Need advice

Littleredbeak

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May 27, 2020
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I have a Ringneck. I got her from a bad situation at a pet store- she was sick, had a severely imbedded ankle band and wings clipped way too short. She was at the petstore for 7months and I’m assuming with little contact (they just kept transferring her to different sister stores trying to sell her at their asking price- the employees at the last two stores talked about how mean she was). I am honestly surprised she survived all this.

After several months she is finally healthy but wants nothing to do with human hands. She is very curious about the world around her and likes watching.
I used to take her out regularly after she got over her infection and her ankle healed. I stopped recently to try to get her to come out on her own to no avail. I’ll leave the cage open for her to come out on her own- A perch is right outside the door.

When I take her out I have to chase her around in the cage and I have to pick her up with a shirt (so she doesn’t bite me - she bites hard! ) I have somewhat taught her step up with a perch to take her back into her cage (she has a flight cage) but again I have to follow her around the room.

She wants to get away from hands constantly (I’ve even played videos of Ringnecks being friendly to people - she tries to bite the hands in the videos).

Part of the problem is one of her wings is being over preen( vet is not sure if this is from her wings being clipped too short Or if it’s behavioral) so she can’t fly and I think this freaks her out . When I first brought her home she would land hard on the bottom of cage because she couldn’t initial perch well either. I installed a platform in the middle of the flight cage and then had the perches near the plat form so the falling distance would not harm her. Her world is pretty small just being in the cage. She also will wait for her two tail feathers to grow long before she will pull them out. So far I’ve only seen two long tail feathers. WhenI got her, her tail feathers were shorter than a lovebirds.

Once she is out of the cage she genuinely enjoys being out and exploring. In the beginning I had no choice but to take her out because of her medications, foot baths and appointments. She enjoyed the car rides tho! It has been two weeks of me leaving the cage door open for her to come out on her own because I don’t want to cause her anxiety chasing her or forcing her to come out. I also don’t want to leave in the cage all the time :/

I have researched trying to find solutions and advice. I have tried the slow process of getting her used to hands with associating them with good things. I have tried are treats and stick/clicker training, just sitting by the cage And showing friendly parrot videos. She is not into toys - she has them but she doesn’t play with them. Her favorite thing to do is to tear apart her expensive giant Timothy hay hut.

She has a flight cage, an avian light and lots of foraging and enrichment in her cage. She gets a variety of healthy mostly organic foods.

I am looking for recommendations on helpful books and videos, advice and insight on what else I can try? Anybody else have or had a similar situation with a parrot?
Thank you!

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wrench13

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Hi! Ringneck are well known for going back to an almost wild state if not handled and interacted with on a daily basis. I am sure some of our experienced ringneck folks will be along soon, however I can offer some suggestions and advice. Parrots are all about trust. They ave to trust the being trying to interact with them. Therefore do nothing that busts what ever trust you have established, which in this case does not seem to be much, if any.
Stop chasing her around - thats a big trust buster.

Be patient. Parrots change very slowly, and it might take weeks or months before this RN decides to trust you. Please continue to treat at every opportunity and sitting close to the cage, reading aloud to her. I would skip the parrot videos, but thats just me. You may find in the end that she is going to be a parrot that is nice to look at and watch, and appreciate her for what she is, a wild animal.
 

plumsmum2005

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Hi hun I have several parallels with you over three birds. I think my suggestion is that until you have trust you can try everything on earth but with only limited success. Lower your expectations please this bird has been through the ringer with humans, everything on her terms.



"I have a Ringneck. I got her from a bad situation at a pet store- she was sick, had a severely imbedded ankle band and wings clipped way too short. She was at the petstore for 7months and I’m assuming with little contact (they just kept transferring her to different sister stores trying to sell her at their asking price- the employees at the last two stores talked about how mean she was). I am honestly surprised she survived all this."


She is a strong one hun, thank goodness, her past life has not destroyed her spirit; her fight for life, many would have given in by the time you saw her.


