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Hello,
We just got a 16 week old female ekki last week. She has been cage territorial from the day we got her home. If she is even sitting on the top, she will fluff up, charge to bite. Also, if she flys off of our hand or off of the cage, she will try to attack us when going to get her. We are trying to be as affirmative as possible when picking her up, but it can be very intimidating, especially if she runs into a corner! She will go from sweet as pie on our hand, do a tazmanian devel on the floor!
Is this a common problem with ekki's? I never read any of this on the message boards, or on information sites. I am an experienced bird owner. I recently lost my pionus to cancer, and decided to try a new species. I did not want to compare my old sweet pionus to a new one, incase the new one was not "perfect". Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! I love her, and don't want her to be scared of us (and I want the devel voice in her head to GO AWAY!)!
Thanks!!!

At 16 weeks, she's an infant, much too young for devilment. She sounds very scared. I hope you'll be able to keep her safely in her cage until you've been able to win her trust. Let your voices and food treats offered by fingertips convince her you mean no harm. Have you called her breeder for suggestions about favorite foods? Has she had her well-baby vet exam yet?

What are you feeding her?

Is she still on formula?

Describe for us her daily intake? (what you are feeding her and what amounts of each)

Her weight?

How much (by weight) is she eating? (you can accomplish this by weighing her total intake and subtract what she eats)

At 16 weeks she still should be gaining weight by approx 2-5% per day.

I take she isn't weaned yet, how are you weaning her?

This is the most important time of your young Eckies life, she should be weighed everyday and an increase in weight should be noted. This is a classic Eckie "not eating correctly" problem. She is upset and letting you know it. Be careful she is not getting her correct diet.

If you would please take a picture and post it here! I would also like to see a picture of her belly, especially between her legs!

Dutch

P.S. - I raise three different species of Eclectus and have over 15 yrs experience with them.

I second Purpleheart's post; it has been my experience that babies become loud, aggressive and afraid when their diet is inadequate. Good luck with her -- Don't give up! Female ekkies can be territorial of their cages more than males, but this one is just a baby! I think diet is the most likely issue.


Hang in there!


~EkkieMama

I had similar problems with my female SI. She was aggressive toward everyone in the family but me and would charge when she was on the floor. I even offered her for adoption here and on other sites, but I am stuck with her. She's 14 mos old now and has mellowed a bit in her old age. My wife and daughters keep their distance. She'll still charge when she's on the floor, but not with the reckless abandon she used to. I think she's about due for adolescence to kick in, but I wonder if she went through that phase a little early.

Regardless, she's more civilized than she was and even eats dinner with us from the table. Her screeches are still piercing, but less frequent and she's charging less. I think she will continue to mellow as she ages.

I've never spent time with ekkies, but many other birds are much more aggressive when allowed on the floor. Might be worth some experimentation.