New baby: What to prepare for?

[ForteBebe]

Hey all. So I've never gotten a baby from a breeder before.... I've gotten one from a pet store and all others were rescues. I do have another IRN however he was a rescue and is very timid and scared of humans (but he will step up).

I'm getting a new fid from my favorite breeder, Baker's Nest Aviary. I'll be getting her in about 2-3 weeks once she is weaned. I have her cage and toys set up, I'm making a wooden play tree and a 10 foot long boing. I'm so excited for a baby because I've never had one!

What can I expect? What should I do for a new baby? She will probably be my only baby, unless I rescued another. I want to raise her right. If you had the chance for a fresh start, what would you change?

Thanks!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Harness train... Personally I think all breeders should harness train their babies before they go to their new homes. Some actually do this, but sadly the majority do not. Probably, don't have the time. So get that baby used to a harness, and take him with you everywhere you can. When I had Rio, she went everywhere with me, even to the grocery store. It was fun, and helped her to be okay with new surroundings and lots of people. Kiwi also has a harness, she even falls asleep in it.... Harness for a parrotlet is a sight to see, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Good Luck with your new baby

 

[ForteBebe]

I agree! I actually already have an aviator harness and flightsuit here waiting for her. I would like to get into free flying one day, but that's for the future.

I want to keep her on a pellet diet besides some fresh chop mixes. Where is the best place to buy bulk pellets? Maybe zupreem or kaytee.
edit: I found pet mountain. Now im wondering if zupreem fruitblend or natural is better?

 

[Flboy]

Ya might want to read thru this:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/28242-ingredients-pellets.html

 

[SoCalWendy]

Ya might want to read thru this:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/28242-ingredients-pellets.html

Very good information I love and prefer Goldenfeast. I feed the Goldn'orbes II made for smaller birds like p'lets and I also feed their Australian blend. She loves both and its organic and human grade.

 

[Sterling1113]

The only thing different in my experience between a baby and an adult rescue, is babies are UNPREDICTABLE. They can act a certain way for X amount of months/years, and then BAM, maturity, and they're a completely different bird. Some stay the same through maturity, some just have a "rough patch" then go back to "normal".

Reinforce all the good behavior from early on. Ignore all the bad behavior. The sooner she learns the difference between acceptable behavior and the non acceptable, the better. Praise every step-up, plenty of quality bonding time, but keep the schedule regular with your other bird(s) too. So that she doesn't "adjust" to being the center of attention for two weeks, then suddenly she's on the same level as everyone else. Otherwise you get needy, jealous birds.

Harness training is fantastic. Especially with ring-necks, as they're typically more hands-off, so if you can get her to accept a harness at a young age, you're golden. I strongly advise against free-flying. Even trained experts lose their birds. Some are lucky and get their companions back. Others, not so lucky. Unfortunately the latter is more common.

Food; I feed natural pellets and goldenfeast. I used to give fruit-blend pellets, but I didn't like the color, because I couldn't tell if something was odd about their poo. Turns out if all the poo is blue, small changes aren't so obvious anymore.

I think that's enough rambling for one post, lol. Best of luck with your new baby, I'm sure everything will go great.

 

[ForteBebe]

Thanks for the advice! I will order some Goldenfeast and see how she likes it. Yeah I've read that maturity can change everything. I know free flying is risky, but that is for another post.
Yup, I definitely planned on giving her the same amount of attention as all other birds from the get-go. I would say I spend about 3 hours a day one-on-one, and the rest of the time they are out playing on their playstand while I chill out with them.

How well do IRNs do with training? Tricks and behavioral of course.

 

[Kalel]

Harness train... Personally I think all breeders should harness train their babies before they go to their new homes. Some actually do this, but sadly the majority do not. Probably, don't have the time. So get that baby used to a harness, and take him with you everywhere you can. When I had Rio, she went everywhere with me, even to the grocery store. It was fun, and helped her to be okay with new surroundings and lots of people. Kiwi also has a harness, she even falls asleep in it.... Harness for a parrotlet is a sight to see, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Good Luck with your new baby

I totally agree with the harness thing! It has been quite a task trying to get my little brat to accept his harness. I have made some major steps, but It would have been so much easier (I think) if he had been trained right from the beginning.

SoCalWendy, I didn't know they made harnesses small enough for parrotlets! Is it an aviator? That would be a cute sight to see for sure!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Thanks for the advice! I will order some Goldenfeast and see how she likes it. Yeah I've read that maturity can change everything. I know free flying is risky, but that is for another post.
Yup, I definitely planned on giving her the same amount of attention as all other birds from the get-go. I would say I spend about 3 hours a day one-on-one, and the rest of the time they are out playing on their playstand while I chill out with them.

How well do IRNs do with training? Tricks and behavioral of course.

She is going to love goldenfeast... it smells so good and fresh and the ingredients are wonderful. I haven't found one bird who doesn't go gaga over it. I try to get from either a local store or prefer to from their website directly. It will come in a red box and they always give you a gift with each order :09:

 

[SoCalWendy]

Harness train... Personally I think all breeders should harness train their babies before they go to their new homes. Some actually do this, but sadly the majority do not. Probably, don't have the time. So get that baby used to a harness, and take him with you everywhere you can. When I had Rio, she went everywhere with me, even to the grocery store. It was fun, and helped her to be okay with new surroundings and lots of people. Kiwi also has a harness, she even falls asleep in it.... Harness for a parrotlet is a sight to see, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Good Luck with your new baby

I totally agree with the harness thing! It has been quite a task trying to get my little brat to accept his harness. I have made some major steps, but It would have been so much easier (I think) if he had been trained right from the beginning.

SoCalWendy, I didn't know they made harnesses small enough for parrotlets! Is it an aviator? That would be a cute sight to see for sure!

Its a little big and its not the aviator one, its the bird diaper one. I will have to see if I can find a picture or take one. I had a picture of her hanging in it from the rear view mirror (thx to my daughter) But she was so content just hanging there, she fell asleep. :09:

 

[itchyfeet]

Henry is a horror for pellets - I tried introducing them by the book, search the forums, took a good month on a few different brands - I've let it go. He has an incredible fresh food and seed (including sprouted) diet.
I touched him all over all the time from early on - and now he enjoys his evening 'snuggles'.
Agree with aviator trained.
I didn't waste any time with target training and the clicker. He had a cruel clip when he came to me, but will now walk from anywhere in the room, up my legs and onto my shoulder to get the target. Once he's flighted this should make recall training super easy