Eclectus Fresh Diet

Eclectus require a fresh diet or major health concerns can arise in a matter of weeks. On that same note- often hoomans will create a fresh- but imbalanced diet for ease of preparation- which can be just as harmful.
This is my method for processing and preparing a well balanced diet. Taking the drama out of a 30 ingredient daily meal.
For more content on Eclectus, please visit our website, or our patreon for the most up-to date scientific studies and fun articles. www.patreon.com/eleganteclectus or our main site: www.ElegantEclectus.com
Thanks again everyone for your continued support!

[@beanerschnitzel794]

super helpful abd exactly what i’ve been looking for thank you 🙏

[@ElegantEclectus]

You are welcome

[@1978cintia]

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ElegantEclectus]

Thank you!

[@beanerschnitzel794]

today i went to the farmers market, i bought everything except the plantains and jackfruit all for $17 now to chopping and using your incredible technique the pair of eclectus will definitely enjoy the next months diet thank so much

[@ElegantEclectus]

That is fantastic! enjoy the reward (all of you)

[@aseal5163]

After reading your website and watching your video and seeing your responses to all of the comments, I have to say, I’m amazed. I have an ekkie myself he’s over a year old and I’m going to follow the chop recipe on your website. I definitely will be subscribing thanks for everything 👏🏻👏🏻

[@ElegantEclectus]

Thank you for your kind words. I think it is important that we stop listening to rumors (bad information even from some veterinarians), and instead use real science to aid ekkies in living a healthy life. I try to make the science as approachable as possible, so we can do our best to ensure they are healthy and happy.

[@aseal5163]

@@ElegantEclectus what type of beans do you think are good for them? I ended up putting cooked lentils in his chop because I wasn’t sure.

[@ElegantEclectus]

@@aseal5163 Great question. In reality, beans are not ideal. They contain limited amino acids, and anti-nutrients: tannins, lectins, phytic acid, and oligosaccharides, all of which can limit the uptake of important nutrients. So if fed, feed in moderation- the best bean to feed is what is called a 'kidney bean', but never garbonzo beans (aka chickpeas). So while feeding your lentils in the chop is no harm- however, the quantity matters. Lentils are also high in iron, so I make things like beans a 'one every other day' (and just a couple) kind of occurrence- not daily.

[@aseal5163]

@@ElegantEclectus thanks I’ll definitely keep that in mind 👍🏻

[@aroojfatima4451]

How often can we give this chop and what’s the quantity???

[@beaglegod1]

I needed this video. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. My new male arrives in a few weeks once fully weaned and now I can start him the right way.

[@ElegantEclectus]

You are very welcome. The Patron site has hundreds of articles and videos you may find very useful for a buck a month (new content is released weekly). www.patreon.com/eleganteclectus

[@beaglegod1]

I do have one question. I understand that a half cup should be offered in the morning and late afternoon. This amount of chop you stated will last roughly a month, does that mean you refrigerate unused food? Other wise I would think this amount of chop would run out in a week to ten days. Just curious as I want to make sure I prepare enough for at least the month. Thanks so much.

[@ElegantEclectus]

@@beaglegod1 That ia a great question. On a fresh diet, you do not feed a specific quantity necessarily- ekkies are free fed, with a feeding morning, skewer mid day and feeding in the afternoon. The recipe I make lasts for 3-4 weeks (in the video, it shows on only one sheet pan, but I make 3 at a time). When you receive your ekkie, you will note that they will already have organ damage as there is no commercial hand rearing formula appropriate for Eclectus... combine that will their selective eating habits and you will discover that they create a massive quantity of waste- discarding all the important items and consuming the unhealthy favorites (like peas, corn, or cabbage, etc). So no, food can not be refrigerated after feeding, if you do- you risk infection and malnutrition. So after 3 hours, food must be removed from the enclosure and dishes disinfected. There are many detailed articles on the patreon site, I hope this clears it up for you.

[@beaglegod1]

Just joined your Patreon. Thanks again I have no idea why I'm so nervous about bringing this little guy home. The Patreon Tiers seem packed with information 👍

[@ElegantEclectus]

@@beaglegod1 Thank you, enjoy!

[@suewhitaker3415]

Do you feed cold ? I found that after freezing mine got watery and mushy not good for my hormonal Female any help at all with what to do in this case would be great she has been eggbound several times I’m trying everything to keep her hormonal level down

[@o0AlAseera0o]

Thanks for the video.. I would like to inform about where to put the packing freezed fruits.. should I put it in the refrigerator or in the freezer? Thanks again

[@ElegantEclectus]

All fruit and vegetables that are chopped should go in the freezer. They have a short shelf life (spoil quickly) once chopped and left in the refrigerator. You can then take it out to defrost as needed.

[@justme19973]

Thanks for the good information! Quik question when i defrost my chop it becomes all soft and wet. My ekkie dont like it that way so now i always make fresh chop for 3 days

[@ElegantEclectus]

I would consider the time you are defrosting it- I have never heard of it being ‘mushy’. Usually Ekkies enjoy a softer food, however may not like eating a balanced diet…so they may just be acting out and being picky eaters (they are professionals at that).

[@vjpatadia]

Hello, we have two years old Electus, and I loved your this mix can you suggest me more variety of food I can make for our bird Ollie. any other suggestions in morning or evening food choices we can give it him. Thanks!!

