Why the relationship between breeder and “aviary bird” matters

One of the things that really impressed me about Kirsten before coming to Australia was how involved she was with her breeding birds. As an Eclectus owner myself, I was always curious about what the parents of my Eckie hen was like. What kind of personality did they have? Were they quiet, curious or playful?

Unfortunately in the avicultural industry, it is a common belief that a breeder must not interact very much with their breeding parrots. “Feed them and leave them” was the phrase that I heard a lot. For other parrot species that may indeed be the case, however for Eclectus parrots Kirsten has proved otherwise.

Being a parrot lover, taking such a hands-off stance was something that Kirst could not do. Having raised her very first Eclectus pair (Red and Sprout), she was heavily involved in their everyday lives. They grew up in her home and she included them in many of her daily activities like cooking, cleaning and taking care of her son. To this day, Red still loves to be included when Kirst is preparing a meal – helping chop up fresh vegetables (taking small ‘tasting bites’) and talking extensively while we both work in the kitchen.

As she grew her Eckie flock, the routine stayed the same. Once they all had a large outdoor aviary to share she would spend a lot of time with them watching their personalities grow and seeing friendships and couples form. This became invaluable as they started breeding.

Having such a strong bond with her breeding Eclectus enabled Kirsten to know what personality traits her babies would develop

This insight helped Kirst to pair a baby with a client in a way that few other breeders have. During her interview process, Kirsten would try and understand what a potential client was like and what kind of baby they needed. If the individual was approved for one of her babies, then she could pair them up. Sometimes this process required the client to wait as much as a year before they could have a baby, but the results were worth it.

Our testimonials page is full of clients who have been matched perfectly with a baby Eclectus – because of the time Kirsten spent with her breeding kids.

This interaction has not inhibited their breeding. Red – one of our best breeders – often hatched and raised 3 babies at a time. All of her babies and in fact all of our babies raised here at Parrot Haven have always been extremely healthy with very strong personalities.

Kirsten has always believed that if her parrots were happy, then they would breed happy babies–and that has proved true every time

We have recently taken some video footage of us in our communal aviary which shows the kind of relationship that we have with our kids. Not only do they enjoy our interaction with them but sometimes it is difficult for us to leave as they simply will cling onto us and not want us to leave the flight!

Aviary Time from Parrot Haven on Vimeo.

Having this kind of bond with our parrots is absolutely heartwarming and we wouldn’t trade that for anything. Now that our kids are retired we’re able to enjoy a perfectly healthy ‘pet’ relationship with them because they have always been treated as members of our flock. This has helped their transition from breeding to pet happen seamlessly.

If you are looking to buy an Eclectus parrot – please do as much research as you can about any potential breeders you wish to purchase from. Not all breeders are the same and in our experience, many breeders can be downright deceitful. It is important to ask any potential breeder the kind of questions that will help you ascertain whether or not they are worth their salt as an aviculturist. If you have any hesitation about a breeder, then move on until you find the right one. When you do find a reputable breeder then spread the word. Once enough people start demanding better standards in the industry then the industry can make a change for the better!

Abused Eclectus gets a new lease on life – George’s story

Amongst all the emails Kirsten gets, some have a silver lining.

A friend of ours down south has done some amazing work in rescuing abused and neglected parrots. She not only provides a stable home to birds in need, but she has also successfully reunited many lost parrots to their grateful owners. Her work is nothing short of amazing.

Recently Kirsten was contacted by her with a story of her most recent rescue – George. George had 3 previous owners and apparently his first owner had been horribly abusive to the poor little man. George had part of his left wing cut off and when his first owner decided he wasn’t wanted anymore – actually tried to starve him to death.

Help rescue eclectus parrots in need

This brutal treatment fostered some aggressive behaviour in George as you can imagine. Coupled with the fact that he had 2 separate homes after his first “home” – he was highly distrustful of people. When our friend saw him advertised online, she didn’t hesitate to buy him with the hopes of finally giving this little guy a good home. $1000 later, she had a completely plucked and distrustful Eclectus male.

