I have owned Eclectus parrots now for about 6 years although the first 3 years they were indoor pets so to speak.  I then started building a large aviary about 3 years ago and I have just started to have some success with them laying fertile eggs over the last 8 to 12 months. 
They are GREAT parents up until the eggs hatch. Their first 4 or 5 clutches were infertile, her last 3 clutches were fertile and hatched HOWEVER here is where my problem starts, my Eclectus parents are not feeding there young.
I was wondering tonight. The mother of these chicks was hand reared, could it be possible that because she wasn’t fed and raised by another Eclectus parrot. Could this be a common occurrence when hand reared Eclectus parrots become parents they don’t know what to do once their chicks have hatched?  Has anyone else had this problem or heard of anything? 

P.s. YOUR ADVISE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Regards
Dave

This could well be. But also wild caught birds are known to mess up their first clutches. It is part of their learning curve.

Firstly thanks for your reply to my post.  When ever she lays her next clutch and again if she continues not to feed her young for the first 30 to 40 hours then I will have to intervene and hand rear the chicks as I have been doing because it will break my heart just leaving the chicks with them knowing that she’s not going to feed them and they end up dying. 
I didn’t intervene with her first fertile clutch, she laid the one egg which hatched and I was so proud but only to find the chick dead after 2 days of it hatching and it had NOTHING at all in its crop. That whole week I was so disappointed. 
The truth is, I believe by me taking her chicks from her after the first 40 hours due to her not feeding them, then I honestly cannot see her ever feeding her young. Maybe if I just left her chicks continue to die from her not feeding, then maybe after a while she might learn and start feeding them but I don’t know.  In ALL honesty I cannot just let them die when I know I could of saved there life. 

P.s. I was hoping there was a expert on this site regarding parrot breeding that has gone through the same situation as I am going through who might have answers. 

Regards
Dave

You could shoose to hand feed the babies and then return them to their mom. Extending her oppertunity to learn. Most parrots are not great parents overnight they need to learn.

Posted on behalf of Phoebe Linden.

Thanks, Phoebe for your input.

—————————————————————-

Hi City Parrots and Dave,

Good ideas, above and yes, parrots learn how to be good parents from their parents in the wild. We’ve also known parrots to learn from humans how to best care for their chicks. Dave, please tell me their names, OK?

It can be a very tough road to breed parrots, as you’ve probably already found out. The hardest part is not raising the babies, but finding them life-long homes where as adults they’ll have environments commensurate with their potential, athleticism and parrot-ness. If you are like many other breeders (or former breeders), you’ll soon discover that the problems you encounter with mature pairs are inconsequential when compared to the problems of unwanted parrots.  “Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it: you remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed”: this is the motto of the Gabriel Foundation and it holds double true, I think, for people who decide to breed captive animals.
You can switch the potentially fertile eggs for non-fertile eggs and let them brood the cycle. This tactic will give you time to carefully observe the pair, and decide how hands-on you want to be, and whether or not you can deal with the huge responsibility of more and more parrots potentially under your care. Also, you can delay their cycling again (you don’t want her to lay more than two clutches a year) by offering them more challenging nest boxes and by changing around their perches and adding enrichment.

If you decide to let them try again to raise chicks, here are a few questions: What is the male doing? Does he feed the hen at the nest entry? He probably sleeps outside the nest box doorway during brooding, right? Does he change his routine and sleep inside the box when the chicks hatch? Can you hear him feeding the hen? During the first 24 – 48 hours, it’s not unusual for the hen to be 100% dependent upon the male to bring her enough food for herself and the chicks, so she can sit tight, especially if multiple babies are hatching. The chicks eat such a wee bit at this time, it’s hardly a big chore for the male, but he must do his part in order to keep the hen secure, broody and confident. Sometimes intervening in a breeding situation like this can be as simple as making sure the male has warm nutritious foods like cooked yam, whole grain pasta, wheat toast, cooked brown rice, mashed squash – all the favorites – and that he shares these with the hen.

If the male isn’t feeding her – and because she was formerly a companion – I suggest that you offer her foods like those mentioned above at the nest box entry way. If she becomes accustomed to this, you will both show the male what he can do while proving to her that the nursery environment you provide is fully supportive.
It’s good to remember, too, that due to inactivity brooding hens don’t eat a lot, so don’t be too concerned if her food consumption is smaller than normal, just as long as she’s eating consistently. If she’s comfortable with your hands in the nest box, you might want to hold a pipette in the box, for practice, to get her accustomed to the idea of you helping with the chicks. If she wants to take food from the syringe, I’d give it to her under these circumstances. Later, when she and the male are competent, this will be unnecessary.