Great leaving the cage open, one day it may change if she wants it to? Great she loves to destroy her expensive hay hut (whatever that is), forget the rest and just concentrate on these. Good news she enjoys car rides too, keep doing those if possible? So thank you so much for rescuing her hun but please allow her to come to terms with her previous life experiences and to eventually trust you. :)


What is her name by the way hun?
 
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Laurasea

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Hi, she is very beautiful, the picture is awesome I love it.

I think you should start target training. BIRD TRICKS on YouTube or other training videis are great.

Silver sage was very active but she moved and has a baby. But she always gsve great advice. This a link to her avairy and she has articles on IRN
Home - Silver Sage Aviaries
 
OP
Littleredbeak

Littleredbeak

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May 27, 2020
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Hi hun I have several parallels with you over three birds. I think my suggestion is that until you have trust you can try everything on earth but with only limited success. Lower your expectations please this bird has been through the ringer with humans, everything on her terms.



"I have a Ringneck. I got her from a bad situation at a pet store- she was sick, had a severely imbedded ankle band and wings clipped way too short. She was at the petstore for 7months and I’m assuming with little contact (they just kept transferring her to different sister stores trying to sell her at their asking price- the employees at the last two stores talked about how mean she was). I am honestly surprised she survived all this."



She is a strong one hun, thank goodness, her past life has not destroyed her spirit; her fight for life, many would have given in by the time you saw her.


Great leaving the cage open, one day it may change if she wants it to? Great she loves to destroy her expensive hay hut (whatever that is), forget the rest and just concentrate on these. Good news she enjoys car rides too, keep doing those if possible? So thank you so much for rescuing her hun but please allow her to come to terms with her previous life experiences and to eventually trust you. :)


What is her name by the way hun?

Thank you for your advice. There has been some improvements - when I first got her she didn’t make a sound. Now in the morning she’ll squawk at me to get her food. And occasionally tweet a little bit . Do you have any recommend literature that helped you ? Her name is Anne :rainbow1:
 
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OP
Littleredbeak

Littleredbeak

Well-known member
May 27, 2020
622
870
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
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Hi, she is very beautiful, the picture is awesome I love it.

I think you should start target training. BIRD TRICKS on YouTube or other training videis are great.

Silver sage was very active but she moved and has a baby. But she always gsve great advice. This a link to her avairy and she has articles on IRN
Home - Silver Sage Aviaries


Thank you for the advice ! I will check out Silver sage!
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
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England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Hi hun I have several parallels with you over three birds. I think my suggestion is that until you have trust you can try everything on earth but with only limited success. Lower your expectations please this bird has been through the ringer with humans, everything on her terms.

"I have a Ringneck. I got her from a bad situation at a pet store- she was sick, had a severely imbedded ankle band and wings clipped way too short. She was at the petstore for 7months and I’m assuming with little contact (they just kept transferring her to different sister stores trying to sell her at their asking price- the employees at the last two stores talked about how mean she was). I am honestly surprised she survived all this."

She is a strong one hun, thank goodness, her past life has not destroyed her spirit; her fight for life, many would have given in by the time you saw her.

Great leaving the cage open, one day it may change if she wants it to? Great she loves to destroy her expensive hay hut (whatever that is), forget the rest and just concentrate on these. Good news she enjoys car rides too, keep doing those if possible? So thank you so much for rescuing her hun but please allow her to come to terms with her previous life experiences and to eventually trust you. :)

What is her name by the way hun?

Thank you for your advice. There has been some improvements - when I first got her she didn’t make a sound. Now in the morning she’ll squawk at me to get her food. And occasionally tweet a little bit . Do you have any recommend literature that helped you ? Her name is Anne :rainbow1:


You are welcome hun, great re the improvements, good Anne likes her food too. You are her provider, that will help build trust. If you want to read then any of the respected writers that give help with building trust hun. Trust is the biggest thing to her 'cause what have 'we' shown her so far? This is your foundation stone on which everything else is built. If you can sit nearby, doing something and can gently talk to her this would be good. You are doing great, little steps OK? Please don't be surprised if it's two steps forward and one step backwards. Enjoy your little friend because she is very special. :)
 
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