Jump to content
NEW ADDRESS FOR MEMBERS GREYFORUMS.ORG ×
NEW ADDRESS FOR MEMBERS GREYFORUMS.ORG

Baby Ekkie


JJsHoney

Recommended Posts

Can't wait to hear what your Ekkie is Bonnie. I'm not sure I can help you much about ekkies as Sully's age is unknown (at least 10 years) as he was a rescue and re-homed male ekkie. He is very set in his ways and is still a plucker that I work hard to correct. He only says Hi, can sound like a laser and can laugh. He is a very laid-back guy and frankly not much of a model of ekkie behavior, he does not play and likes to stay in a confined area (prefers his cage to being anywhere) although his cage is open all day long and I do take him out to sit on hanging perches. After a very short time he is back into a cage. It just is his way and what he prefers. He does like to be able to see me and screams bloody murder if he doesn't know where I am, but I assure you he is not a model example of an ekkie, at least I hope not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Janet, the more I read on the ekkies the more I see most are just "chill" birds they enjoy their time alone and in the comfort of home, My cousins Ekkies who are this babies parents were very relaxed and preferred the comforts of their cages, the male especially was very quiet and docile. What are you feeding Sully? I have been reading a lot about their digestive tracks and how long they are and to watch vitamin A so they don't end up sick, but I haven't been able to reach a definitive answer on the amount of pellets..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The pics are certainly good enough to see how cute he is! So sweet.

 

I missed all that w/Kura. Her beak was all black, but her eyes were gray for a long while. She was probably about 1 yo.

 

Kura reminds me of a hobbit. First and foremost, she loves food (of course) & the comfort of her hobbit hole. She also enjoys a good party to observe (not too rowdy), fun people to watch, the occasional adventure & lots of naps in between.

 

In general, she's a pretty quiet bird. But she can make some definite jungle calls that can be quite loud & sometimes really eerie. She plays hard, enjoys being the center of attention sometimes, is really open to new things & has a very different personality from Phenix!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

None of my fids like messy food so I give Sully dehydrated bananas, mangoes, pineapple, etc. as I understand ekkies are fruit eaters so Sully gets lots of fruits as well as veggies and nuts and seeds. He is a great eater and has a very healthy appetite. I have given him fresh kiwi, as kiwi is from Australia I believe but it is not his favorite. I give my fids slices of apple every day as they really like fresh apples and Ana Grey is always asking for apple. Every third day I give my fids all fresh chopped veggies as in the wild no one cooks for them. They all enjoy those. My ekkie and my zon are my best eaters, Ana Grey prefers to eat with me and steal from my plate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting how different Kura & Sully are.

 

Kura's a great eater & there isn't much she won't eat. But her beak always has food on it. I don't know how, but she even manages to get seed all over her face.

 

She'll eat dried fruit. She's actually quite fond of banana chips. She likes fresh fruit. Apples will take a backseat to citrus, bananas or berries every time, though.

 

She's pretty much a veggie eater. She'll usually eat any fresh veggies first. I think she could live on broccoli & squash for a week if I'd let her.

 

She's also nuts about nuts. Nice for me. Since she can't have many, they make great bribery!

 

 

Names...? What type of names do you tend to like? Did you check out Streetwise' thread about naming Lucy? There's a ton of suggestions there.

 

Just randomly: Basil, Chili, Chilly, Merry or Pippin? :) Can't help it, I just think the hobbit thing fits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you keep Kura off of nuts just because of the fat content? I have been doing so much reading I'm starting to get myself confused! I have to start trying to modify my shopping weekly because Rene doesn't eat any of the fresh food I offer, so I have stopped trying.. well all but his oatmeal once a week with cinnamon sticks lol.. I also was told that his favorite food was sweet potato and he would eat it in any form but thats a no go with me... So while i am on the topic, does Kura or Sully eat sweet potatoes?? That seems to be a content in all of the reading that Ekkies LOVE sweet potatoes...

I also have to start at some point renovating my bird room I have to move my birds upstairs into their own room now that I have another big cage on the way! Any Ekkie fav toy??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I limit Kura's nut intake because of the overall calorie value. Ekkies internalize their fat & are proned to fatty liver disease. They aren't as high energy as some birds, but I'd guess ounce for ounce they're one of the biggest eaters.

 

Balance is the key to good nutrition. I don't want a big chunk of her daily caloric intake to be eaten up in a couple of minutes on one food. She can eat a couple of nuts in a couple of minutes. For the same number of calories she could spend an hour eating certain types of fruits & more on certain types of veggies. But nuts are still good for them & part of a well balanced diet.

 

Kura LOVES to eat. Everything is the best thing the first time she eats it. She definitely goes thru sweet potato sprees. Then they get kind of boring & get rotated down the fav list. Which is fine because the next group will have come into season by then. She gets mostly whatever's in season & that keeps her diet fresh, healthy, interesting, varied & cheapest.

 

Maybe you'll find Rene benefits from the ekkie's diet, too. Phenix eventually became a pretty decent eater, especially considering he originally thought all fresh food was poison. But after he watched Kura for a while, he had another major eating break thru. I don't know if it was example or jealousy or what, but it worked out pretty well.

 

Kura likes to chew on wood & leather some. Her favorite toys usually include some combination of smallish beads, knots & moving parts. Loves to shred qtips, coffee cups & filters, phone books, etc. Her very favorite thing is straws. I usually have to make her a strawburst about once a week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...