Annie, that is a very interesting article.  The author presents some pretty strong arguments for her beliefs.  Have you ever tried feeding Diana some nectar to see what she thought of it?  Maybe someday they'll decide the author is right.  Thank you for sharing the article!  Kathy 

I opened up the computer at 630am and saw this article (I always  check first on your interesting finds) and what a great site... I've spent the last hour reading and enjoying the articles... have it bookmarked as there's so much information.

 

 

 

VEEEERRRRY Interesting!   I want to do more reading and investigating on this but it sure brings up a big question in my mind about the female Ekkie plucking issue.    I have heard of very few captive female single pet ekkies that do not have a plucking problem of some degree.  I'm wondering if they were fed a diet rich in nectar from hatching, if that would mitigate the feather plucking problem........ Always got my thinking cap on, don't I?  di

I am going to make up a nectar type food for her as soon as I can get some suitable fruits in here and see how she does. She won't be able to drink it as easily as a lory because she has the typical clubbed parrot tongue. She loves the babyfood fruits each morning with her meds in it.

She eats a dried veggie and fruit food that includes nuts. But the nectar may be very different for her.

 

Nan, the article said that ekkies in the wild aren't so sedate as captive birds. Maybe this will increase her wanting to move around more.

It better not make her hyper bitey or she will be taken off of it immediately. Her beak works like a razor blade.

Annie

Annie did you ever try Diana with nectar?If so how did it go?Did she like it?Did it make her hyper?

annie that was a neat article. they also have a section called rosies ranch where its about galahs to .

debcull

Diana won't even try the nectar. She wants her egg and her pasta.  I was pretty sure she wouldn't go for that. I've tried applesauce before and she thought I was nuts. I also have tried putting babyfoods on veggies and she still thought I was nuts.

She's a really picky girl.

 

She's plucking like crazy again. Never stopped but now she's shredding the little feather vanes off the shafts. A big pile of them under her perch every morning. She looks so awful.

Annie

Just curious- Annie, how did you attempt to give her the nectar- on a spoon ?  Did you try via an eyedropper- like meds ?  Not saying birds like to be fed that way, but I wonder if once she got a taste of the sweetness, would she then be willing to try some off a spoon ??

 

On a side note- I tried some of the instant oatmeal that is the "weight control" style this weekend.  It is supposed to have more fiber & protein than the regular instant.  I got the maple & brown sugar flavor- like I would of the normal style.  Even when I poured the dry powder into my mug- it smelled sweeter than usual. 

 

Oatmeal is one thing I feed to Pookie on a spoon.  She can't hold it herself, but she will eat off it if I hold it, or sometimes I put the spoon between the bars of her cage into her fresh food dish & she eats off it.  I like her being used to the idea of a spoon, just in case (but she won't eat soupy things or baby food off of it). 

 

Anyway, the cooked version did indeed turn out to be way too sweet for my liking.  I ate the whole thing anyway- trying to be "healthy", so Pookie didn't know I was not fond of it.  But she only took about two bites of it herself.  I guess she agreed- she wants the regular brown sugar/ maple instand kind back.  Warm oatmeal on a Saturday is a big treat to her- usually she scrubs that spoon CLEAN.

Ring, check the label on that healthier oatmeal. If it is sweeter I bet it is loaded with fructose or Nutrasweet.

Hubby decided last week to cut back on sugar. He used Equal for half the sugar in his coffee and his arthritis pain increased tenfold. He was in agony. Stopped the Equal and the pain is slowly lessening.

 

I gave the nectar to Diana in her fresh food bowl. She won't take a spoon and has recently refused the syringe that she has had every day of her life. I need to get her back on the syringe. With her history we will likely need meds by syringe again someday.

Annie