Chicks fresh from the egg have recently consumed a properly-sized perfectly nutritious meal because they’ve ingested the egg yolk. So, after hatching, they need correct humidity and warmth and often, a nap. Sometimes, the first nap lasts several hours: it can be hard to let them sleep enough, due to human excitement, but it’s best to let hen and chick relax and settle down before feeding. When they wake, healthy chicks make a first rather large dropping. Then they are ready to eat the tiniest bits of properly warmed food. Warmth and humidity are more important than food those first 36 hours!

Please let me know what you think of these ideas and if you have other questions.

All best,
Phoebe

Eclectus parents who do not feed newly hatched chicks.

1) If the male is not feeding his hen properly and she stays in the box all the time
2) If the diet being given is improper for raising chicks. Dry foods like seed and pellets sometimes will not be passed on to chicks and the chicks will die. they need fresh green things the first few days like swiss chard stems, spinach stems, celery, grated carrot, water cress, chickweed etc. along with fruit pips like fig, pomegranate, papaya, guava if available. Low carb items usually—not starch like corn on the cob but sprouted grains, even sprouted grain breads soaked in hot water and fed warm. Some soaked and softened pellets without food coloring may be consumed as may warm tofu, green peas,fresh edame soybeans, etc. Cooked lentils and buckwheat and barley and oat groats and brown rice.  After a few days to a week, diet will change to more carbs and proteins, they still resist fatty foods until well past week two. Clean millet sprays may be soaked 24 hours to germinate, and offered. When you find a food that they really like feed lots and lots up to four or five times a day along with other stuff. Keep notes for future.
3) If you are having to disturb the hen constantly for checking the box—eclectus moms tend to set tightly and protectively—that can affect her stress level and baby care.
4) no need to take away the babies. Just get a quality baby formula and mix it thinner than normal, putting in a bit of finely grated greenstuffs juice as those mentioned above. Feed the chicks two or three times a day to help them grow stronger, beg louder and eventually the hen will kick in and begin the task. Do NOT steal the babies away for handraising if at all possible since she will just lay again and you will be creating a problem for decades to come.
5) If you have been prompting her to lay over and over again prior to being fertile by taking infertile eggs before the 4 week term is ended. You may have set up a dysfunctional laying routine every few weeks and we have known eclectus hens that only were layers, never feeders. Infertile eggs with inexperienced hens should be left to the mom for incubation for the full hatch term. Patience at the beginning will pay of greatly in a quality pair of eclectus.
6) As an aside, we believe in only one clutch of chicks per year. And the babies need to be with the parents for at least four or five weeks minimum, though you can visit with them and clean the box and mom will begin to spend less and less time protecting them as the latter weeks roll by. Two clutches a year maximum, then shut the pair down to maintain optimum health and exercise levels.

Cristiana Senni - 13 February 2010 01:27 AM

Posted on behalf of Phoebe Linden.

Thanks, Phoebe for your input.

—————————————————————-

Hi City Parrots and Dave,

Good ideas, above and yes, parrots learn how to be good parents from their parents in the wild. We’ve also known parrots to learn from humans how to best care for their chicks. Dave, please tell me their names, OK?

It can be a very tough road to breed parrots, as you’ve probably already found out. The hardest part is not raising the babies, but finding them life-long homes where as adults they’ll have environments commensurate with their potential, athleticism and parrot-ness. If you are like many other breeders (or former breeders), you’ll soon discover that the problems you encounter with mature pairs are inconsequential when compared to the problems of unwanted parrots.  “Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it: you remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed”: this is the motto of the Gabriel Foundation and it holds double true, I think, for people who decide to breed captive animals.
You can switch the potentially fertile eggs for non-fertile eggs and let them brood the cycle. This tactic will give you time to carefully observe the pair, and decide how hands-on you want to be, and whether or not you can deal with the huge responsibility of more and more parrots potentially under your care. Also, you can delay their cycling again (you don’t want her to lay more than two clutches a year) by offering them more challenging nest boxes and by changing around their perches and adding enrichment.

