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Grooming
There
is
very
little
one
needs
to
know
about
the
grooming
needs
of
eclectus
however
some
thought
and
consideration
needs
to
be
given
to
each area.
Wing
Clipping
-
I
am
totally
opposed
to
the
clipping
of
wings
for
the
first
year.
I
have
seen
many
instances
of
parrots
which
have
a
total
inability
of
flying
later
on
in
life
due
to
never
having
a
chance
for
their
wing
muscles
to
develop.
Whilst
wing
clipping
is
useful
especially
in
preventing
your
eclectus
from
crashing
into
windows
and
more
importantly
escaping
especially
when
taken
outdoors,
the
benefits
such
as
the
ability
to
exercise
and
of
course
flying
is
lost.
A
far
better
option
is
to
purchase
and
train
your
eclectus
to
use
a
harness.
If
you
feel
you
have
no
alternative
but
to
wing
clip,
then
I
very
strongly
advise
you
to
let
the
bird
fly
and
develop
it’s
muscles for the first year and then start clipping from the second year.
Nail
Clipping
-
Parrot
claws
can
be
very
sharp
and
therefore
can
benefit
from
clipping
now
and
again.
In
most
instances
an
emery
board
is
sufficient
to
take
the
sharp
point
off.
In
some
cases
the
claws
start
to
grow
long
and
if
left
unattended
will
create
problems
for
your
eclectus
including
risk
of
entanglement
and
in
some
cases
can
change
the
way
your
bird
perches
creating
long
term
skeletal
and
foot
problems.
A
very
simple
solution
is
to
purchase
a
concrete
perch
which
the
bird
keeps
it’s
claws
trimmed
down
just
by
constant
perching
and
movement
by
your
eclectus.
When
using
concrete
perches
keep
an
eye
on
your
birds
beak,
eclectus
do
have
a
habit
of
rubbing
their
beaks
on
perches
and
cage
bars
after
eating
to
remove
food
bits,
if
a
bird
uses
the
concrete
perch
to
do
this
then
in
effect
it
can
start
to
wear
away
its
beak.
I
have
recently
had
a
baby
eclectus
which
started
to
wear
away
the
top
of
it’s
beak
and
the
perch
was
removed.
Should
you
need
to
clip
your
eclectus
then
either
take
your
bird
to
a
vet
or
use
sharp
clippers
which
are
used
for
dogs
and
take
a
few
millimetres
off
at
the
most.
It
is
useful
for
one
person
to
hold
the
bird
in
a
towel to secure whilst another person clips.
Bathing
-
Eclectus
parrots
love
to
bathe,
the
easiest
way
is
to
use
a
spray
bottle
with
luke
warm
water.
Please
ensure
any
spray
bottles
used
are
either
new
or
free
from
any
use
of
chemicals,
pesticides
etc.
The
majority
of
females
I
own
or
have
hand
reared
seem
to
respond
to
certain
household
sounds
and
go
crazy
trying
to
bathe
in
their
water
bowls.
Even
birds
which
do
not
seem
to
bathe
often
have
drenched
themselves.
The
baby
female
on
the
left
is
the
first
female
I
have
ever
reared
who
will
dunk
her
whole
head
under
water
in
her
water
bowl
every
time
I
switch
the
vacuum
on
in
the
baby
room.
Bathing
is
such
an
important
aspect
of
eclectus
life,
In
the
wild
parrots
will
benefit
from
the
rain
and
we
have
to
ensure
in
captivity
that
they
have
access
to
water
both
in
terms
of
bowls
and
as
a
mimic
of
rain.
As
a
general
rule
birds
should
be
sprayed
early
in
the
day,
midday
to
early
afternoon
is
ideal
as
the
bird
then
needs
to
preen
and
dry
itself
before
night
time
arrives.
Never
ever
spray
your
bird
just
before
dark
as
you
could
be
leaving
your
bird
wet
coinciding
with
lowered
temperatures.
If
it
is
possible
and
you
have
a
transportable
cage,
you
can
also
place
your
bird
outside
in
the
rain
but
use
common
sense,
if
you
feel
the
bird
is
not
enjoying
the
experience
or
is
getting
too
wet,
the
obvious
is
to
bring
it
back
inside.
Watching
your
bird
enjoy
bathing
cannot
be
described,
it
is
one
of
the
only
times
you
see
the
full
rainbow
of
colour
your bird is carrying.
Two babies getting
sprayed, the male
spreading a whole
wing to benefit.