hand in their cage , if the screaming doesn't get me the beaks will! Totally sweethearts out of the cage tho. It was easy enough to teach them to come out to a perch I attach outside the cage , then I move them for cage maintenance and food and water changes , stress free

 

[Nostromo]

Best intentions...but I'm glad to hear of nice roomy cage and toys .

I definitely agree with mizzly...lol I have quakers! Ain't no way they letting my hand in their cage , if the screaming doesn't get me the breaks will! Totally sweethearts out of the cage tho. It was easy enough to teach them to come out to a perch I attach outside the cage , then I move them for cage maintenance and food and water changes , stress free

Right, it's hard to get a sense of what she's really talking about. If she's expecting a parrot to tolerate her sticking her hand in their cage asking for them to come out, then I wouldn't really describe her parrot's grumpy reaction as a problem behavior. My Pi has never bitten me but she gets very irritated if I try to make her come out when she doesn't feel like it lol. For trips to the vet or whatever I force the issue, but in the day to day I just open her cage door and let her decide. And her cage has doors for food and water to avoid precisely this scenario. But perhaps the owner is underreporting the issue, since she is hoping I'll take the bird on.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Right, it's hard to get a sense of what she's really talking about. If she's expecting a parrot to tolerate her sticking her hand in their cage asking for them to come out, then I wouldn't really describe her parrot's grumpy reaction as a problem behavior. My Pi has never bitten me but she gets very irritated if I try to make her come out when she doesn't feel like it lol. For trips to the vet or whatever I force the issue, but in the day to day I just open her cage door and let her decide. And her cage has doors for food and water to avoid precisely this scenario. But perhaps the owner is underreporting the issue, since she is hoping I'll take the bird on.

When taking in a rehome, take all the information they will share ..but I basically believe nothing.

Even if they aren't trying to be deceitful, many people are crazy bad at reading and understanding their parrot

 

[Nostromo]

When taking in a rehome, take all the information they will share ..but I basically believe nothing.

Even if they aren't trying to be deceitful, many people are crazy bad at reading and understanding their parrot

Yeah. I feel like I'll know a lot more if I actually meet the bird. The owners were asking a $1000, but given the poor diet and behavioral problems, I was saying I'd pay half that, which is what I'd expect to pay when adopting from a parrot rescue. We'll see if I hear anything else back.

 

[parrotcafe]

Many many ekkies are cage aggressive. It’s really not a dealbreaker for myself. I have my girl step up onto a stand before I’ll have her step up onto myself. Her cage is her territory and nature has programmed her to defend it, and I respect that. During the daytime, she spends most of her time away from her cage on different play gyms throughout the house.