Wing flipping?

[Elizabeth]

Every now and again I see Cosmo twitch one of his wings. If I can get it on video I'll post it. Does wing flipping usually involve both wings? Or just one? Is it likely to co-occur with toe-tapping?

I've been watching YouTube videos and he certainly doesn't have it as severely as those birds, if he does at all. It's just every once in a while, and I can't tell whether it's the dreaded wing flipping or just normal feather ruffling that I'm being paranoid about as a new Ekkie mom. Can you think of any distinguishing characteristics that set wing flipping apart from normal movement?

He has fresh food available all day (blackberries, raspberries, apples, carrots, pears, pomegranate) and gets about a tablespoon of Zupreem natural daily, which he doesn't usually finish - he's majority fruit and veggie. Was fed fresh food in his old home too.

If I'd gotten him as a baby I probably would have put him on something different than Zupreem, but he's been eating Zupreem Smart Selects for all of his life (he's 22) with no reported problems and is in perfect feather. He's been seeing the same vet as Bender his whole life, so I would know about any past histories. I didn't want to fix what wasn't broken, but would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Elizabeth]

Also he shed a feather. I think he just is molting but the shaft looks a little different than I’m accustomed to seeing but there is a little extra bump. Let me know if this looks like a plucked feather.

Thank you for indulging this nervous new ekkie mom!

 

[April]

@Hollybee @LunaEkkie @BrianB
I was trying to find any Ekkie owners that still post. @expressmailtome do you know any others that I've missed?

It sounds like he's on a good diet with my limited Ekkie knowledge. I'd imagine especially if you have all his records and he came from a rescue that surely it would have been happening before now especially if you've got him on exactly what he was eating before hand.

 

[Pixiebeak]

All your listed foods are pretty high in sugar , even the carrots are. Does he get more veggies and variety?

 

[April]

Oh! @Nikomania had a sweet Ekkie.

 

[expressmailtome]

@Hollybee @LunaEkkie @BrianB
I was trying to find any Ekkie owners that still post. @expressmailtome do you know any others that I've missed?

It sounds like he's on a good diet with my limited Ekkie knowledge. I'd imagine especially if you have all his records and he came from a rescue that surely it would have been happening before now especially if you've got him on exactly what he was eating before hand.

@Miss Annamarie does not log in often anymore, but still does occasionally.

 

[April]

@Miss Annamarie does not log in often anymore, but still does occasionally.

Thanks!

 

[Elizabeth]

All your listed foods are pretty high in sugar , even the carrots are. Does he get more veggies and variety?

Tomorrow he’s getting sweet potato and celery. He does have a sweet tooth. Green beans, cucumber, kale all flung aside. I may try cooking green beans. I’ll try squash next time I go shopping. Let me know if you can think of others.

I notice zupreem has sugar in it - even the natural pellets. Should I try another brand? He doesn’t get many pellets - just a tablespoon or so.

 

[Elizabeth]

By the way thanks everybody!

 

[LunaEkkie]

I don't have much experience with ekkies. Luna has only been with us for about 9 months.

From what I've read and heard from the vet, I know not all pellets work for ekkies and that not all ekkies can get on pellets. Our vet recommended Roudybush and I've seen this as probably the most common ekkie pellet as it doesn't have any added vitamins or nutrients.

The added vitamins or nutrients in a pellet make a difference as ekkies have longer digestive tract and as a result absorb more of these vitamins or nutrients. This leads to imbalances which cause toe tapping and wing flipping.

That doesn't mean other brands are not as good as Roudybush. I personally use a local South African pellet as Roudybush is an expensive import all the way from California.

The vet says that the pellet diet should make up about 60% of the birds diet and the rest is fruit and vegetables. I'm not sure if this would make much of a different since they are getting more fresh fruit and vegetables.

In terms of wing flipping... Could just be that they want to realign their features?
Probably would be best to consult a vet as you've mentioned he's been on the food for years.

Luna also flips her wings when she wants me to mist her with water. Every birb is different so it's very hard to say.

Hope this helps in some way!

 

[LunaEkkie]

Also just wondering how long do you have Cosmo?

It can take an ekkie a while to settle in especially when there is a big change.

 

[Miss Annamarie]

Mel was on zupreem natural plus fresh food when I got her and was wing flipping. For Mel it was one wing usually, I don't know how to describe it differently than feather ruffling besides really sudden. I don't personally feed pellets at all, and switching her off of them has seemed to help in the years that I've had her. Do you have a video?

I am not online as much as I used to be but if you ever need ekkie help feel free to tag me! I get email notifs!

 

[Pixiebeak]

Tomorrow he’s getting sweet potato and celery. He does have a sweet tooth. Green beans, cucumber, kale all flung aside. I may try cooking green beans. I’ll try squash next time I go shopping. Let me know if you can think of others.

I notice zupreem has sugar in it - even the natural pellets. Should I try another brand? He doesn’t get many pellets - just a tablespoon or so.

Peppers, squashes, kale, swiss chard , bok choy , romaine, dandelion greens , pumpkin , peas,
Mango, strawberry
I'm not sure I'd do much pear
I'm pretty sure you can do cooked lentils and legumes, but we can both read online foods lists for them .
Boiled egg.
Edit: because I wanted to double check on the melons but yes has them listed
And of course sprouts!

I linked an eclectus diet here

Raw sweet potatoes

Ok, I have been trying to find facts on this . Sweet potato are different from regular potatoes, trying to gather facts on this . If my memory is holding from my quick research, regular potatoes are in night shade family, sweet potato in morning glory family....will edit if I've got this wrong...

forums.avianavenue.com

Did Annamarie share diet with you? She says she provides a fresh diet

 

[Pixiebeak]

My bad on pears , they have way more fiber than I remember!! So keep them in your mix

 

[Elizabeth]

Mel was on zupreem natural plus fresh food when I got her and was wing flipping. For Mel it was one wing usually, I don't know how to describe it differently than feather ruffling besides really sudden. I don't personally feed pellets at all, and switching her off of them has seemed to help in the years that I've had her. Do you have a video?

I am not online as much as I used to be but if you ever need ekkie help feel free to tag me! I get email notifs!

Wing movements do seem sudden and are usually just one wing. He’s in great feather overall, but I did notice that he frequently is messing with his left foot and today found what looks like a downy spot on the leg (see pic). The foot itself appears undamaged.

Have tried to get wing flipping on video but it maybe only happens once an hour, then it’s just one or two flips. He will sometimes shift from one foot to the other and contract toes accordingly but that doesn’t look like the videos I’ve seen.

I like to have a free choice dry food overnight or when I work in-office and my fiancé isn’t home but when I give him fruits/veggies he’s not wild about he eats more pellets.

Maybe only have the dry food there when fresh food isn’t available? What do you recommend as a dry food if any? Looking more for a supplement than a staple

On pellets I’m at minimum going to switch to roudybush.

His rescue is run by a vet and she did an exam and labs before he was adopted (last week). Since everything I’m looking at is subtle it’s possible it was missed.

 

[Elizabeth]

Also just wondering how long do you have Cosmo?

It can take an ekkie a while to settle in especially when there is a big change.

He has only been here a week. Also he was at rescue 5 months, and I think in boarding a couple of months before being surrendered to rescue. He was very stressed the few times I saw him there. He seems calmer at home so we have improvement!

But he seemed to still be looking for his old owners when he came home. Talked a lot in his male owners voice. Now he seems to be learning to mimic us (and also my green cheeks scream!)

Think he was there so long because they were very particular about his adopter. He was never listed on the website as an available bird. They wanted a client of the practice who’d had their bird a long time (commitment I guess)

 

[Elizabeth]

Pic of leg he was scratching

 

[Elizabeth]

Great news!

He’s been off pellets for 2 days now. I haven’t seen any wing flipping or foot chewing!!

He was on Zupeeem fruit blend in the rescue (!) so I assumed he was just not as sensitive as other ekkies. It was very subtle and occasional with him, so it took a week of quiet observation to see. So, no more pellets.

I’ve decided his dry free choice food will be freeze-dried fruits/veggies with 2x/week Volkman ekkie seed mix.

I have always been skeptical about pellets. I think they cause more problems than they solve in many if not most birds. Ekkies it’s just more obvious since they’re so sensitive.

Bender gets fruit veggies and seed. First time my fiancé came to the vet, I told him ahead of time that I’d lie and say bender got pellets and fruit/veg with occasional seed. I have a wonderful vet, but it seems like most of them are just brainwashed on the pellets deal.

I think we could eventually have an exposé like for dog food, but on a smaller scale.

 

[Parutti]

That's great news, that you've been able to solve the wing flipping!

I think we are in the earliest infancy of understanding parrot nutrition and I try to do things like you - observe my birds then make changes and keep observing!

One of my birds plucks including his flight feathers, and he does better when he's not eating pellets. We haven't determined for sure why yet - whether it's an ingredient (like walnut etc) or a supplement added, and he does not at all like cold pressed greens versions like TOPS so we're still trying to find the right mix of foods

From what I've read elsewhere it does seem like some Ekkies are super sensitive to any pellet even if they aren't fortified. But especially the fortified versions. I'm glad you figured this out so quickly and that Cosmo is settling right in