If you decide to let them try again to raise chicks, here are a few questions: What is the male doing? Does he feed the hen at the nest entry? He probably sleeps outside the nest box doorway during brooding, right? Does he change his routine and sleep inside the box when the chicks hatch? Can you hear him feeding the hen? During the first 24 – 48 hours, it’s not unusual for the hen to be 100% dependent upon the male to bring her enough food for herself and the chicks, so she can sit tight, especially if multiple babies are hatching. The chicks eat such a wee bit at this time, it’s hardly a big chore for the male, but he must do his part in order to keep the hen secure, broody and confident. Sometimes intervening in a breeding situation like this can be as simple as making sure the male has warm nutritious foods like cooked yam, whole grain pasta, wheat toast, cooked brown rice, mashed squash – all the favorites – and that he shares these with the hen.

If the male isn’t feeding her – and because she was formerly a companion – I suggest that you offer her foods like those mentioned above at the nest box entry way. If she becomes accustomed to this, you will both show the male what he can do while proving to her that the nursery environment you provide is fully supportive.
It’s good to remember, too, that due to inactivity brooding hens don’t eat a lot, so don’t be too concerned if her food consumption is smaller than normal, just as long as she’s eating consistently. If she’s comfortable with your hands in the nest box, you might want to hold a pipette in the box, for practice, to get her accustomed to the idea of you helping with the chicks. If she wants to take food from the syringe, I’d give it to her under these circumstances. Later, when she and the male are competent, this will be unnecessary.

Chicks fresh from the egg have recently consumed a properly-sized perfectly nutritious meal because they’ve ingested the egg yolk. So, after hatching, they need correct humidity and warmth and often, a nap. Sometimes, the first nap lasts several hours: it can be hard to let them sleep enough, due to human excitement, but it’s best to let hen and chick relax and settle down before feeding. When they wake, healthy chicks make a first rather large dropping. Then they are ready to eat the tiniest bits of properly warmed food. Warmth and humidity are more important than food those first 36 hours!

Please let me know what you think of these ideas and if you have other questions.

All best,
Phoebe

Phoebe,
Thank you so much for your in depth reply.  Firstly their names are LILLY & JACK these are the pair that have now had 3 fertile cluches.  I have another pair called BENJIE & JILL but they have not laid any fertile eggs yet as they are still young, rising 3 and 3 and a half years old.  These pairs of Eclectus are not together.  Each pair have a 3 meters deep by 2.5 meters wide x 2.5 meters high with a 1 meter by 1 meter by 2.5 meter long, bird flight so they can get outside and get some sun as they wish.

I will try answer your questions the very best way I can below, As I know everything is extreamly important, should you need to know anything else PLEASE ask.

Does he feed the hen at the nest entry? 
Sometimes he does feed her at the nest entry.  He feeds her when ever she asks for it, I noticed the hen has this distinct high pitch chirp and each time she does it he feeds her where ever she is at the time of making this distict high pitch chirp.  While she is brooding she comes out the nest box and calls him to feed her during the day. In saying this we are in summer here in Australia and the only times their eggs have been firtile and hatched has been since this summer, prior to this all there clutches have been infertile. 
Come to think of it, he ALWAYS feeds her, she never comes down to the feeding station, she only goes down for water.  This is the case even when she is not on eggs.   

He proably sleeps outside the nest box doorway during brooding, right?
I would have to agree but in all honestly im not 100% sure as I haven’t paid much attention as to what he does in the evening.  I did notice during the last clutch, he did go into the nest box with her and fed her, but I don’t think she trusted him in the nest box while the chicks were hatched, she seemed edgy although he stayed in the nest box for a little while. (I seen this via camra)

Does he change his routine and sleep inside the box when the chicks hatch?
I don’t really know his routine during the evening, however during a hot summers night when she had her last cluch, I went to check on them and I noticed he was in the nest box, apart from that im not really sure.

Can you hear him feeding the hen?
Yes

P.s.  I like your idea regarding feeding the chicks using a syringe as I am doing now but doing it in the nestbox and hopfully this will teach them something.

Regards
Dave

yellowfronts - 15 February 2010 02:30 PM

Eclectus parents who do not feed newly hatched chicks. 

