New Indian Ringneck (3 months old)

JasonB

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Aug 3, 2010
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Hey everyone, recently moved into a flat with my girlfriend when we started looking at pets we fell in love with this lil guy, he's a 3 month old indian ringneck, problem is he is very nervous and makes no sound what so ever (other than biting his cage in a flap!)

Just wondering how to soothe this guy into a family friend that can be relaxed, playful and maybe even talk

Also i was told to feed it smaller bird food till its about 7/8 months old then move onto bigger mix with larger nuts etc, is this true? And what kinds of treats should i buy the little guy.

Last thing is cage maintenance how often do i clean the cage - and is bird grit ok at the bottom?
 

HRH Di

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Congratulations and welcome to the ranks of those owned by parrots!

Time and patience is what he needs to become a friend. Let him get used to your home and to you and your girlfriend. Speak to him often and in a gentle, soothing manner.

There may come a time that you long for the days he didn't make a sound. I suspect that's due to "nerves" by being in a new environment. My Alexandrine (cousin of Ringnecks) is very quiet, although he's been very vocal lately - sounds like a squeeky toys. I think he's going to start talking soon.

As for cage maintenance - a daily once-over and wipe-down is good, but if you can't manage that, abosolute minimum, I would think, would be 1x week. Just think about how much you'd enjoy sleeping so near poo.

As for the feeding - I'll defer to someone with more experience. All of our birds were fully weaned when we got them and eating a regular diet.

Good luck and remember, patience is key.
 

wildheart

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Welcome to the forum Jason and congrats on your new baby! Some photos will be nice - wink-wink.;)

You did not mention how long his been with you? Also, tell us where did you put his cage - a too high traffic area can also make him extra nervous?

As HRH Di said - talking to him is very important. He will get used to his surroundings, used to you and your voice and then you can move to the next most important thing - winning his trust.

What is his name?
 

xblade

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Welcome :) As stated above,Give him time.patience is key. His cage should be up against a wall,but in a corner would be better. I put my IRN on a pellet diet right away.(I use Harrisons high potency right now) Use the seeds and nuts as treats, and make sure he gets his fruit and veg regularly.My girls love millet as a treat.
Mine also clung to the cage and was very quiet at first,but after 2 weeks she was letting me touch her.(we got her at 3 months of age as well)she's now just over 4 months and she steps up and is getting friendlier by the day. :)We can't have a meal without her wanting some. :)
I've heard they don't start talking till about 7 months or so..But mine already laughs and says hi.
I feed both my birds the small pellets and there seems to be less waste.
Maintenence should be done daily,but every 2 or 3 days would work.
 

Spiritbird

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Hi Jason and welcome here to our community. You have some very good suggestions from our members. I add just two You get ahold of a book called Parrots for Dummies, not intended to criticize you in any way. It is a good all around resource for all parrot guardians and I frequenty recommend it. Have fun and enjoy your new feathered friend. We are here if you have any concerns. One should always get a baseline exam for their new bird with an avain vet when bird is settled in more.
 
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Birdamor

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No grit, parrots don't need it and it has been known to cause crop impaction, especially with very young birds that might not be weaned correctly and get hungry.

You need to offer a wide variety of food: cooked whole grains mixed with veggies/whole grain/thoroughly cooked beans as well as raw fruit/veggies and, most importantly, leafy greens on a daily basis and save the high protein dry food (seeds/nuts and/or pellets) for dinner so they feel full longer during the night (the body takes longer to digest protein than anything else). At three months of age, I would also put out a small bowl of very thick handfeeding formula. Why do you think your bird is a she, has it been DNAd? Most IRNs are not as they are dimorphic and it ends up been a waste of money.
 
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JasonB

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Aug 3, 2010
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Thanks for the excellent replies everyone, We decided to call him yoda :)

I have had him 4 days now, and placed his cage on a table in a corner beside the window, its very quiet outside as i live in a small crescent area so noise shouldn't bother him.

At any stage should i try to grip the parrot and stroke his head or wait till he comes to me? after doing some research i get a very mixed opinion on this subject

Thanks again for the welcome, Jason
 

Auggie's Dad

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Patience is key. Wait for him to come to you.

You can encourage, or even lure him, with food or treats - but you shouldn't force him.

There are many things on which there can be pros and cons to either view, but for the life of me I cannot imagine how on earth someone could justify restraining a parrot to pet them in order to build a relationship - it just sounds horrible.
 

wildheart

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I am constantly posting about how to 'tame' animals and from my experience with iguanas (one of the most difficult animals to tame) there is only one way to do it - BUILD TRUST.

A bird/animal that does not trust you will simply tolerate you and you will NEVER have a deep friendship with it. Trust are earned, just like with humans, except it takes longer. By taking the bird and forcing it to do what you want "At any stage should i try to grip the parrot and stroke his head" will only scare your bird, make him even more stressed and you will break down any chances of ever having a relationship with it.

Trust can never be forced - it is earned.

Leave Yoda until the weekend to completely get used to his environment and cage. Make sure that he does have some toys in the cage, something to do instead of just sitting there and being afraid.
Talk to him constantly in a soft and light manner - like you would talk to a little child that you love dearly. The love must be in your voice, in your eyes, in your whole being! Animals pick up on what you reflect and not what you say. They pick up signals that you did not even know you were showing. Do this especially while you clean his water and give him food.

On Saturday, or so, approach him slowly while talking softly and give him kisses through the bars. A bird relates easier with your mouth than with your hands because they use their beaks to communicating, receiving 'love' from their parents etc. Yoda will of course back down and that is 100% ok. Just move back and keep on talking. Approach the cage several times during the day and just give him kisses. With time, Yoda will not move away and actually just stay there. Eventually Yoda will copy what you do and give you a kiss back.

It is crucial that you do nothing different when Yoda does decide to give you a kiss because a change in your behavior or movement will just scare him off again. After successfully receiving kisses without any fear from Yoda's side then you can start approaching him with your hand.

But that is much later. ;)
 
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Aussie Ben

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Welcome to the community. Great advice given by members above.

As for grit, I agree with Birdamor, don't use it. I used to and all it seemed to do was create a nice haven for bacteria if left too long, not to mention make a massive dusty mess. Go with newspaper at the bottom, so easy to manage. Also gives birdie something to read... my birds love the 'sports' section ;)
 

Birdamor

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There are many things on which there can be pros and cons to either view, but for the life of me I cannot imagine how on earth someone could justify restraining a parrot to pet them in order to build a relationship - it just sounds horrible.

It's supposed to teach them that human hands are not to be feared -it follows the same principle as clipping or taking them into an unfamiliar and/or darkened room - it has to do with putting the bird in a very vulnerable position where he has no choice but to accept whatever you dish out.
 

wildheart

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It's supposed to teach them that human hands are not to be feared -it follows the same principle as clipping or taking them into an unfamiliar and/or darkened room - it has to do with putting the bird in a very vulnerable position where he has no choice but to accept whatever you dish out.

And in the process the bird will NEVER trust you and see you as a friend. He will simply tolerate you because he has no other choice and he will never seek your company out of his own. He will never WANT to be with you because you do things against his will and make him scared ... and why should he ever forgive you for treating him this way?
 

smackmanrus88

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Mar 2, 2011
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Hea everyone I am also new here and kind of going through the same thing. I have 2 6 month old IRN's that I was given about 3 weeks ago. I've had birds before but these 2 are untamed. I've been working with them everyday off and on all day and they are slowly starting to show progress. I just want to make sure that I am doing the right thing and what is best for my buddies. What is the best way for me to build a trusting relationship with them???
 

wildheart

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Hea everyone I am also new here and kind of going through the same thing. I have 2 6 month old IRN's that I was given about 3 weeks ago. I've had birds before but these 2 are untamed. I've been working with them everyday off and on all day and they are slowly starting to show progress. I just want to make sure that I am doing the right thing and what is best for my buddies. What is the best way for me to build a trusting relationship with them???

Hi. Why dont you start your own thread so that you can get your own responses. ;)

Budgies, Parakeets & Cockatiels - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community
 

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