IndianRingNeck.com

Melika

I haven't gotten one yet! I'm actually looking at cages now! I think I'm going for a cockatiel, but I would like to get a cage that an IRN would be comfortable in... jussstttt in case I end up getting one instead =P Do you think a 24" by 22" would be a good size for an IRN too?( 1/2"...

Melika

Usually it would be grey/black bars across the feathers that would indicate dietary deficiencies during feather growth. I don't know in your case. Post a picture?

Melika

I've just found this thread and for some reason the link for Australia (Victoria) doesn't list the West Brunswick Vet Clinic, which also offers avian-specific care. I've taken birds there, and have also tried the Burwood Vet Clinic in the past. Both have amazing knowledge of birds, although I found...

Melika

Looked up the scientific name, and here it notes that it is non-poisonous to animals. http://www.southernwoods.co.nz/cart/res ... rch=Search

Melika

My experiences with biting and prevention of bites with Hane: First, when Hane was bluffing, I did call his bluff. He never did more than nip. Calling his bluff was the best thing- I just followed my instincts really. When he was young, he wasn't allowed the right to say no and refuse to step-up. I ...

Melika

Did you get and IRN or Tiel yet? If you haven't, I have some belated notes to add: Birds have voices. They were made to use them. They can all be loud. Some choose to be loud more often than others, regardless of species. Individual birds vary. IF you get a 'tiel and want a quiet bird- get a female....

Melika

I didn't want to cut down the amount of formula he was getting, to make sure he was getting all the right nutrients and such, so I did not mix anything into the formula. But since he was used to getting food from my hands, I finely diced some veggies and fed it from my fingers. This way he got to ta...

Melika

It has been very hard to find a specialized vet here in Cape Town, South Africa. Anyone else from my area have any recommendations? Thank you Either of these close? http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/9841-vets-your-area.html Also, I wonder if you could call a local zoo and see if they ...

Melika

Grapefruit Seed Extract has been found to be a great natural cleaner/disinfectant, found to be stronger than bleach and colloidal silver and in much smaller doses. Some hospitals are even using it for carpet cleaning since nothing has a resistance to it: http://www.landofvos.com/articles/wingtips/gs...

Melika

Depends if they can get to an edge of the wood or not. They won't be able to chew into the flat side of a board- but once they get started on an edge they can tear right through if they want.

Melika

I was just wondering, I have heard that IRNs are lactose intolerant but there is yogurt on your list? Thank you all for your advice Teresa Please note, there are two types of yogurt. We want to feed the kind containing live cultures (versus those that are heat-treated which will kill off the benefi...

Melika

If she can be protected from winds, she will do better. We used to cover our aviary with heavy painter's sheets for the little budgies and cockatiels that were in it just to cut down the cold wind.

Melika

As was noted in the sticky thread, the caution with tomatoes is in reference to the acidic nature of the tomato. Some say not to feed, others to feed. I choose feed, but not a lot. From what I can find, it is the most balanced view.

Melika

Hi Melika and Kiki22! Thank you for all the great tip! I am still confused when it comes to lettuce, he likes it very much but I dont give that very often. Is it better to give other vegetables? I heard that dandelion greens is ok? I also noticed that he really likes cooked carrots ( Not raw, then ...

Melika

Here's my best answer: I don't know. With my dog I can tell exactly what he wants based on his body language. My IRN? I have no clue half the time. A few things are super obvious to me now, but still most of his behaviour is a mystery. :lol: Your vet might just be right. My sister's IRN used to swin...

Melika

Hi All, I am considering getting a ringneck however i need to do a lot more research before i make a commitment. I have read lots of information on them, but i find its never the same as talking to real owners. Does anyone have any important information they wished they had known? Hints & tips?...

Melika

IRNs are notoriously neophobic (scared of new things). Hey Ellie, I have some thoughts on this phrase (a slight tangent from the topic but I don't feel it's worthy of it's own topic and has a slight influence on this one) about IRNs being neophobic. I wonder what you think. The first time I saw thi...

Melika

Perhaps you can try holding the treat through the bars just above his food bowl for a few moments. Like you said, he won't take treats just yet, but let him see it and then drop it into his bowl. Say something nice and walk away. He should begin to associate you with happy treat time. It's easiest t...

Melika

When Hane slept in my bedroom I just had blackout curtains over my windows (I like to sleep in the dark too!) and Hane rarely ever made noise. Actually, he isn't often noisy anyway, but he tends to stay quiet in the mornings even now. My husband runs around the house with all the lights on (and I me...

Melika

Here's some info about bottlebrush http://www.windycityparrot.com/Bottle-Brush-Parrot-Playstands-Birds.html I have one of those stands (saw it at my favourite pet store one day and couldn't resist... I had been dreaming about 'pruning' every bottlebrush tree I saw while driving about town as they ar...

Melika

From what I can find, no matter where you get it the millet will likely be treated with one variety of insecticide or another. What is best for you might depend on your importation laws. For instance, in the US most foods have different acceptable amounts of insecticide depending on if it is importe...

Melika

Best way to give protein is through cooked egg!

Easy too- you can even scramble with the shell crushed up in it for extra calcium. Hane likes his hard-boiled. I just serve him a half in the shell (I eat the other half ;) )

Melika

Lettuce is fine. Some people say it could give them diarrhea BUT lettuce is also very high in water. So what if what we view as 'runny poo' is really just water? I know Hane's poo is naturally more runny after he eats veggies in general. I notice no change with lettuce. Like any food though, in mode...

Melika

Squeaks or screams?

