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Hi there, sorry to sound like such a beginner, but I am really. I have a couple questions about handfeeding eclectus.

I have a Male SI Eclectus who is 36 days old now. I am ready to take him from 4 feedings to 3

1. How do you take feedings away exactly?
2. What times are good when you do go to 3, then 2 etc...
3. what is the last feeding you take away?
4. He is 402 grams now and eating about 40-45 cc's is this ok?
5. When do I go to 2 feedings then 1?
6. When can I start giving him regular foods to try?
7. When can I start putting him in a cage?

He is feathering out nicely, I have fed an eclectus before, but that was like 6 yrs ago, and I don't remember all of it, I am super appreciative with whatever information I can get. I am ok with the weaning part, just the taking away of the feedings. He is in a tote box at about 85 degrees with 45 or so humidity. I am getting answers from who I got him from, but wanted other opinions. Thanks so much, he is for my pet, not to feed and resell. thanks

Most people believe in abundance weaning... meaning, they remove feedings from the birds when they have refused that particularly feeding several times.

You should probably start offering soft foods now... such as sprouts, veggies, steamed veggies, etc.

thank you, they guy who I have been talking to, starts giving foods at 6wks, though I am not sure about the reduction of feedings,

when you abundance feed, when do they normally start refusing the feedings? or about when, on average?

Hi:
I time my babies 3 feedings like this: 7:00 a.m.; 3:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. or you could go 6:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. if you choose to.

You are feeding the correct amount - normally 10% of their body weight. You should try offering some warm "gooey" foods for him to try such as warm oatmeal, warm thawed mixed veggies, warm baby food (sweet potatos are good), sprouted seeds/nuts/legumes. The key is "warm" food since he will equate that with the "warm" formula he eats.

How soon to go to two feedings depends on the bird. I normally reduce a feeding when my babies have refused a particular feeding for several days in a row. Normally the first to go, IME, is the afternoon feeding. They stay on two feedings per day until they eat fairly well on their own and again refuse a feeding. The majority of my babies gave up the morning feedings first and kept the night feedings; however, I had a U2 give up her evening feeding and cling to the morning feeding with a vengeance! So, it depends on the bird.

Good luck! Keep us posted!!

Sally
Idaho

thank you very much

I just need to ask though, I am on 4 feedings now, how do I take him to 3 without "starving him" I was reading the abundance weaning thing and it seems like a real nice thing. I do not want him to be hungry, so is there a way to slowly graduate him from 4 to 3, while adding the new foods? Is he an ok age to add foods? I noticed him today with a piece of the bedding in his mouth, he was chewing on it , I use that carefresh stuff. I guess I should get a piece of wire so he can't really chew on it. If this works, here is a pic of him. Still no name, I am up for suggestions lol.

Since he is picking at bedding now would be the time to offer him soft foods. Once he begins picking/eating the soft foods he should show less interest in at least one of his feedings. When that happens, then cut back to 3 feedings. He looks very healthy and what a cute fuzzball he is!

I would also keep a careful weight record. I always weighed my babies in the morning before their first feeding. Once they dropped a feeding it really helped to see if they were keeping their weight up.

Please keep us posted. I'm sure you will come up with a name for him. Babies name themselves with their personalities I think.

Sally
Idaho

thank you so much, I am glad someone besides me thinks he looks good and healthy lol, that pic wat taken before his feeding, I took after shots, but they did not come out right.

I started a daily log, only 2 days ago, but I am doing it now, he was 14 oz, now 14.1 lol

I love him to pieces and want to do the right thing for him. I didn't want to wait too long on giving him a name, cause I keep saying "hi baby, or morning baby, you ready to eat" he is gonna think his name is baby lol. He has no personality really lol, he is quiet and mellow right now.

Thanks for the replies, it helps ALOT, I now am confident in what to do next.

I am by no means a breeder, so am glad someone experienced came in to help!

He certainly looks healthy! However, as far as weighing him, you need to weigh in grams, not oz's. Grams are much more accurate way of keeping track of weight. If you don't have a gram scale, you ought to get one... or if your scale can switch to grams, even better!

no I dont have a gram scale, but can't I just take the oz and use a conversion chart and convert from oz to g that way? that is what I have been doing. where do I get a gram scale? thanks

No you can't....

For example... my cherry headed conure weighs 5.7 oz which equates to 161.59 grams. However, using grams she weighs 158-160 which equates to 5.57-5.64 oz.

So you see, that's quite a bit difference in weight (so to speak). Your best bet is to use a gram scale... you can use a digital kitchen scale (Walmart, Target, etc) which cost only about $30 or so to buy, or a digital postal scale (not entirely sure where one would get one of these). There are gram scales made specifically for birds however they usually cost $60 and up... and you wont need a gram scale that weighs more than 3 lbs unless you own large macaws, as well!

I have a postal scale which I was using, it only does ounce and kg

Hi,
VERY cute baby!! I've never handfed an ekkie. But we offer our babies lots of warm foods like mixed veggies, birdie bread, scrambled eggs, rice, beans, pasta, etc. I usually buy lots of different organic baby foods and offer them as well, along with their "adult" diet and hand feeding. Usually the more you offer them, the less likely they are going to be picky eaters too. Like kids.

As far as names...Green Bean? LOL. Sorry I think it's an adorable name for a green bird.

Good luck with your new ekkie baby. They are fun!

thank you, yes he is cute, I love him to pieces. I have to hold off on the weaning, cause somehow i think the other night he aspirated himself. I fed him, he was fine, we held him for about 20 minutes, was fiine, put him back in his box, bout 15 minutes later I heard him making noise, went to check on him and he was shaking his head, breathing heavier and formula was in the box. I rushed him to the animal hospital who deals in exotics and they could fine nothing wrong with him basically, they did all kinds of cutures and blood work etc... was there for 2 days. And he is now home and fine. Only think we could think of was that when we put him to bed, he laid down as he normally does, but somehow he must have pushed some food out and it went back in the wrong way. Only thing we could think of. When he lays down, he sprawls out lol, he was not any fuller then normal, we think it was just a freak thing that happened, so now we have him propped up a bit, when he is done eating. he has a couple meds to take incase it is a fungal thing or bacterial thing, but he is better, eating fine and what not. So they told me to hold of on the weaning part for about a week to give him time to rest before going into a new thing. I wanted to post about this, cause I wanted hope and opinions, but I did not want anyone ridiculing me, it really was not my fault. I can see if I fed him more then normal, or pushed purposly on his crop, but no, he went to bed like normal. I don't know

anyway, my husband said he wanted to name him franklin (ben franklin) or money pit lol, cause that was a BIG bill. But we won't name him that. I would like to come up with something that means survival or something along that line. I was so upset that I was going to lose him, and that he would not have a name if he did pass the bridge. But Luckily he didn't and we are sooooo glad. I guess it doesn't take much. I was scared out of my mind, could not sleep, eat, etc.... and everytime I saw that number come up on my phone, I got scared, though it was only an update call. Thank God

Thats a cute name, but I don't know lol thanks. here is a new pic of him, just 3 days after the other one.

Clover or Shamrock? After the ordeal he and you went through, he's pretty lucky..so instead of "Lucky" how about Clover or Shamrock?

Just another thought.

Anyway I'm glad he's doing good now!

thank you, that is cute, I like clover, someone said patrick for patty's day, but I don't like that lol. I will run that one along with a few others I have by my husband and kids tonight and see what they think, will let you know what we decide on. thanks