[@ElegantEclectus]

The list is too numerous to list in comments, but what is important to not to have overages in nutrients (example: overage of vitamin c…. Most people think that citrus foods are not an option, which can’t be further from the truth - consider broccoli has more vitamin c than an orange). It is important to focus on the ratio of nutrients and ensure you don’t have anti nutrients. On the patreon website, there are hundreds of videos and articles. Membership is as little as $1.00 a month, you can cancel anytime. That way you can better understand the nuances of the diet :) www.patreon.com/Eleganteclectus

[@IsabelleRoussin-ov7kq]

People told me not sugar potatoe if not cooked

[@brendangay9007]

What Seed mix do I feed for the Ekkie to stay healthy as mine is only 17 weeks

[@ElegantEclectus]

Eclectus can only have 1/4 gram of fat a day- which means NO SEEDS. As you can easily get 1/4 gram of fat from fresh fruits and veegtables.

[@alijangi5398]

j have a male eclectus but he dosn't like the vegetables i don't know how can i fix this

[@ElegantEclectus]

It is a bit more complex as it has a lot to do with the size of the chop, preparation, etc. But birds (like humans) have a natural sweet ttooth.- you can however pour a bit of puree over the food and mix together. The puree will mask much of the vegetables.There are oodles of tricks and tips on my patreon site, www.patreon.com/eleganteclectus

[@daniellesinay1155]

Hi there thanks for this video! How much of this mix do you feed them for each meal? Tnx

[@ElegantEclectus]

Ekkie will consume- approximately 127 kcal/day for a medium sub species, depending on activity level. So giving 1/2 cup in the morning and half cup at night with a skewer mid day is a great ratio. Ekkies should be free fed (as low fat diets are nearly impossible to overeat). :)

[@ElegantEclectus]

It is free-fed. I give approximately scant 1 cup each meal (if feeding twice a day). If skewers are provided mid day, you can serve 1/4 cup at each meal.

[@SteviePaigeMusic]

Hi there. Do you just leave it out to thaw or microwave or serve frozen?

[@ElegantEclectus]

@@SteviePaigeMusic thanks for the question. Never leave out to thaw as bacteria can quickly grow. (Just like human food). Defrost a portion in the microwave for 30 second. Alternately you can frost in the fridge- however again, in a very moist environment with a specific ph, you risk bacteria growth. Because of the eclectus unique Antony- the way they digest is a bit more unique and takes quite a bit longer with a weak ‘gizzard’, so you want to ensure freshness prior to consumption so as not to create the perfect petri-dish for infection. Similarly, food needs to be removed from the stand, not left out all day to spoil. Hope that answers your question!

[@SteviePaigeMusic]

@@ElegantEclectus Thank you 😀

[@katsy3333]

Hi im confused. Do you have to steam the veggies before cutting? No need to put them all in a food processor? Were your veggies raw or cooked when you chopped? Saw some videos of people putting them in food processors before offering to the birds.

[@ElegantEclectus]

Hell, if you cook quite often, you will find out that streaming before chopping is nearly impossible and it would smash instead of slice. Steaming is the process that breaks down the fibers in heavier root vegetables- but the same molecular action is achieved when a vegetable is frozen and then defrosted. So I often skip that step. Some people use a food processor, but I find that means you can not freeze the food on the sheet pan, and freeze in bags individually. Instead your end up with a block of frozen mess that is impossible to portion out and defrost.

[@katsy3333]

@@ElegantEclectus I guess what I meant to ask is, is it ok to feed raw vegetables? I read the comments and you mentioned you microwave to thaw, so I guess that cooks them already. Thank you.

[@ElegantEclectus]

@@katsy3333 yes. You can feed raw vegetables.

[@silviagociu1758]

Do you Serve the vegetables frozen?

[@ElegantEclectus]

No, fresh mixture should not be served frozen. They are defrosted in the microwave (which also happen to cook certain items till they are tender). Nor should items be serve hot- Room temp, never left out for more than a couple hours to prevent bacterial or fungal growth.

[@christinewagstaffe8588]

Hi, do you feed the sweet potato raw?

[@ElegantEclectus]

That is a great question. While they can be served raw, many people are concerned with a unique protein that potentially can cause digestive upset in humans. This is not a concern for Ekkies- but furthermore- the process of freezing, then microwave to defrost removes this issue entirely. Ekkie do seem to prefer sweet potatoes as mushy as possible- so there is no harm in steaming harder veggies for palatability. They can easily be frozen in the same manner.

[@christinewagstaffe8588]

Thank you

[@eijiroinouye4115]

Can they live as long as Amazons with the right diet?

[@ElegantEclectus]

A lifespan of Ekkies is roughly 40 years respectfully, however the life expectancy (how long they are expected to live on average) Unfortunately is much lower- many pass away between 4-5 years old from medical complications stemming from a improper diet. Therefore, you will see many sources who have adjusted the age to 20 years as you need the optimal conditions for them to flourish- which starts with the right diet. While many people say Amazon’s live up to 50 years, again- most Amazon’s in captivity do not live that long as well.

[@randyw4972]

My boy turns 26 this year & this is pretty much the diet he's been on. I do add fresh sprouts.

[@gregmeissner9960]

We could all live a lot longer on the right diet!

[@eijiroinouye4115]

@@randyw4972 Maybe it will live another 26 years easily!!

[@gregmeissner9960]

Looks like my food. I'm vegan, so basically I don't have to buy birdfood, just share a lot of my own food with the parrot.

[@ElegantEclectus]

Thank you for the comment. Unfortunately, ekkies are not vegan, while they dont consume milk products, they do consume insects. This allows them to have complete amino acids (not just limiting aminos in a vegan diet), and less anti-nutrients that prevent the uptake of important things: like calcium. You can say that things like soy and quinoa provide the essential proteins- however quinoa is high in iron (which ekkies are prone to iron storage disease) and the soy is a trigger for a specific hormone that can interfere in the biorhythms. So ekkies actually should have a minimal protein source that is not plant based. I hope this clears things up! and again , thank you for your comment.