Getting a Ringneck! questions!

[ninamarie418]

Hello I am new on the forum, well i have been reading a researching for awhile and just recently joined. I had a little budgie when i was younger and my mom had a Quaker, both are sadly gone now. I am wanting to get a Ringneck!! At first i was gonna get a lovebird because of cheaper price and smaller cage, but i just keep reading about the ringnecks and have fallen in love with them. I have found a breeder that is only 15 minutes from my home who has some babies hatching this week! I am hoping for a green or blue one, and prefferably male.
My question is, actually i have several, Does it matter if i get a male or a female? I am a music teacher and will have kids coming into my home to get Guitar lessons, and i am plannin on having my bird on a playstand near to us. Which sex would adapt better to being in that kind of environment? What are the best toys to give IRN's? and how many should i have in his cage....what is the size of cage i should get...i read 24"x24"x36" is this big enough for a baby...eventually i would like to get a way bigger cage. My bird will be $600 is this a normal price? What is the absolute best diet for a ringneck. I have read about the bluffing that they can go through, what is the best way to handle that?....im sure i have more questions...i will think them up!!!:09: thank you for any answers you can give me!!!

 

[weco]

Welcome to the forum…there are a lot of people around here, waiting to answer all those questions you are going to think up.

I guess everybody has their own favorites, but male IRNs probably have a better temperament than the females and you don’t have to worry about egg laying & possible egg binding later on.

A well socialized bird should be fun to have around your students. As to toys, IRNs like to chew, so inexpensive toys or even plain blocks of wood and a few foraging toys might be good ideas.

For cages, the suggested minimum sizes are at least the width of the bird’s wings where they can turn completely around without touching the cage bars and be able to flap their wings freely…..from there, the largest cage that you can afford & that will comfortably fit in your home, is what many people try to offer their birds.

For diet, again, everyone has their preferences, but I am not sure there is an absolute best diet for any bird, considering that what is commercially available will not be found at the nearest food pantry for wild IRNs. Although I do not have IRNs, I feed a combination of fresh & frozen vegetables, fruits & nuts and share whatever meal I am having, every other evening. There are some that will say not to feed table food, but sharing your food helps with bird training and interaction.

 

[bkparrot]

Despite gender preference, when you meet the chicks, its possible one of them will pick you and that would be the best choice... Perhaps the breeder might be able to tell their personalities that might match yours.