Eclectus Care Sheet
Incubation figures, feeding by life stage, and the things that actually go wrong with this species — on one page.
- Incubation
- 28 days
- Incubator
- 99.3–99.5°F
- Humidity
- 48–53%
- Lockdown
- 65–75%
Eclectus Incubation
Forced-air figures. A still-air incubator runs about 101–102°F measured at the top of the egg — setting 99.5°F at the wrong height is one of the most common causes of a full-term chick that never pips.
| Where | Temperature | Humidity |
|---|---|---|
| Incubator | 99.3–99.5°F · 37.4–37.5°C | 48–53% |
| Last 3 days | unchanged — stop turning | 65–75% |
| Breeding room | 70–85°F · 21–29°C | 60–75% |
New Guinea rainforest birds — they want a warm, humid room. Hens are strongly nest-bound and may sit in the box for long periods well before laying.
The honest check on humidity is not the hygrometer — it is the scale. An egg should lose roughly 13–15% of its lay weight by the time it pips. Too little loss means the air is too wet; too much means too dry.
Feeding Eclectuss
What the diet should be day to day, and what changes when a pair goes down to breed.
Every day
Fresh food should be the BULK of an eclectus diet, not a supplement to it. They have an unusually long digestive tract and need high fibre and low fat.
Fresh food
Large daily quantities of vegetables and fruit — this is the main meal, not a garnish.
While breeding
Keep the fresh-led diet and add natural calcium sources; avoid loading up on fortified products.
Feeding chicks
More of the same, in greater volume, plus soft warm foods.
What goes wrong with eclectuss
- Eclectus are widely reported to react badly to synthetic vitamin and mineral additives — toe-tapping and wing-flipping are the classic signs. Many breeders avoid heavily fortified pellets for this species specifically.
- Get vitamin A from real food (squash, sweet potato, dark greens) rather than supplements.
- This is the one species here where a standard pellet-led parrot diet is actively contested.
General guidance used by breeders, not veterinary advice. Conditions vary by climate, setup and individual bird — watch your birds first and consult an avian vet for anything health-related.
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