The ring

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:09 am

Is it possiable for a ringneck to have a prominent ring at 5-6 months old?

Donna · Post by **Donna** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:22 am

Nothing about these birds would shock me but usaully it comes in any where from 18 months to 3 years old. Do you have a photo? You can also see a ring on a female too so don't let that fool you. If you really want to know and can't wait have it DNA tested

Donna Welcome to the board!!

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:51 am

Here is a photo - http://indianringneck.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=5404

Donna · Post by **Donna** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 11:19 am

I think you have an older bird not 5 to 6 months.

And I could have done with out the RAT pic

(just don't like them)

Donna

Post by **kyria** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:50 pm

I agree he looks alot older. Not just the ring but all his features look older.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:28 pm

Could you give me a maxium? And my rat is loverly just misunderstood like IRN's

Donna · Post by **Donna** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:26 pm

Could you give me a maxium?

Depends, Does he have a pink ring going around the back of the neck? If so my guess would be older then 3 years old. After 3 you can't really tell the age unless he has a leg band on.

Donna

Post by **Lauren** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:04 pm

He is gorgeous and much, much older than 6 months. He must be older than 3 years. :wink:

We used to have mice, then they had babies, I loved the babies, but they had too many! So my friends' lizards ate them and I cried.

I don't have a problem with rats and mice. They are soo misunderstood. :wink:

Post by **kyria** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 4:46 am

We have had many rounds of pet rats. They only live about 3 years in captivity as pets

.. We just lost our last set of boys (about 3 weeks ago), Dante and Lucca to old age, only a week apart. When one goes the other follows quickly

sob ! .. but they had a great life.

They were hooded rats. Just Love them. The most loving and fun little creatures, so timid and trusting.

Most people can't get past the tail, or the male genitals. But none of that worries me or my family in the slightest. All our rats have been the most amazing pets ever.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:46 am

yeah rats are ace, mine humps my partners hand lol - i think he sees her as his partner. Is billy still possiable to train? because he has a BIG problem with hands. Any ideas?|

Post by **kyria** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:13 pm

Yes its possible, but will be a long and difficult process depending on how wild he is. Slow and steady is the way. Gaining trust as you go. Not sure how wild he is only you know that.

Start by offering treats in the hand, something large like maybe a peanut, each day get closer to him with it. Present a closed back of the hand for step up when you attempt it. They seem to respond better if the hand doesn't look like one (eg. lots of moving fingers).

Talk calmly to him all the time. And if you really want to tame him, your first task is to have him clipped. Once tame you can always allow flight to return. But remember if he was flighted, you must be careful with him just after he is clipped, place him back low in the cage or on the ground so that when he attempts to fly UP he realises he can;t, this prevents him from trying to fly off the perch and coming to grief on the ground.

Every day he realises you and your hands don't hurt him the more progress can be made. Trust in older birds takes longer but it can be done.

Kai was our first IRN and he was an older aviary bird when we brought him home. He has never become as tame as our handraised, but he does step up, will play with us, speaks like a gem, but is still a little flighty with sudden movements, and we cannot scratch, preen or cuddle with him like our others. But he is an amazing bird. He has been paired with a wild female for the last year, they have had a round of babies we handraised (one of which we kept as our own pet "Pickle", and is still tame enough to come out with us :wink:

So much is possible darlin.

Post by **kyria** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:21 pm

P.S. Look into towling the bird there are article here if you use the search above that tell you about it. I have never done it myself, but they say it works. You see the more you handle the bird and don't hurt it the more it realises this. Time shows them they can trust you and before long he will take you on as his new flock and begin to interact with you anyway.

Also, I think it was Lauren that found that another tame bird helped to show the other that all was ok. But this could be a challenge in itself, keeping one safe from the other, as they often don't get along.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 4:39 pm

I went back to the pet shop to ask them ho old he is again. they said 5 to 6 months. I said about what you lot said and the reasons why and they said they may have misunderstood him. Then they told me the story of how they got him. His owner went in hospital and a friend looked after him while he was in. But then his owner died and the man asked my local (small) pet shop to sell him. Then we bought him so he has gone from home to home to shop and finally our home. The pet shop owners said a breeder said he is a young bird because of his feet. He talks loads, loves to cluck and chirp and whistle. But like i say he hates hands.

Should i clip the wings myself? and if so - how? he talks to us and when we let him out he'll come on our arms, shoulders and even our head lol. He has no problem taking things from our hands. So he won't perch or be stroked. Here is some more pictures. http://indianringneck.com/board/viewtop ... 9978#39978

Donna · Post by **Donna** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:21 pm

Sorry I hate to disagree with pet store people or a breeder but I have never seen a 6 month old baby with a ring like that. Your not going to be able to tell his age by his feet either. Your second set of pics he looks to be about 4 to 5 years old. Does he have a leg band? I think the pet shop knowingly sold you an older bird but if your happy with him and he is getting used to you then you got the better deal.

Donna

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:41 pm

No he hasn't got a leg band and yeah he is staying. I don't think they knew to be honest because i'm a regular, if any thing it wll be the person who gave it to them and lack of knowledge of the bird

julie · Post by **julie** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:11 pm

I would be more inclined to say the breeder they spoke to said 5 to six years and for some reason they think it was five to six months. I have a 5 month old that I will post some pics of for you to see the difference.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 6:22 am

Yeah i cold see that happening and thanks

Post by **kyria** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:03 pm

You should have him clipped at an avian vet. I clip my own if I need to, but then I know what I am doing, it would be near impossible for you to do if you have no experience and particularly because the bird is not 100% handleable. But .. by the looks of him, he is tame enough to begin training without having to clip.

And again, not just by the ring but the adult features aswell, your baby is definately 2 years plus. Anything over 2 years is rather impossible to tell, even experts cannot tell and sadly there is no test for age of birds.

Never heard of telling a birds age by its feet :shock:

You guys look like you are having lots of fun together. He is lucky to finally have you.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:28 pm

We are looking for an avian vet and thanks alot, yeah we are have alot of fun.

greeny · Post by **greeny** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:20 pm

Good idea to get the vet to clip him. First off, you'll get a correct clip that will be effective and still safe for him. Second off, he won't "hold it against you". Meaning, my IRNs definitely got mad at me for things like wing clipping, especially when they were young and less tame.

I took my young one to the vet for toe trim and it took the vet, the tech and myself to do it and he was mad at me for a week thereafter!

Since you are taming him, I would say let him get mad at the pro!

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:06 pm

I used to get the vet to clip Max and he would do it for $10 (3 & a half quid to you!!). He used to say I could do it myself but sod that, he'd do a better job - until, that is, a locum did it and cut a blood feather!!
prick!
As for ring - got to be around 3 yrs at least. Max got his at 3rd moult - around 2 years & a bit and had a striking black and red ring.
As for pet shop being "honest". Well, you never know... I got rung by a breeder who reckoned they had found my Max 30kms away from home (2 weeks after loss), thing was they described a Lorikeet!?!?!?!?!
This is difficult with Ziggy on the keyboard.....
So even some breeders aren't that clued up, so who's to say a pet shop would be all that clever. Think on the positive side.
Mind you - I know a few dodgy poms..... :lol:

Lene · Post by **Lene** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:27 pm

When I lost Cory (Little Corella/BE2) I got a call from at vet 30 km's away... Someone had brought in a Little Corella, who had been bailed up by 2 dogs... Oh.. I was so excited... It could only be Cory... I raced out there after work, only to find it was a long billed Corella.. They didn't even know the difference between the two species! I won't bore you with describing my disappointment. I'm sure you can imagine.