Pretty Bird, not so nice personality... I think...

[midnightflight]

Just got my first IRN about 2 weeks ago.

I have named him Rookie. He was handreared by the breeder, who happens to be my boss. I watched him handling Rookie (he was even flighty with him) before I took him home. The breeder taught him to step up but from the word go Rookie has always been flighty. Even when I first met him, Rookie is now 8 weeks old.

He has now started to bite, he won't lunge, or pin just casually get my finger and chew. I don't know if its just him testing his limits or something I've done. I don't want to give up on Rookie but I will do whatever is best for him.

I am really worried that I made the wrong choice, in both bird and breed. I don't want to stress Rookie out and am wondering if it would be best to return him for breeding as he is a rare olive colour.

Unless you all have some advice for me? I would really appreciate it. I did a lot of research before I brought Rookie.

Basically I want what is best for my bird, when it comes to animals you allways put their wellbeing before your own.

[fionalouise1989]

Hey there,
They do go through a stage called bluffing where they test the limits by biting but if you tend to ignore them then many say they stop it (you can search up the top right hand corner for bluffing and there are a few good posts or alternatively on the main page of the website under articles there is an article on bluffing)

With any bird there will nips here and there, as they use their beak as an arm almost. Mine is about 13 weeks and doesnt bite all that much, just when I touch his toys in the cage. He does I wouldnt say bite but almost like he tests my finger to see if its ok to sit on when i get him to step up.

Ive only had my little fella for about 3 weeks so Im not experienced by any means but it really depends on you, if you have the patience and time then he should be ok. Also if your boss breed him and gave him to you maybe you could get some advice from him?

If he flies away a lot you can cut their wings (probably better by a vet as if its done wrong can traumatize them) but a lot of people are against it, so its up to you as an individual whether you think you need to go to those lengths.

Fi

[ellieelectrons]

IRNs have minds of their own. They are very intelligent and many of them won't like to be forced into doing something they don't want to do (eg. step up, being grabbed, petted). So, the trick is to make them want to do it themselves and to help them feel secure and safe when they are with you.

My birds won't step up 100% of the time but they do most of the time. My little boy, Charlie, will pretty much always come towards me when I enter the room. My girl, Janey, is a little more independent but when she is in the mood, loves nothing more than to sit on my hand and let me pat her. Charlie, on the other hand, doesn't like me touching him at all.

Some people will dig their hand into their birds chest to force them to step up, and this is probably necessary when they are babies... but I don't do it that way. I hold my hand a few centimetres away from them and call them. Most of the time, they will come. I also do a lot of work with them using rewards. Trick training helps to build the bond.

Your relationship with your ringneck takes time to build and it continually evolves.... I would say even moreso than a relationship with cats and dogs evolve. I have had a deep bond with my cats when I was growing up but it seems to form reasonably quickly and strengthens a little over time... but with my ringnecks, the progress is slower and the bond keeps getting noticeably stronger.

There are plusses and minuses to my approach. I can't guarantee that my birds will always do what I want them to but they like to hang out with me and like it when I do trick training with them.

Ellie.

[ellieelectrons]

P.S. I would recommend you get this DVD: Parrot Behavior and Training #1 (see http://www.goodbirdinc.com/parrot-store-dvds.html) At the end of the DVD, it shows a bird who is a terrible biter and how the change in the owner's behaviours brought about a pleasing change in the behaviours of the bird.

[ellieelectrons]

P.P.S. As Fiona said, clipping their wings does make the birds easier to handle... but it is a shame for them not to be able to fly, so that needs to be a personal decision you make. Our birds both had their wings clipped for a couple of years and now I've let them grow out and they are fully flighted.

[midnightflight]

Thank you for your input. I will definately go and check out that DVD. Rookie has gotten the hang of "touch" training and I am looking forward to our bond becoming stronger with time!! I am planning to let his feathers grow back in but I will keep them clipped for the time being.

I have owned a cockatiel in the past, he was an awesome bird and my best mate, and from what I have researched online a IRN seemed like a good start. I also spoke in depth with my boss (aka rookies dad) who assured me that they make great pets! He himself has a blue IRN that plays peek-a-boo on the couch. I guess I was hoping for too much too soon and maybe Rookie will be a stand offish bird. I just hope he doesn't continue with the biting.

