Thanks! Yes she is an Eclectus. Very pretty too I might add. She is my little treasure*smile*, and a bossy one hehe.

 

Angela

Congratulations, Angela!  I kinda knew you would go for a little girl.  Female ekkies can be really bossy, and ouch!  They can sure put a hurtin' on you, even though they don't have the strength to break bones.  My male was a bit older than your little girl, and we had some other emotional things going on, so I never pushed getting him out of his cage.  If I asked him to step up he would usually scamper away from me, and I would just sit down on the floor in front of him and read a story book out loud until he finally got the nerve to come out when I asked.  One of the things that has helped me get my nipping birds under control is to push into a bite, not pull away from it.  Have to really concentrate, because it's a natural reaction to jerk your hand away.  That's how I finally convinced our severe macaw that biting isn't the way to go when I ask to step up.  She would grab, I would push in and say "no biting".   She already had the biting habit so it took me longer than it should take you.

 

I think Annie can probably give you practical advice on stick training, which probably isn't a bad idea anyway with your little redhead.  It sounds as though she's doing well away from her cage area, so maybe just using a stick to get her in and out of her cage is all you need while you're sorting out your relationship. 

Thank you! She does ok when I put a sock on my hand and get her out..hehe. but I don't want her to listen to a sock hand and not mine. I want her to know she has to step up for my hand. She did well for me earlier when I got her out, but then the next time she may nail me good, and when she bites down she grinds and means to do damage. I read on Land Of Vos that Eclectus parrots are usually always scared when they do that, but I must say I think its her trying to tell me "no way I'm not coming out". When I get her to myself..she snuggles under my hair and puts her warm beak up against my cheek, couldn't ask for a sweeter angel. I will keep doing the sock thing and hope for the best. I wish I had the courage to take a mean bite.

 

Angela

Angela, Please, please, don't let her get on your shoulder. It's a very hard habit to break and when she becomes hormonal, you certainly may regret it. Diana ekkie, who is 9 years old now, had never ever bitten me til she was 5 years old, but when she did I was pouring blood from many bites, all done so quickly I couldn't get away from her in time. Ekkie beaks are made for cutting and boy, can they cut. That's when I taught her to step on a stick. Then she began to climb the stick to chew me up. So I cut the sleeve off a white sweatshirt and hid my hand and arm inside it while holding the stick. Funny thing was, if she couldn't see skin, she stayed calm. It took a long time before I could pick her up barehanded again. I can now, but only in the morning. After noon, she bites the daylights out of me again. Odd girl I have.

Be careful to not overindulge her while she's very young because they get nasty if things change.

I'd also love to see a pic of Cleopatra. I bet she's a real beauty.

Annie

Goodness!! I hope Cleopatra doesn't end up biting me that badly. So far, I am seeing that she is capable of  trying to take me over. Again this morning she didn't want me getting her out of the cage, but I put my hand in, rubbed her head and quickly made her step up. She did pretty good, but I could see in her eyes she wanted so badly to Bite me. I have heard Eclectus parrots can love their cage a lot and become too attached. I can see where this could hold true. I will keep working with her and hope she doesn't end up a meannie.

 

Angela

Hi Angela,

 How is Cleopatra doing? I had such a tough time deciding between the sexes, they are both so breathtakingly beautiful aren't they?

 I read a lot before getting my birds, and I started out interacting with them while they were still in the cage. I remember the first time I tried to add a little something to McTavish's (male SIE) breakfast dish and he planted a nice little paper-like cut on my finger.....ouch!!

 I took my time, and gradually sweet talked my way into the cages often, especially with treats. Everything is a generalization, and certainly should be considered, but I think one can accomplish much if given enough time and patience. I get in the cage so much, even put my head inside McTavish's, it's so big. It's 32"x23"x61". Gracee's is 22"wide x17"deep, and 32" usable space, but about the same floor to top as the bigger cage.

 What pellet did you choose? McTavish eats Harrison's High Potency, maybe 20 pellets a day, max. He eats a lot of organic rice, beans, greens sw potato, fruits, etc, and lots of it! We give some of what we're having depending on what it is of course, and it must be healthy, and before we had salt to the dish, or other things not good for him. He's a good eater, and a good pooper as well! For an evening snack they get Laefbers(sp?) Avicakes, which they love.

 Gracee, my Quaker has a fit that McTavish gets so much people food. I do give her a tiny bit of his, but she is on a totally different diet, more 90% pellets, 10% people food. She can't stand it when she gobbles up her little bit and he's still eating. She will pick up a beak-full of pellets and fling them out of the cage on to the floor. She's such a stinker!

 I do occasionally make sprouts for them also.

So, let us know how you and Cleopatra are doing. You and I are kind of learning together, and this is a nice place for just that.

love&peace~

Pam