LOL since I'm boring everyone to death about this protein issue and protracted breeding behaviors....I thought I'd post one of the exchanges from a site I'm on posted about Eclectus. I kept it so I'd remember to find out the results of the study and forgot LOL.

Permission to cross post, btw:

Poster number one:

"She [her vet] is doing a research study on 100 birds who are showing that long term sexual excitement, triggered hormonally is causing "hyperlipidemia" (high levels of fat in the blood conducive to coronary heart disease) and fatty liver disease". Livers of highly hormonal birds are enlarged and have high fat in them and the blood is often high in cholesterol, which is not routinely checked by vets. The vets recommendations are: 1). remove hormonal triggers, 2). "meal feed" to decrease perception of abundance, 3).reduce food variety, and 4). increase exercise.

Would like to hear if anyone else had heard of this."

Poster number two (my friend) :

"That's because heart conditions, high cholesterol, enlarged liver, fatty liver disease, breeding behavior and a host of other problems are all caused by the same thing: too rich a diet! Seeds, nuts, people food, treats, etc. are all too fattening and too rich for all parrots but more so for eclectus whose natural diet is actually very low in nutrients.

Most of their diet should be leafy greens and veggies low in carbohydrates and protein (very, very little seeds and nuts, very little corn, very little sweet fruit, very little beans, etc). Their organisms are made to work on a diet that would be considered deficient for most other animals so anything extra over a period of time is going to cause problems."

Poster number three, a random person who was lurking:

"I had not heard of that condition, but my 7 year-old Ekkie died last spring after an extremely high cholesterol count (which we got down eventually), and heart disease (a very enlarged heart). He was forever in heat, humping every day, all day."

I know this really doesnt have alot to do with the OP but thought it was interesting about the study. AND the ladies deceased bird with the link between the humping and his heart disease. From the food of course he didnt get heart disease from humping!

Thank you everyone for all of the input. I will not lie in saying I feel as though I'm on "information overload" right now but will sort through everything given to me.

I brought home the tea and the rescue remedy tonight but will put it on hold until I can give a few other thing a try that you guys have suggested.

I have a couple of links to read through, but one thing I'm a little confused on now is her diet. Let me start by saying that I had a cbc run on her a couple of weeks ago, maybe about a month ago now and posted here that she had an extremely low calcium level. I asked advice here on a diet higher in calcium and now, a month later her wing flipping has pretty much become null and void. So that mission is accomplished. Now to move on to perfecting her diet.

Ok, this is where I'm confused on the diet thing. Didn't someone just post a week or so ago about a book written specifically on ekkies? Wasn't it stated that their diet should be more based around fruits? Now I'm being told low protein greens and fewer fruits. This is where I'm getting confused. BUT let me reitterate, I highly appreciate everyone's input and am paying attention to every little detail and very willing to try them and do an elimination process myself.

I have taken a couple of different steps on her environment to try to eliminate a potential problem in the house. I began covering her cage at night and at night only. This seems to have shown to be a major comfort factor for her. She's the smallest most delicate of my flock and I believe she has found comfort in the shelter her cover has provided her at night. Just in typing this tonight I'm realizing that I never totally uncover her cage during the day. I leave the back 1/4 covered on top so she can nap when she's returned to her cage for nap time once a day. Maybe that 1/4 cover is causing a nesting behavior with her. Possibly?

First thing I do in the morning when I go into the bird room is uncover her and Rocky and open her top door. Sometimes she comes out right away, sometimes she doesn't but I check on her often. The other 3 can get loud, wild and crazy but not usually in the morning, hence why I remove her from the room as soon as she's ready.

Also just bought her a new cage. I believe she needs more room and I'm focusing more on her toys and rotation.

The above and everything you guys have suggested, somethings gotta give. I am just trying my damndest to get this thing nipped in the bud before it becomes a habit.

I'll tell you right now- I dont know a darn thing about ekkies outside of their tendency to toe tap, and that red and purple equals female, and green equals male, LOL.

Just a word of humble advice on the fruits, Lara. Its most peoples opinion that fruits = sugar water. And that fruits in a birds diet should be limited, and veggies should make up most of the fresh and cooked foodstuffs. Seems to me like you have heard two different things regarding fruit intake.

My advice- read up on the ekkies natural habitat. They are from Indonesia and Australia, right? I would look into their natural habitat- what is most commonly available to their habitat. Lots of fruits and grains and sprouted seeds, any special nuts like the Molucca nut or palm? Then base your fruit content on that.

I feed my caiques a high fruit content. Most people bite their fingers when they hear that, LOL. But, then I alyas get complements on how healthy they look and how vibrant their feathers are! Its NATURAL for them to eat a lot of fruit in their diet. And it might be natural for eclectus, too.

A good book I recommend on nutrition is called What Happened to My Peanuts?

Totally Organics TOP Organic Bird Pellets

I have it and it talks alot about the nutritional value of the different seeds, grains, fruits, and veggies we commonly feed our birds and gives advice on how to balance the diet.