1) If the male is not feeding his hen properly and she stays in the box all the time
2) If the diet being given is improper for raising chicks. Dry foods like seed and pellets sometimes will not be passed on to chicks and the chicks will die. they need fresh green things the first few days like swiss chard stems, spinach stems, celery, grated carrot, water cress, chickweed etc. along with fruit pips like fig, pomegranate, papaya, guava if available. Low carb items usually—not starch like corn on the cob but sprouted grains, even sprouted grain breads soaked in hot water and fed warm. Some soaked and softened pellets without food coloring may be consumed as may warm tofu, green peas,fresh edame soybeans, etc. Cooked lentils and buckwheat and barley and oat groats and brown rice.  After a few days to a week, diet will change to more carbs and proteins, they still resist fatty foods until well past week two. Clean millet sprays may be soaked 24 hours to germinate, and offered. When you find a food that they really like feed lots and lots up to four or five times a day along with other stuff. Keep notes for future.
3) If you are having to disturb the hen constantly for checking the box—eclectus moms tend to set tightly and protectively—that can affect her stress level and baby care.
4) no need to take away the babies. Just get a quality baby formula and mix it thinner than normal, putting in a bit of finely grated greenstuffs juice as those mentioned above. Feed the chicks two or three times a day to help them grow stronger, beg louder and eventually the hen will kick in and begin the task. Do NOT steal the babies away for handraising if at all possible since she will just lay again and you will be creating a problem for decades to come.
5) If you have been prompting her to lay over and over again prior to being fertile by taking infertile eggs before the 4 week term is ended. You may have set up a dysfunctional laying routine every few weeks and we have known eclectus hens that only were layers, never feeders. Infertile eggs with inexperienced hens should be left to the mom for incubation for the full hatch term. Patience at the beginning will pay of greatly in a quality pair of eclectus.
6) As an aside, we believe in only one clutch of chicks per year. And the babies need to be with the parents for at least four or five weeks minimum, though you can visit with them and clean the box and mom will begin to spend less and less time protecting them as the latter weeks roll by. Two clutches a year maximum, then shut the pair down to maintain optimum health and exercise levels.

Yellowfronts,
Thanks for your informative advice mate.  Regarding the food I feed my Eclectus parrots.

Here is a list of what they get daily. Fruit and Vegetables such as Apples (Red & Green), Pears, Kiwi, Passion fruit, Peach, Grapes, Carrots, Corn, Broccoli, Spinach, Snow & Sugar Peas, Beans, Capsicum (Red & Green) these that were mentioned are the majority of there daily fruit and vegetable diet. 
I also feed them Nuts mainly Almond and also dried fruit.  (As Treats)  Also a hard boiled egg every couple of weeks. 

Seed mixture of Sun flower, Hulled Oats, Yellow Millet, Plain Canary seed and pellets (Breeder Pellets) 
Unlimited water supply also.

4) no need to take away the babies. Just get a quality baby formula and mix it thinner than normal, putting in a bit of finely grated greenstuffs juice as those mentioned above. Feed the chicks two or three times a day to help them grow stronger, beg louder and eventually the hen will kick in and begin the task.

Can you elaborate more on this please as I found this method quite promising.  Am I understanding this correctly. 
Feed the young chicks in the nest only two or three times a day?  What exactly do you mean about adding a bit of finely grated “greenstuffs juice” do you mean I should juice some Spinach, Celery and Carrot and add a little bit of this vegetable juice in with the good quality baby parrot formula or do you mean Good quality baby formula as in human baby formula.  I am currently giving my chicks a special formula for parrots called “Vetafarm hand rearing formula for parrots”  If I don’t have to look after the chicks 24/7 so to speak that would be great and hopfully if I am understanding you correctly then by feeding the chicks in the nest box this may teach the hen what she should be doing.  My main concern is the two to three times a day, is that enough?

P.s.  When ever she laid even the infertile eggs, I always let her sit on them for the 4 weeks and never took them from her early as I read that in a book many years ago.

Regards
Dean

Sounds like you are doing things most right. Avian baby formula should be fortified with live green enzymes from fresh vegetables. Best way is a fine mince grater which produces just enough pulp and juice to add to the formula when getting ready to feed. Carrots, beet spinach cress, etc.

I would think your eclectus basically ignore the dry seeds you are offering at this point, do they?

If you are in Australia there was an eclectus breeding article in Australian Birdkeeper Magazine a few issues ago.

We prefer to give our eclectus a full dark nest box when they are four years old or later as this often avoids all the complications that can come with young pairs who were previously handfed and raised by breeders.