Knowing that he would require a great deal of rehabilitation, she committed herself to helping him no matter what. Now, months later George is on the amazing road to recovery! He has stopped plucking himself although he is still very bare from having plucked for many years. The diet she put him on has added much needed weight to the little man helping his behaviour improve in the process. Our friend now reports that he has become quite chatty and even has a companion of his own!

While there is still work to do to help him in his recovery, the progress she has made has been amazing.

Can you help a parrot in need?

Having been in the breeding business for over a decade – the focus for Kirsten has always been to find the perfect match for her baby Eclectus to start with so that there aren’t so many stories like George. However there is also a great need out there to provide abused or neglected parrots with a good permanent home and George reminds us in a very personal way how much of a need there is.

Rehabilitating parrots is not something that everyone can do and that is understandable. Before taking on any parrot – Kirsten has always tried to provide as much information as possible so that the prospective owner is well equipped to care for our babies.

When committing to care for a bird in need, the birds needs are different and the skill set required to successfully rehabilitate them are different

It takes a great deal of patience. You have to be strong and willing to accept the many bites from a distrustful parrot. You have to be committed to see them through their rehabilitation and not give up on them. If they have had many prior homes, this process can take a great deal longer.

It also may require visits to an avian vet so there is a financial aspect to consider too. Our friend spent $500 in vet bills to help treat George’s medical conditions.

It’s not all bad however

Watching the personality of an abused parrot blossom can be the most rewarding experience. Another close friend of ours who is a regular on our forum helped to rehabilitate her Eckie hen and love that these kids give in return is amazing. When they do finally ‘accept’ that you truly care about them and are not going to abandon them like everyone else in their lives has, the love they give you is very precious.

Rehabilitated parrots are often the most loving companions you could ask for. It may take a lot of work to get to that stage, but if you are serious about helping them, then it will happen

If you are in a position to help, then try contacting your local parrot rescue centre. Most countries have centres dedicated to parrots for just these cases. Here in Australia, our own  Parrot Rescue Centre helps to re-home many birds with varying pasts.

If you know a first-hand case of a parrot who is neglected, then take action. The sooner a parrot in need gets the help they desperately need the better. If you can provide a permanent home to a parrot in need, then you would be doing one of the most loving acts toward these beautiful birds.

Lost Eclectus Parrot – Please help us find Jax [UPDATE – FOUND!]

missing eclectus male

Last night at approximately 6:30pm Jax flew out of his owners house and is missing. If you live in the Milton area around Carriage Way in New South Wales, please be on the lookout for a 2 year old Eclectus Male named Jax.

[update 26/8/13] Jax has been found! Jax flew onto a mans shoulder roughly about 6km away from his home. A lot of thanks goes to the gentleman who helped return Jax to his happy home.

From Breeding to Companion – Red’s Story

At the beginning of this year, Kirsten made the decision to give our breeding parrots a break from breeding. Some of our kids had been breeding for over a decade and while they’ve enjoyed some breaks throughout the years we felt that a longer term hiatus was needed.

Even before I became involved in the breeding side of Kirsten’s work, I was always amazed at the relationship she had with all of her breeding parrots. One of the things that fascinated me about her breeding technique was that it was ‘unconventional’ in the sense that she would interact with her breeding pairs. Because of this interaction, she knew each and every one of their unique personality traits. This in turn gave her the ability to match the personalities of their parrot babies with her approved clients.

Red was always one of our best breeders. She would consistently hatch and raise three Eclectus babies when she bred. After about 3-4 weeks she would tell Kirsten “I wanna come in for a shower”. This ‘call’ was Red’s way of telling Kirst that she was ready for her babies to be picked up and for Kirst to take over the rest.

Every time we pulled babies from her nest box, Red would always watch us while Sprout – ever so curious – couldn’t resist the urge to hop onto our shoulder and watch what we were doing close-up. Once we gently placed her babies into their mini carrier, we always showed Red that her babies were okay – and we always made it a point to thank her. We respect the work and effort that all of our breeding kids put forth.

