Hallo Everyone,

Seems like I am never going to get this right. Last night we hanged a very nice branch outside in a corner of our home and put up all her toys for her. First I took her to see it sitting on my shoulder. We looked at it for some time and then went inside the next time she got off my shoulder and onto one of the branches. She sat there for a few minutes and then do that slide thing down to the floor.

This morning I noticed a heap of small feathers as well as some down laying on the bottom of her cage. She sat on her chair in the sun for an hour or so went inside climbed on the T stand and started plucking bunches of feathers and my husband phoned me in a state of total shock. He came to pick met up so that I can see for myself. There were feathers everywhere. What on earth am I suppose to do to help Lila? I have no idea what is bothering her or what I should do differently!!

I am working for my dad so it is possible to bring her along with me to work. But here I am only able to bring the T-stand and she will not have any toys to play with as it is not possible to hang toys on this stand. Another thing that is bothering me is. At this moment spring is approaching so in a month or so I am going to put on a ceiling water cooler as it is scorching hot in our country during summer time. And as far as I know this might not be very good for Lila. Can you please tell me if I should rather just leave her at home? I do have a door that leads through a corridor where the watercooler doesn't have an opening. If I put her just outside my office door she will not get any wind at all but I am still not convinced that just seeing me will let her stop plucking and will she not get very bored just sitting there?

If I am to just leave her at home do you think I should get a radio to play some music for her during the day? I do have a domestic worker from Mondays-Fridays that talks to her when ever she passes her.

She's really a picky eater as I give her quite a selection of fruit and vegetables but she keeps on looking for the sunflower seeds. So now I don't give her any as I want her to learn to eat some other stuff as well. Vegetables and fruit are very expensive as it is imported from South Africa so at this stage it is really a waste of money but I will keep on buying it as Lila needs it. I give her the following: Different types of cooked beans, cooked whole kerl corn, steamed sweet potatoes, butternuts,beetroot, carrots, brocolli. Raw Spinach, cabbage, green peppers, yellow pepper, red peppers. Steamed green squashes(sorry don't know if this is the correct english name), Fruit are very limited due to seasonal availability. So at this stage she gets an orange cut in half which se eats with the peel. Apples and banana of which she doesn't eat any. Most of the vegetables she bites into and let it fall down. The only time I can get her to eat a bit is if I put it on a metal kebab stick. O ja and I just found out she likes cooked oats which she lets met feed her from a spoon.

She doesn't bath herself so I spray her each afternoon with hot water but when it comes out of the nozzle its just luke warm so I don't burn her. Guess what she screams like I am murdering her. When she's wet she just sits there. She's not doing any preening. IS THIS BIRD NORMAL AT ALL?

I really do love this bird and it breaks my heart to think that she is so unhappy that she is plucking her feathers bunch ways.

If you have any suggestion please help me out here. I would appreciate it with all my heart.

Just remember some guy from SA contacted me in connection with red fruit palm extract according to him this stuff is great for feather plucking and general health have any of you used this? I contacted a petshop in the only city in our country but this guy took this stuff from his shelves and according to him its no good.

I am waiting to hear from anyone.

Take care and thanks for all the help thus far don't know what I would have done without this chat groupt.

Doret

Lila needs toys to destroy even paper or plastic straws. A T-stand you can tie stuff directly to the bar she is standing on. I have heard good things about red palm oil with reference to macaw and greys but nothing is said about other species. I did have a look and a taste of it but the price puts me off. It may have been taken off the shelves because of the price. I keep mostly sun conure, red palm does not seem to be economical for me. I don't know about adding anything to electus diets as they have different digestive systems. I know pellets can cause electus to pluck or toe tap.

ok, Ekkies are different. Hens are moody and I think a little more sensitive than males. I dont think she likes that branch. Not yet anyway. Move it where she can she it but not next to her. I think she scared of it. Misting, use cool water or room temp. I use red palm oil for all my guys and I believe this helped my grey to stop over preening. Ekkies dont usually hold their food so chop it up into small bit size pieces. Im unfamiliar with the ceiling fan water cooler thing. Have a pic of it?

What kind of branch did you use?
Was she plucking before you brought the branch in?

If this was a new behavior and all of a sudden, then there was likely something on the branch that bothered her. We normally only use branches that we bake but I personally never use them from outside although my friends do.

I noticed some palm toys make my Parrotlets itch like crazy and I dont buy them anymore. They even make me sneeze.

I'll write more later but gotta run now. But I'd remove the branch and wash the toys just in case.

Morning Everyone,

First of all a watercooler is an airconditioner which blows cool air through a tunnel into the office. It works with water and not with gas like the modern ones do.

Secondly the branch we put up is a Jacaranda branch. The plucking started before the branch had been put up. When I came home after work last night she was still sitting on the branch and played with the bell.

She came to sit on my shoulder while I was watchin television. She sat on one leg the other one was tucked away. After a while I felt something on my shoulder first I thought she was trying to balance herself but no it was her middle toe going up and down at regular intervals. Is this what is known as toe tapping?

Do you maybe think she's irritated. You see her sleeping cage stands in our lounge but our home is mostly open plan. So when we talk she can hear us although its dark in her cage or when we go to the kitchen she will be woken up by the noise. Do you think I should put her cage outside? We have a thatched lapa and it is totally safe there or do you think this will make her even stress more.

Sorry for all the questions but this is really terrible for me as I have no idea what I am doing wrong.

With the T stand the toys hang down she is sitting on top of them for that matter I thought the toys should hang in eyesight.

How do I know if she is drinking enough water?

I truly hope together with your help can figure out what the problem is.

I personally would not keep a bird outside (at night) unless you have a double meshed cage. I would make sure she has plenty of sunshine and/or FS lighting. Have there been any changes in anything? New cage, new person, less attention, new food...?
I would suggest that you first find the source, then, the solution. Red palm oil, spritzing often, plenty of natural or FS lighting.
I sure hope we can figure this out.

Not that I can think of except the branch. And maybe the stress is only getting to her now as she has been back with us for not 3 weeks yet! Our whole backyard is covered with a type of birdnetting as I have waterfowl in my garden so nothing can get into the backyard as well as 1,8m high concrete walls. The only stuff that is new in the food department is the green squashes and butternuts and this is the only 2 vegetables that I can see that she likes. Until now there has been no food that I give her from my hand that I can say well this must be her favourite as most of the time when she takes the food from me she lets it fall down.

Some one suggested giving her paper to shred. should it be blank white photocopy paper or will newspapers do as well? Wouldn't plastic straws be toxic if she chews on them?
Doret

It sure sounds as if Lila is starting to toe-tap. I've seen reports of corn being a possible trigger for that. Doret, have you been in touch with Carolyn Swicegood over at The Land of Vos? She is one of the two most knowledgeable people in the world when it comes to Ekkie behavior and issues. It might be worth your while to get in touch with her. The other preeminent authority on Ekkies you might contact is Laurella Desborough. Here's a link to her "Toe Tapping" in Eclectus Parrots article.