Abstract
Four subspecies of eclectus parrots
are commonly available in the U.S.:
Grand or Eclectus roratus roratus originating
from Ceram and Buru, Redsided
or Eclectus roratus po(ychloros originating
from New Guinea, vosmaeri or
Eclectus roratus vosmaeri originating
from the larger northern and central
Moluccan Islands, and Solomon Island
or Eclectus roratus solomonen..-;is originating
from the Solomon Islands. Each
of these subspecies originates from a distinct
island or group of islands or New
Guinea, separated by many miles of
ocean. Although all eclectus parrots display
many common characteristics, each
subspecies also displays distinct developmental
and behavioral characteristics,
indicating aspects unique to
their subspecies. Eclectus males are basically
green and females are basically red.
The three common methods of raising
parrots are the following: 1) parent rearing
from day one to weaning; 2) han drearing
from day one(or close to day one);
and 3) handrearing from two to three
weeks of age. Over the past 10 years we
have employed all three methods of rdising
eclectus parrots.
Parent Rearing Edectus Parrots
This method produces a youngster
that is completely familiar with being
fed and reared by a parent and thus has
the knowledge and first hand experience
to be a highly qualified candidate
for successful pairing with a mate, making
a nest, producing fertile eggs and
successfully rearing youngsters.
Handfeeding From Day One
Many parrots are handfed from day
one in order to produce a young parrotÂ
that desires human companionship.
Handfeeding from day one may be a necessity
if the nesting hen refuses to feed
the chick or if the hen's mate refuses to
feed her. This may be no fault of the hen
or her mate but may be the fault of the
bird breeder who has not provided the
pair with the correct cage set up or the
correct diet for rearing youngsters. Occasionally
a hen who normally feeds
from day one has a health problem
which requires the eggs or chicks to be
removed from the nest, necessitating
handfeeding from day one, or close to
day one.
Eclectus Chicks Are Different
Eclectus parrot chicks are very unlike
Amazons, greys, macaws and cockatoos:
they do not have any down and
seldom have more than one clutch
mate. Therefore, a brooder temperature
that works well for Amazons and greys
may stress and chill an eclectus chick A
cold chick cannot properly digest formula
and grow, but generally dies
within five to seven days with food in
the crop.
Many breeders who have extensive
experience and success in raising other
species follow the same procedures that
produces fine Amazon and grey chicks
but which do not work for eclectus. The
three critical areas foreclectus chicks are
as follows: 1) brooder temperature and
set up, 2) correct formula and formula
temperature, 3) proper handfeeding
procedures.