New to the Site

[Evansbr]

I'm new to the site, I have a Citron-Umbrella cross,"Fred" Had him for a couple of years, just "rescued" a mating pair of blue-golds and mating pair of eclectus. My bird family has grown quite a bit in the last two weeks. I will have many questions when it comes to the breeding of the birds. the pairs are quaranteed for now and have vet check ups over the next two weeks. any suggestions for local bird clubs in the Portland OR area?:help:

[Brandy]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/Dakin_Corbin/blinkies/untitled.jpg

Wow thats quite the flock you have!!
Welcome to BoF, Im sure you will love it here, theres alot of knowledgable people here and even a vet!! Check out Dr.C's expertise

we also have a few people who breed so they can help in that department
Jump right in and ask lots of questions, we're all here to help :D

[jimleasure]

welcome to BoF. sounds like you've caught the addiction to our feathered friends. i'm sure we have people on the left coast with info about bird clubs. and you'll get plenty of advice about any of your questions.
what type of work do you do, i'm a biomedical research asst. at wright state university....same field as yours?:scratchch

[Evansbr]

There is a breeder here that is getting out of buisness so I snagged a couple pairs,,, very good pricing... Biomedical Tech= maytag repairman of hospital equipment. I take care of patient care equipment. ie, Anesthesia machines, ect. My other hobby is saltwater reef aquariums, but I must say that birds are my favorite and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with breeding them.

[jimleasure]

our labs couldn't run without you guys. can't even count the number of times we called on services to repair our equipment(running on limited budget we have machines that are considered obsolete).
we also have reef people on here, and before i forget......we want pictures if at all possible of your group.
again welcome.

[Junkzoo]

Welcome to BoF! :wavey:
Sounds like you have a flock of friends there now!

[Evansbr]

I have photos, but no idea as to how to post them, I guess I am too old to be computer/photo savy. :shrug: can anyone explain how to post them?
Thanks,
Brian

[parrotgirl]

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k250/buccsplace/W2s.jpg

Hi and welcome Brian, I'm sure you'll have a great time here. Look forward to hearing all about your flock.

[vmtwriter]

Welcome to the bird forum, Brian. You have questions? Ask away. Lots of knowledgeable people around here. Experts on various species, breeding, photography, and even a vet. Check out our other forums. You can find lots of answers there.

Can't wait to see pics of your flock.

[Flock Mom]

Welcome Brian :thumbup: Looking forward to hearing more about yourself and your flock ;)

[Jean]

Welcome to Birds of a Feather!

I'm glad to meet you. I look forward to having you join in to share more about your birds. Hope you can share some pics with us too.

[Shirley]

Hi There! Welcome!

There's a link in the Community Aviary explaining how to post photos...
Click below:
Photos (http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366)

Ask if you have trouble with it.

We breed small Bourke's, but not larger parrots... there are SO many in rescues desparately needing homes...

First off, since you asked... get a full vet-check w/blood workup by an Avian vet... and I'm assuming the birds are bonded already?

I would learn and visit other breeders a LOT before breeding... and visit a rescue center if you can -- it's an eye-opening experience.

We have a reef tank, too - are you a member of our sister board, www.thereeftank.com ?

So glad you found us!! :dance:

[Islandzoo]

welcome to the forum :) I would love to see a pic of your U2/C2 cross, sounds interesting....

[Sue]

Hi and Welcome to the board!!!!

Looking forward to pic's too.:highfive:

[Brandy]

I didnt realize you had a U2/C2 cross, i would be very interested in seeing that as well

I didnt think Cockatoos would cross breed???

[Evansbr]

Lets see if I can get the photos working.
First is Fred the citron/umbrella cross, or at least thats what we were told.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/evansbr/FredandDad2.jpg

He was only 3 or 4 months old here.

next photo is Fred again.... and his human...
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/evansbr/FredandDad.jpg

He will be 2 years old on June 1st.... gotta sign up his hatch date.


next is the two breeding pairs that I got last week. They are quarantened in the basement and have no interaction with Fred... the vet checks are over the next two weeks.

the B&G

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/evansbr/Macawpair.jpg


one is camera shy and hiding behind the other...
and also the eclectus couple...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/evansbr/Eclectuspair.jpg

she is plucked but I was told by a local breeder that it is normal for a breeding female to be plucked down...
she doesn't look to happy does she??? put your finger in and find out just how unhappy. the pairs will be getting new cages and nesting boxes put back in with them once the vet checks are complete and everyone is healthy.... I am so happy that I figured out the photos,, I guess i'm not too old to learn new tricks. hope you like the photos :emot-danc
Brian

[Islandzoo]

Hi Brian,
Wonderful pics, fred certainly is unusual!!

about that lovely little female ekkie- it is not normal for ANY bird to be plucked so I don't know what the hell that person is on about :( she doesn't look happy at all. It will be interesting to hear what the vet says, I would also keep an eye on how the male is with her - Eclectus are not pair bonding are they - does that not mean that they should not be kept as a couple all the time???

[Flock Mom]

With the experience I have had with Eclectus....the female should not look like that. The female I had was a chronic egg layer and she would pluck her down feathers but you only noticed it when she was wet after a bath. Nothing like the pic of your little lady here.
Eclectus can be bonded pairs just like others but it is the female that is the aggressive one of the pair, not the male.

I have plenty of scars to show just how protective a female Eclectus can be of her territory...but to me...being able to share our lives together for such a short time was well worth every one of them ;)

I will be interested to see what the vet has to say about your bunch. Please keep us updated on their progress.
You have a great looking flock there, just need to find out about the red lady :)

[Jean]

Hi Brian!
Your birds are beautiful....:wub:

Fred looks very similar to a citron/umbrella hybrid I saw several years ago. Even though I would never cross breed species I think he is a wonderful cockatoo. I often see Fred's facial expression in pic 1 on Elvie our U2. :emot-danc :wub: Naturally, I think all cockatoos are FANTASTIC birds....

:thanx: for sharing your fids.

[Evansbr]

Island zoo,
the Eclectus are a bonded pair, he feeds her, she does have a nesting box that she was in constantly at the aviary. It will be going on their new home next week. She is very aggressive, the male will let you hand feed him fruits, veggies, ect. she just wants to remove fingers. I kind of figured she was bad off plucking wise but the aviary was kind of not the best for them nutrition wise, ect. they all get fed at least two times a day if not three with lots of different foods.

[Shirley]

Plucking like that is not normal at all, in fact, reputable breeders will not allow pluckers to breed... I would seriously consider a long period of good nutrition and lots of things for the birds to do in their cage... I'd remove the nestbox and see how they get along, and let them be parrots for awhile, and not worry about having eggs yet - or ever, perhaps. I'm certainly not being critical of you, just thinking of what the situation is with the birds, and all the irreputable breeders' birds I've seen, and the babies they produce who often become pluckers themselves... you sure wouldn't want that to happen.

I love your photos! :thanx:

Brandy - cockatoos of the same genus can, but don't normally, crossbreed.

[Islandzoo]

I think that's great advice from Shirley.

But now this is bugging me - I thought Eclectus are non-pair-bonding?? !!
I've read it in several books I'm sure, am I wrong??

[Evansbr]

I purchased the birds as pairs because I wouldn't break up pairs, my main concern is for the birds to be healthy and happy. I couldn't imagine Fred the c2/u2 living in the breeding aviary. I'm sure that the prior living arrangments caused the eclectus some stress, and the diet wasn't the best. They get checked up on the 6th with the avian vet. I agree that if she isn't in primo shape she shouldn't be breeding, and should take a break. I just want to give them a good home, breeding or not.

[Flock Mom]

Depends on how you look at it I guess Kristie. Male Eclectus are not monogamus by no means if kept with other Eclectus in an aviary...but you can still have a bonded pair.
Eclectus show they are bonding by mutual feeding...it is suggested not to encourage breeding with a pair until you see this behaviour exhibited.

My pair was bonded and when my female died, my male went through a grieving stage that I had to help him through. It was tough on all of us, but it showed me just how strong their bond was.

Brian, I don't know if you have ever been to the Land of Vos site or not, but it is a very very informative site on Eclectus parrots. Here is the link

www.landofvos.com

[Shirley]

Hi Brian,

Excellent post you wrote... I sure wouldn't want to break them up either and cause them more stress -- and getting a complete blood workup for feather destructive behavior and their health in general is an excellent move on your part.

Shirley

[SummerJ]

Hi Brian!
Welcome to BoF!:) Your birds are beautiful. I especially like Fred. (That wouldn't have anything to do with the fact I an partial to Cockatoo's!! I have a Goffins.) I hope all checks out well at the vet's next week, especially for your female Ecclectus.
Janet

[Jim]

Hello Brian, Welcome to the board. I'm a little late on this, sorry.

Nice photos and good luck with the new birds. Plucking can be caused by so many things.:( Bottom line (for me) -- plucking is a symptom of captivity. (the fall out of being a captive bird) All we can do is try to keep them healthy and stimulated and even then there is no guarantee they won't abuse their feathers.

[Evansbr]

update on the flock,,,
the Eclectus pair went to the vet, she has pneumonia but is on antibiotics and the vet kept her two days. she is home now and doing alot better. the male is doing fine, no problems, and we picked up "frosty" a female umbrella, she was checked also and doing fine.. the B&G pair goes this coming tuesday... I think the plucking on the eclectus is "rubbed off" the vet said her skin on her chest is very thick, and the nesting box has a edge of metal that she was rubbing on as she went in and out of the box.
new box has been built,, no metal, no sharp edges.

[Shirley]

Great news! Glad you have a good vet!:dance: