Other birds to help tame?

[romobird]

I have a untamed 2 year old African Ringneck male whom I've had for about 2 weeks now. He was rescued from a case of over-breeding, but I don't think he has any major psychological problems. He is getting slightly better but generally will not move a muscle while I am in the room. And I make sure I do not do anything to scare him or make him nervous.

My brother has 2 cockatiels which are very tame and love coming to people and getting their affection. If I bring these cockatiels into the same room, will this help the taming process at all? I know birds are very intelligent so if he sees me interacting positively with other birds will he begin to loosen up a bit?

 

[Kiwibird]

Since the IRN is still new (and hopefully is going to be examined by a vet and tested for disease), I would NOT bring your brothers healthy birds around him quite yet. Generally, quarantine for new birds is 6 weeks to make sure they aren't ill. Though, in time once he starts trusting you more and you know he is healthy, him watching the other birds step up and interact could be very helpful in his learning and trust level.

As for getting into a ex-breeder, expect a difficult challenge. Breeder birds, as your finding out, don't generally like humans. He may also miss his mate and be mourning loosing her (parrots mate for life and form deep bonds with their mate). I would, for now, be very calm around him. Sit as close as you can to his cage without scaring him and speak softly to him. Do this as much as you can, so he gets used to you and used to you being a non-threatening presence in the room. If he approaches you, make sure to have treats to hand through the bars to reward him for approaching (but don't be discouraged if the first few times he immediately backs off when he sees your hand approaching). This will build trust. I would suspect it will take weeks or even months to start gaining even the littlest bit of trust. Expect a long road to getting him trusting enough to step on your hand or to be petted. In the meantime, be sure he has lots of toys and that he is eating a proper diet. Toys help with their mental well being and good nutrition makes them easier to work with. Best of luck with your new friend, and please remember, he is going to take patience and persistence.

 

[romobird]

Since the IRN is still new (and hopefully is going to be examined by a vet and tested for disease), I would NOT bring your brothers healthy birds around him quite yet. Generally, quarantine for new birds is 6 weeks to make sure they aren't ill. Though, in time once he starts trusting you more and you know he is healthy, him watching the other birds step up and interact could be very helpful in his learning and trust level.

As for getting into a ex-breeder, expect a difficult challenge. Breeder birds, as your finding out, don't generally like humans. He may also miss his mate and be mourning loosing her (parrots mate for life and form deep bonds with their mate). I would, for now, be very calm around him. Sit as close as you can to his cage without scaring him and speak softly to him. Do this as much as you can, so he gets used to you and used to you being a non-threatening presence in the room. If he approaches you, make sure to have treats to hand through the bars to reward him for approaching (but don't be discouraged if the first few times he immediately backs off when he sees your hand approaching). This will build trust. I would suspect it will take weeks or even months to start gaining even the littlest bit of trust. Expect a long road to getting him trusting enough to step on your hand or to be petted. In the meantime, be sure he has lots of toys and that he is eating a proper diet. Toys help with their mental well being and good nutrition makes them easier to work with. Best of luck with your new friend, and please remember, he is going to take patience and persistence.

Ok thank you!
Also I am not positive is he was an ex-breeder. From what I got from the rescuer, he was just part of one of the clutches. The person breeding the birds couldn't or wouldn't sell his birds and they just kept piling up. They rescued around 15-18 IRNs (which someone one here has actually identified as ARNs). But he definitely is going to take work. I tried slowly giving him a treat through the bars and he screamed super loud and fluttered backwards. Definitely a mistake on my part I wasn't paying attention to his body language. :02: