Ecky Diet - i can feel his Keel Bone!!

[lovemyeckys]

Hi,

New to the form – just after some information on Eclectus and their healthy weight. I have 2 pairs – both handraised and are in a very large outside aviarys. My older 2 (around 2yrs) just love their food and are very healthy and in great condition (plump around their Keel Bone)

Where are my other pair (they are around 12 months old) not long purchased them and the male looks healthy etc but I can feel his keel bone – you cant visually see it but I can feel it and it feel like it is sticking out a lot

They are feed (daily) mixed veg, corn, apple, rockmelton, honey dew, passionfruit, peas, beans, carrots etc (pretty much anything that they can eat) as well as nuts, pellets, cuttlebone and seed and egg once a week – although I find that they leave a lot of their fruit/veg

Can anyone suggest how I can fatten him up? Or if he needs it? What is the ideal weight for an Eclectus male?

Thanks,

[Mark]

HI

Your Diet looks fine as eccy diet is 90% fruit 10% seed
Seed should br left in the Aviary 24 hours a day about 1 kilo a week should do them for a pair

Sorry out of all my book all i can find is the Length no weight

I would take your eccy to a vet and have it checked for Clamida , Metel poising or even Worms it is worth getting a Vet opion !!

[Mark]

Another thing i just thought of

You can give them some High Protine Dog Biscuts we do

[lovemyeckys]

Thanks – he looks healthy and everything, very playful he just doesn’t eat much – maybe like people some birds are not big eaters?

I wormed them on the weekend – so will see how he goes, I have only had them for a few weeks

Also, they are getting a small amount of sunflour seed mixed in with different small seeds – should I up the sunflour seed? As that is all that they seem to like, they seem to always pick out the sunflour?

[Nikki]

Sounds like he is a fussy eatter. My bird vet told me that the sunflower seed is the hamburger of the bird world. They all love it but to many are bad for them. Maybe let them have more til it fattens up but beware that they can cause liver damage thru obesity. Some breeders don't offer enough variety to chicks and they end up with a narrow diet. If there is nothing wrong with him he wont starve himself if you try to vary his diet. Again I have some birds that are real pigs and others that don't obsess over food. So long as he has been cleared by the vet treat him as a fussy e4atter and encourage the fruit and veg as much as possible.

[Mark]

A multi Vitmin in the water would not hurt eather

[lovemyeckys]

Thanks – yes he is very picky – he just has little bites of everything where are his partner is the pig

I will add a little more sunflour to his diet until he puts on some more condition

[Peter]

Hello and welcome,

Ditto to everything eagle has said. Sometimes younger birds can take some time to fatten up. It is good that you have wormed them, you may notice some difference in them after that. To fatten him up I'd keep the seed up (sunflower) but reduce it once he has gained a bit of weight. Kepp up with all the fruit etc.

Cheers

[Jen]

If he really likes the sunflower (as they all do to some extent) try getting the grey striped sunflower rather than the plain black. It is slightly more expensive usually but is better for them. Keep encouraging the fruit though. Red chillis are great and they absolutely LOVE pomegranate (sp?). Ours adore a whole corn cob too. We put some large round headed nails into their perches and spike the whole foods on that as they dont seem to waste quite as much although I must admit that the ekkies are the messiest and most wasteful eaters of all our birds.

[kim]

Have you taken him to a vet for a check up?

You can get the odd lean machine, I have one myself LOL
Eddie is teeny but he's healthy. If your ekkie is healthy then you shouldn't worry about trying to fatten him up.

You can give them some High Protine Dog Biscuts we do

I'd be a bit careful of this. High protein should only be given to breeding ekkies or ekkies going through a heavy moult. Any other time in their life they shouldn't get high animal protein as it can cause more harm than good.

You can find weights here around the middle of the page:
eclectusparrots.net/weaning
The weight is also only a general guide. it doesn't mean that is what you ekkie must weigh. They can vary individually like humans.

You shouldn't up the sunflower seeds or anything fattening. doing extra fattening foods doesn't make them gain weight, just gives them bad cholesterol & other fatty health issues.

Since you've only had him a few weeks you should take him to a vet for a check up & make sure he is healthy & well. The vet will also be able to tell you if he needs a vitamin boost. With ekkies it isn't always a good idea to go & do this sort of thing without a vet check first.