What do you make of the biting? its like I said, he doesn't lunge or anything, just casually wanders up my arm and starts chomping on my finger. I never react just gently ask him to step up on my other hand.

Thank you all for your tips, so what I need is time and patience?

[ellieelectrons]

I suspect the lunging could be 'bluffing'.

My Janey's bites are getting fewer and further between but still come occasionally. This afternoon, for example, I let them out of the cage just as it was starting to get dark and she couldn't see too well. She climbed straight up to my shoulder and when I absent-mindedly moved my hand near my face, she lunged at it. She didn't know what it was doing, so she was lunging at it to warn the hand not to try anything with her. She was scared of it because she couldn't see it too well.

When she was little she would often bite my fingers... it was as if she was trying to figure out what they were and what they were doing there. She rarely does this now.

However, the other day, she was on my hand and my husband started talking softly to her. He doesn't do it often but this always seems to send her into some kind of trance. She is enraptured by the sound of him talking to her. As she was coming out of the trance, I could see her eyeing off my fingers. I should have taken the warning signs and put her on a perch, but I left her there and next thing she was hoeing into my fingers! I tilted my hand a bit and that seemed to snap her out of her 'trance' and she stopped.

So what I am trying to say is, yes, you do need time and patience but also you need to try to understand the triggers for biting and look for body language associated with that and try to avoid these. Just keep at it!

On top of that training DVD, you may also like the "Understanding Parrot Body Language" DVD too. It's quite good but the training one is my favourite.

Also, how hard is your bird biting. When your bird is young it will naturally bite, this is the way it figures things out... however you do not want your bird to hurt you.

Ellie.

[midnightflight]

Yeah he is biting pretty hard, but I think he is doing what Janey used to do to you perhaps just wondering what the fingers are doing there.

I have started to touch train him, so far just using my finger for him to touch. I have to hold it a certain way and say "touch". I am worried that I may be confusing him? As a reward he gets a peice of apple and I say "good"

I am going to buy that DVD

[ellieelectrons]

What do you mean by "touch" training? Is that similar to "target" training? This is where you get your bird to touch a target (which could be your fist) with it's beak and then you give it a reward?

Ellie.

[midnightflight]

Yes it is similar to target training, I am wondering if I should be using a stick or a target instead of my finger. What are your thoughts on clicker training?

One thing that amazes me is how incredibly smart they are! How old is your Janey?

[ellieelectrons]

If you think your bird is giving you "what the heck is that" bites, I think the best way to avoid them is probably to watch your bird closely and you should be able to see your bird looking suspiciously at your fingers prior to the bite. When you see this happen, distract your bird. Usually just slightly moving your hand to put your bird a little off balance should work. The good thing is that she should grow out of these sorts of bites once she starts to understand you and how your body works. I hadn't had one of those types of bites for years with Janey until she went into a "trance" from my husband talking to her. Even then I could see her contemplating my fingers, and I should have distracted her prior to the bite, but didn't.

Yes it is similar to target training, I am wondering if I should be using a stick or a target instead of my finger. What are your thoughts on clicker training?

It really doesn't matter what you do, so long as it works for you. If you find she is biting your finger when you are trying to get her to target, then I would definitely change to something else, either your fist or a stick.

How old is your Janey?

My Janey is 4 years old and my Charlie is coming up to 3. You can see them doing tricks on my youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/ellieelectrons

I haven't updated it for a while.

Ellie.

[midnightflight]

Haha! I went to youtube and looked up your videos. Both your birds are so beautiful, and clever!!

I was watching Rookie with my Husband last night, Rookie adores him allways clambering across the cage to listen to his voice.. it must be something about men eh.

I'm hoping to be able to teach Rookie some of those tricks. Thank you for all your help you have been amazing!!

[fionalouise1989]

I just also had a look at your videos they are so cute. Do they sleep in those triangle things I thought about getting something similar but didn't know if they'd sleep in there
Fi

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Fi

I only put the birdie huts in during winter when it's cold. On a really cold night they will sleep in them. It probably depends on the bird. When they do sleep in them, they get poop in there so I had to wash them quite often. My vet discourages their use as he says it encourages nesting behaviour. That's probably the main reason I stopped using them.

Ellie.