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Do Ecelcuts breeding pairs need to be isolated like I hear Greys do? Thanks

You're much more likely to get input from experienced breeders if you post this query on the breeder chat rather than the pet bird chat.

woops ok, if a moderator can delete this thread that would be swell.

Hello!

In my years of experience with the roratus species, at least visual isolation from other species, will greatly improve productivity in 'most' pairs of eclectus..... but can be caged close to other eclectus pairs with little to no negative impact.

Jeremy
Genesis Parrot

Mine are in the living room around us, our boys who are 11 and 7, our african grey and another ekkie, our 3 cockatiels and our dog and they give about 4 clutches a year.

Jennifer wrote:... they give about 4 clutches a year.

Wow, Jennifer, this surprises me -- is that many clutches normal for ekkies? I'd have thought chicks that take 4 months to wean would come from parents who produced a single clutch a year. Obviously, I don't know ekkies! I presume both parents share feeding duty. How many chicks in the average clutch?

Just curious -- TIA

I have to pull them right after they hatch because my female over feeds them and impacts their crops. So after a month or so she's ready to go again. I've tried to actually stop them from breeding a couple of times and they won't have it. They demand the box back or they get nasty. LOL She always lays 2 eggs...sometimes they both hatch, sometimes just one.

How do you keep her calcium level high enough to create eggs so often without leaching it from her bones? Does her bloodwork show that her calcium level is a healthy normal? I've always had such a hard time keeping my cockatiel pairs from overbreeding that I'm amazed it's not a deadly threat to your ekkies. And VERY glad it isn't!

Both of their bloodwork is perfect. They are both on an excellent diet, lots of beans, eggs, brown rice, veggies, fruits, sprouts. Also you have to think that if she's not feeding the babies herself she's losing nothing. She lays the eggs, sits on them while my male feeds her and then she's done with them. The loss of vitamins comes mostly from the actual feeding of the chics. It takes a lot out of them, and with her not feeding them, she doesn't lose anything.

Nicophorus wrote:Do Ecelcuts breeding pairs need to be isolated like I hear Greys do? Thanks

Hi Nic!

I have three pairs (all three) different types, Red/S, Grand, and Solomon Island. And of course you remember I have the five pairs of CAG's (from past comments) and can say from my experience they are as different as night and day, for sure.

While the CAG'S enjoy peaceful non-existence with the human race to procure their own, my Eclectus want to be the center of attention all day long and into the evening. They can be handled and fed almost around the clock as any little noise seems to get their attention and both (male/female) are up and looking around to see what made it. If they can not see what happened they are annoyed and will pace until their curiosity is satisfied. While the CAG's run for the hills (their boxes) at the slightest incident.

Even when the Eclectus hens are brooding they rather enjoy coming up for exercise so to speak and sit at the top of the hole to be a sort of busy body. This of course prompts the males to feed them, so like in a reference Pavlov's dog, they get more food... ha ha ha.

The things I have to watch out for in brooding Eclectus is moving their cages. Once set up with boxes I try very hard not to disturb the cage at all. I will not move it to clean under or adjust the sunlight that flows over it. I only sweep (with a broom) and avoid anything that shakes or jars their cage. This is the only reason why the hen will come out of her box. Otherwise she will sit like a sentry in the opening until she is ready for me to pull the babies.

Dutch

P.S.- As for double clutching, Eclectus are known for this, there is no problem because of the fact that Eclectus are EATING MACHINES... lol. Try not to compare Tiels with Eckies, they are also as different like night and day.

All good news! Another worry I can jettison

They totally are eating machines. The best description I've seen is that they are the gluttons of the parrot world. 100% LOL