Melika

I'm with Natalie and wonder what size your cage is. It should be large enough that he can turn around and flap his wings without hitting the bars (and a free space in the cage somewhere for flapping unhindered by toys). If his feathers are breaking from hitting the bars, he will either 'clip' them o...

Melika

Welcome to the board! Sounds like they're keeping you busy!

Melika

Ellie is correct in that I was referring to a dog's willingness to please. In the dog world, this term would never be confused with a 'groveling' dog. For that matter, Samoyeds and GSDs are very well-known for the willingness to please their human(s). I am a dog person. I always have a dog, worked a...

Melika

They are smarter than I gave them credit for. I wish I had instituted foraging earlier. They are moody when they want to be. Key word being "they". You cannot dictate your bird's mood. Birds are NOT dogs. At all. In any way, not training, behavior, willingness to please. None of it. Dog tr...

Melika

Because they are individuals.

Even you won't get along with just anyone. Hane and his own brother could barely share the same playstand, much less a cage and foodbowls, and it got worse once they became mature.

You might just want to keep them separate.

Melika

Go for no sealants and no treatments on the wood and you'll be fine. Pine is usually the cheapest and is great because birds need some good softwoods to munch on. Keeps the beak busy and in good condition. I'm not a fan of all the hard perches "so the bird can't destroy them". The whole po...

Melika

Thank you!

Melika

Nothing wrong with that sleeping position. Some birds just like it. It might change with time, as well.

I find I keep a perch high in the cage, with just enough head room, and that's where Hane chooses to sleep. You can try providing a high sleeping perch.

Melika

It's unfortunate that we just can't birdproof EVERYTHING.

Silly birds get into everything bad for them. I'm glad Janey is alright!

Melika

Very good question. I encourage you to read this article: http://www.rationalparrot.com/diet.html to help you find your answer and to help round out your IRNs diet. With so much sunflower seed, he would be on his way to being overweight and malnourished. For a comprehensive list of foods to feed you...

Melika

I once read an interesting solution to giving a nest. I believe it was a parrot rescue? site and they were talking about dealing with the breeding season. They would just give all the parrots cardboard boxes (sized according to bird) to 'nest' in and utterly destroy. When the birds were done with th...

Melika

Hane chews his nails when he is uncomfortable with the situation. Especially if I am holding him. He won't bite me, but he clearly wants to be somewhere else and isn't happy or feeling very secure- this usually happens when there are lots of people around or perceived danger and he would rather be t...

Melika

She's grooming you.

It's a sign of affection, of a flockmate bond.

I wouldn't let Hane chew on rubber bands, but that's because he is likely to bite a piece off and eat it. I always have to watch him...

Melika

It took a long time for Hane to be able to grasp his food in his foot with grace. First he would start out holding it and trying to balance, then would drop the food and look forlornly at it. Then he progressed to keeping hold of the food, but his coordination was a bit off resulting in him petting ...

Melika

hey guyz i need help i hv 1 pair of IRN n 1 male Alex parrot .. i just want to ask wat diet should i give them n wat should not b feed to them? i want a complete diet plane.. thnx http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8078 It's the same for almost all parrots. Certain parrots ...

Melika

What kind of cage and what kind of finish is/was on it? Here is some more info once you know what you have:

http://www.avianweb.com/refinishingcages.html

Melika

I'll answer two of these: 2) Should I continue to feed her fruit and veg only twice a week, or more like once a day? Every day if you can! Veggies and fruits are the best foods. Here's a list to help you get started: http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8078 6) Is it okay to k...

Melika

He might never be a good shoulder bird. My IRN loves to pull out my hair, bite my ears, and bite holes in my shirt if he's on my shoulder. He has never been allowed on my shoulder because of this.

His brother however, was an excellent shoulder bird and just sat there happily.

Melika

I would not house them together. But I've also had a lovebird almost bite the toes off a cockatiel, IRNs that harass one another, Hane tries to pluck out my 'tiel's crest feathers, Tsume tried to remove Hane's tail, and seen too many pictures/stories detailing what parrots are capable of doing to on...

Melika

Air conditioning is fine (says the gal in Florida where it rarely goes higher than 37 C but we use air-conditioning all summer) as long as it isn't blowing directly on the bird(s).

Melika

For Hane and me, it has been about (for the most part) letting him decide if he wants to come out or not. He has a perch in his cage that I always remove him from. I ask him if he wants to come out and offer my hand to that perch. If he doesn't want to come out, he moves away. But if he does, he'll ...

Melika

A lot of this will have to do with the individual birds, how they were raised, and how you handle him/her. (As for birds that rip up things, I vote cockatoo.) If a IRN is raised "wild" in in aviary with other IRNs, or kept in a cage with another IRN, I do believe they are harder to tame. A...

Melika

Three reasons for windows: draughts/drafts, heat, or wildlife. If the window isn't sealed well it can be a source for draughts- especially in cold winters. If the sun is blazing down through the window, making it very hot, the bird could get overheated. And this is my favourite: hawks or other anima...

Melika

You can also take away the eggs as they're laid and freeze them for a few hours before putting them back. The people that gave me Hane have been doing this for a while now and it's worked just find. Other people just never give a pair a place to nest in the first place (no nestbox). But many IRNs se...

Melika

Guess that depends on how much time you have to invest in each bird. And if you're willing to risk a personality change because of the new addition. Or be ready for them to hate one another forever. Also, your new bird might not have the lovable personality you treasure in Dudey. Also sometimes parr...

Melika

Hi everyone, I do not have an IRN yet but will be acquiring a fully weaned baby in a while. I have been doing a lot of research and would like for my bird to have the best diet possible. I would like to know everything I can before I get my bird, so that I can provide him with all he/she needs. :) ...

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