We’ve never treated our breeding parrots like machines and we honestly believe that they can understand this.

When we pulled all of the nest boxes, the majority of the hens adjusted to this change quite easily. We stocked their flight with plenty of toys and fresh parrot-safe branches and they have been getting along quite happily.

Eclectus hen enjoys a snack of popcornRed on the other hand showed a great deal of interest in where ‘Mum & Dad’ lived and soon began lifting her foot up and looking up at the house when we would visit with the kids. We brought her a travel carrier which she stepped into quite happily and we brought her inside with us. Ever since then she has been an amazing pet. She helps Kirsten cook meals, prepare the fruit and veg that we feed the kids every day and she quite happily perches next to us when we work inside. She showers regularly with us and her vocabulary has grown amazingly!

So what makes all of this newsworthy? Red has been breeding for over 10 years. Typically when a breeding bird is retired, if they are sold as a companion parrot, the transition from ‘work’ to ‘play’ can be quite difficult for birds to adjust to. If the breeder has spent little time with their breeding parrots then suddenly being put into a situation where they are surrounded by people can be extremely difficult for them to handle.

Eclectus parrot henKirsten has tried very hard over the years to balance her breeding technique with an insight into what the parrots experience. Being empathic is a good way to live not just when it comes to human relationships. While her method may be non-traditional from a breeding standpoint, the results speak for themselves. We both have the most amazing companion parrot in part due to the way Kirsten has raised and cared for her all these years.

Red is just one story, but each of our kids has their own equally unique story. Our hope is that over time other breeders who share this same level of care for their birds will also enjoy the success we have.

New Site Design Launched

We’ve been hard at work recently upgrading and improving the quality of our website. While our site has been active since early 2010, the content has been offered by Kirsten for years.

We’re thrilled to see the success of our site as we continue to provide information and advice to people who contact us from all over the world. We have made many enhancements and have greatly expanded the amount of content in our continuing effort to  assist people who are eager to learn as much about these beautiful parrots as possible.

There is still work to do, we are currently working to improve our Parrot Chatter forum and we’ll be re-launching that soon as well, so stay tuned! In the meantime, have a look at the new design and let us know if you feel there are ways we can improve.

Lost Parrot – Looking for an Eckie hen named Sohni [UPDATE – FOUND!]

We are asking for your help to locate a lost Eclectus hen. Her name is Sohni (pronounced like ‘Sony’) and she took flight on Saturday evening 27, July. Her approximate location is at Plahn Street in Frenchville Rockhampton.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[UPDATE: We are thrilled to announce that she was found this evening! She was found in a neighbour’s garage and stepped up to her rescuers with ease. She was returned to her mum and now everyone is doing really well! We want to thank the helpful neighbours to found and returned little Sohni and we wish Yvette and her family a very happy week!]

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Eclectus Parrots – How Do You Source Reliable Information?

Over the years, we have helped hundreds of people with their questions on Eclectus Parrots. Everything ranging from Eclectus diets and behaviour to hormones and emergency care. Having bred Eclectus for over 11 years now, Kirsten has a unique perspective that  has proven invaluable to not only Parrot Haven clients, but for people  all over the world.

The internet is rife with “info” about Eclectus Parrots-and some of it is even true. Don’t always believe what you read. That is sound advice especially in the copy+paste internet age where bad advice can spread like a wildfire. Information repeated has the tendency to become fact when it shouldn’t. Accurate information is extremely important especially when the difference can mean life or death for your precious bird.

If you can’t get an impression of the person providing advice on their own website, chances are there is a reason for that. Be careful. People experienced in a breed of parrot are easily identifiable

Where to go for advice?
The responsibility for gleaning sound advice rests on your shoulders. Do your homework. Before taking anyone’s word for it-find out who they are. There are a lot of websites on Eclectus Parrots but sadly many of them plagiarise information in the attempt to sound like an authority when they are really nothing more than hobbyists who are ill-equipped to provide sound follow-up advice. There is nothing wrong with being a parrot lover and wanting to help, but often when people have to make someone else’s work look like their own, information becomes distorted. Suddenly advice on where to place your new Eckie’s cage goes from ‘a quiet area of the house’ (which is sound advice) to ‘a busy area of the house’ (which is not sound advice).

If you can’t get an impression of the person providing advice on their own website, chances are there is a reason for that. Be careful. People experienced in a breed of parrot are easily identifiable. Take a quick tour of any breeder’s website and get a feel for who they are. If you have trouble doing that then you should probably move on.

What makes good advice?
When Kirsten is approached by a parrot lover in need of help, she not only provides advice, but she explains the reasoning behind the advice. This is extremely beneficial for two reasons. First, it helps people understand the difference between the alternatives – why one method is better than the other. Secondly, it helps make advice memorable. People remember information that they understand.

When people have questions about why their Eclectus is behaving differently, Kirsten is able to explain the various phases of development that all Eclectus parrots have. She is able to do this because she has bred them for over 11 years and keeps companion Eclectus as well.

Help spread good information
For as efficient as the internet is for spreading misleading advice, it can be a wonderful tool for delivering good information too. Back when we setup our first website, our goal was just that – to help dispel so many of the myths about Eclectus parrots and educate people on the best ways to care for them. We have been elated to have helped several people reunite with their lost parrots through our blog. The Parrot Chatter forum that we setup two years ago has also been a fun way for us to keep in contact with our wonderful clients and other parrot lovers we’ve had the honour to meet.

We are working hard to help get the right information out there. The best way to help is to arm yourself with the right advice and repeat it. Information that is repeated has a habit of becoming fact and when it’s the right information then everyone wins – especially our Eckies!

Hand Raised Eclectus

Here at Parrot Haven we specialise in gorgeous hand raised Eclectus Parrots

We have over 11 years experience specialising solely in Eclectus Parrots and take great pride in selling only the very best hand raised Eclectus available.

ABOUT US

All our babies are raised in a loving family environment, spoon fed and they spend hours socialising and playing with us. We raise only babies born here at Parrot Haven (we are a closed aviary, we do not take in other breeders eclectus babies and raise as our own) and all of our breeding birds have been chosen for their gorgeous natures and temperaments that they pass onto their babies.

Continue reading “Hand Raised Eclectus”

Hand Tamed Eclectus Parrots

Here at Parrot Haven we specialise in gorgeous hand raised Eclectus Parrots

We have over 11 years experience specialising solely in Eclectus Parrots and take great pride in selling only the very best hand raised Eclectus available.

More babies keeping us busy here at Parrot Haven

Meet Wendy’s gorgeous little girl named ‘Bug’

Eclectus Parrots from a reputable breeder

Here at Parrot Haven we specialise in gorgeous hand raised Eclectus Parrots

We have over 11 years experience specialising solely in Eclectus Parrots and take great pride in selling only the very best hand raised Eclectus available.

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

Hand Raised Eclectus

ABOUT US

All our babies are raised in a loving family environment, spoon fed and they spend hours socialising and playing with us. We raise only babies born here at Parrot Haven (we are a closed aviary, we do not take in other breeders eclectus babies and raise as our own) and all of our breeding birds have been chosen for their gorgeous natures and temperaments that they pass onto their babies.

Our website and blog is filled with a great deal of  information about these magnificent parrots so please take the time to read through my articles as becoming a parrot owner is a lifelong commitment and we only sell to the very best homes.

We have our own forum dedicated to Eclectus lovers and we  welcome new members, its a great place to meet other Parrot Haven baby owners, chat about what its like to own an Eclectus Parrot and see our Testimonial Page on our website to hear our success stories.

We offer full follow up service for our babies

Feel confident in buying an eclectus from the Top Eclectus Parrot Breeder in Australia.