I know I shouldn't have, but...

[veimar]

… but I saw this young women with 4 kids posting on CL over and over about an IRN baby she couldn't tame and didn't have time for. First I didn't pay attention since IRN wasn't anything I was looking for, but seeing this frantic ad for the fourth time I picked up the phone and called her… She seemed a nice person and was willing to negotiate the price a lot!
So we picked the baby up next day, yesterday, and my hubby fell totally in love already. The woman handed me a screaming IRN baby in a towel, but I asked to put her back to the cage to take a look at her. Typical family, kids, dogs, all bird stuff (food with tons of sunflower seeds and plastic toys) from Walmart, dirty cage with all the toys on the floor and a poor IRN baby terrified to death. They had her for 2 months and even gave me all her papers form the petstore they bought her from. They had also a gcc and a lovebird.
So here are some pics of my new baby - he/she (dunno the gender) is still so scared.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/81155678@N02/15345251519/in/photostream/
I let her out of cage on my bed, and she was burying herself under the pillows and blankets.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/81155678@N02/14911150184/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/81155678@N02/15532723922/in/photostream/
Then she decided to go on the floor and hide from me under the bed (she is on quarantine in my bedroom):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/81155678@N02/15508199586/in/photostream/

I made and hanged some dried fruit toys for her, and bought tons of new ones in Petco (I was so happy they had super sale last night, like 80-90% off some really nice expensive toys!!) which I'll hang later.
So I have questions for IRN owners - how should I tame her? Just within one day she was getting much better - she has stopped screaming when my hand approaches her or when I need to pick her up to put back in the cage (I have to use a little towel the previous owner gave me). She steps up on a perch in my hand and allows me to put her on my arm. She is obviously uncomfortable around me and tries to walk away, so I keep these sessions short. Great thing is she doesn't really bite hard, but I was also avoiding situations when she could bite. I never had a bird THAT terrified before, so I have to be really careful and need some advice. Thank you!

 

[Dinosrawr]

IRNs from what I've researched and experienced are very hand-shy birds. They are pretty hands-off but love to be talked to and interacted with, and they are INSANELY intelligent. They pick up behaviours, tricks, and often words very fast. Shiko is only 7 months old but already can say over 10 words. He's also started using some words in context.

I would let her/him settle first, and then let her/him explore and become comfortable. Once they know they're safe, they really come out of their shell! It just takes time and patience. I love my baby boy - he brings a lot of life and excitement. He always surprises me with how intelligent he is and how loving he can be. But just remember that these guys love on their own terms and often in a hands off way, so don't be discouraged if you don't get to express love with cuddles or scritches for awhile.

I also find that Shiko is EXTREMELY food motivated! He'll do anything for an almond. So perhaps try finding a favourite food and use that for rewarding your new baby during training sessions.


Congrats on the new addition! You're going to have fun

 

[veimar]

IRNs from what I've researched and experienced are very hand-shy birds.

Thank you! But they at least need to be able to step up, and I'll be working on that. She is exactly 5 months old today according to her papers, so still very young. She is not eating in front of me, but she ate all the fruit/veggie/pumpkin seed mix in the feeder I left for her, but didn't touch the other seeds in another feeder. she wouldn't take any treats from me yet. She just sits quietly in the cage and stares at me. Probably very bored. So that's why I decided to sort of force her out of cage (it wasn't hard) to walk and move around. I really don't want her to get cage-bound and sitting in one place - I had so many such problems with my cockatiel (he just wouldn't come out of his cage unless I let him step up and take him out), and I see a similar behavior here. I want her to be potentially cage free if she gets along with my tiel and gcc. So sure I try my best to very gentle and slow.
And you're right - I can tell she is smart!

 

[Kiwibird]

What do you mean you "shouldn't have"?! That baby has made him or herself right at home with you!

 

[Betrisher]

Awww! Sweet little baby! Bless you for giving him/her a proper home. I think you'll do just fine because you've started off in the right way and aren't trying to hurry up and get things moving. Just let little birdie take its own time to come to you. You could try offering millet spray or celery stalk or some long grass seed heads (ie. long things) and see if birdie takes those? My favourite treat is peanut butter, which you smear thinly on your finger and allow birdie to lick it off. Dunno if s/he's ready for that yet, though.

It's all just time and exposure. I think you're doing the right thing by keeping the sessions short and helping birdie understand that just because you handled him/her, it doesn't mean you're going to be mean. Ringneck species are notoriously touch-me-not, but that only means they don't like to be held and cuddled around the body. Step-up is easy enough to teach and they'll do that quite readily for food rewards (being greedy-gutses by nature).

Check out this video for a clever, no stress method of teaching step-up:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe0pW5v7vOs"]Parrot Training Clips from Parrot Care & Training Seminar - YouTube[/ame]

Best of luck with birdie (please let us know the name soon!) S/he is a beauty!

 

[veimar]

I hope I can give her (I decided "her" because they look like hens when young) a good loving home. I let her out in the morning and let her explore the room - I'm either sitting with computer on my bed or going in and out the room. I put grapes and banana on the floor and she keeps eating the grapes, but couldn't figure what part of banana she should eat! LOL She is so active outside the cage and less scared of me. Right now she is trying to climb up to the chair using my jeans hanging over it - it's really funny to watch.

 

[Betrisher]

Sweet! I would love to add a pair of IRNs or Plum Heads to my flock, but I'd find myself instantly single if I tried that. My husband is a saint and loves all our birds, but he does have a limit. Sadly.

Enjoy your lovely little IRN and don't forget to tell us her name when she gets it.