Hello Everyone,
I'm a somewhat "experienced" parrot owner. I've had 3 budgies in the past 12 years, first was already around 5 years old when i got him (passed away 3 years ago), second is still alive and at her 13th birthday coming up in 2 months, and the 3rd is close to his 2nd year with us (got him at around 6 months old). I got all 3 of them to go from being completely wild and scared to sitting on my shoulder and eat at the table.
I've recently acquired a 7month old (or so the breeder tells me) blue IRN, which I've named Loro. Now from what the breeder tells me, he was raised with lots of social interaction and hand fed. Its been 3 days since he moved in and his settlement has been going up and down. I'll give you a short day by day description of what he's been acting like.
Day1: He was dreadfully scared of pretty much everything, which is to be expected from a parrot in a new home, however after a few hours he only allowed me close enough to sit down and talk to him. I'm not used to having birds this size so i didn't know how to read his behavior at first. He started showing me that his water bowl was to far from his perch, moved that closer, rewarded me with a sort of crackle / screech (low sound). After all that he was exhausted so I let him sleep.
Day2: He started eating some oranges i placed on his cage, but nothing in his food bowl (which had peanuts and seeds). He tolerated me but went mental if i tried to get any closer than what he established as being close enough (around 30cm from his cage). At this point, I got confused about his behavior so I've Google'd myself to this forum and started reading. I've changed his food bowl (not without protest I might add) to fruit salad, carrots and seeds. From that he ate pretty much everything, in a very specific order. I found he is really fond of oranges and mandarins, as he pretty much devoured them first (tho as I said they were all mixed, not layered). Day 2 ended with him falling asleep an hour after daylight was gone.
Day3: He started moving around his cage a lot, jumping on his swing and just keep going round and round and round. He won't allow me to get close anymore, he starts flying inside the cage and pretty much hurting himself from slamming into the bars (i think) if I attempt any close time. I'm pretty sure I've done something wrong to decrease his trust in me I just can't tell if its my behavior or he's still settling in.
Now, his breeder told me to not let him out for at least a week or even two from the moment he stepped into his cage. However, I've read on this forum that people have been playing with their IRN's since day 3 or even 4. Is it recommended to take him out this early in his establishment? Can you please provide any hints to how I should ease his transition, I'm very excited to have him.
Thanks
First Time IRN, exp in budgies
Moderator: Mods
Re: First Time IRN, exp in budgies
Hi, congratulations on your new arrival.
I don't claim to be an expert but I have had different kinds of parrots, including a budgie who died aged 14 and now an adorable ringneck that I've had for about five years. I can say that although your experience with (and love for) birds will help you with your ringneck, budgies and ringnecks are very different and it's a good idea to get as much good advice as you can to make sure you establish a good relationship from the start.
I would say the most important thing is to go very gently with your bird in the early days. Don't ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do. Learn to read his body language and reward him for even the tiniest bit of progress, like letting you near his cage, with a positive, enthusiastic comment like 'good bird' and a treat if he likes them. My ringneck is extremely food-motivated, and his love of treats (little pieces of nut work well) has often helped us negotiate challenging behaviours. He will slowly come to associate you with good experiences, especially if you minimise negative experiences for him too. This might take a while but it's important not to rush, as the trust you establish now can last a lifetime.
I also highly recommend you get yourself a book to steer you in the right direction. My favourite is 'A Parrot For Life', by Rebecca K. O'Connor, which is an easy and enjoyable read with lots of practical advice. Good luck!
I don't claim to be an expert but I have had different kinds of parrots, including a budgie who died aged 14 and now an adorable ringneck that I've had for about five years. I can say that although your experience with (and love for) birds will help you with your ringneck, budgies and ringnecks are very different and it's a good idea to get as much good advice as you can to make sure you establish a good relationship from the start.
I would say the most important thing is to go very gently with your bird in the early days. Don't ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do. Learn to read his body language and reward him for even the tiniest bit of progress, like letting you near his cage, with a positive, enthusiastic comment like 'good bird' and a treat if he likes them. My ringneck is extremely food-motivated, and his love of treats (little pieces of nut work well) has often helped us negotiate challenging behaviours. He will slowly come to associate you with good experiences, especially if you minimise negative experiences for him too. This might take a while but it's important not to rush, as the trust you establish now can last a lifetime.
I also highly recommend you get yourself a book to steer you in the right direction. My favourite is 'A Parrot For Life', by Rebecca K. O'Connor, which is an easy and enjoyable read with lots of practical advice. Good luck!
Re: First Time IRN, exp in budgies
Hello and thank you for your advice. Things have developed a bit since my post, and I dunno if it is good or bad, as he has both grown to trust and fear me at the same time for reasons I can't explain. First of all, he now spends a lot of time with the toys I bought him ( a few ladders, a mirror, a bell, and a swing), but whenever I enter the room his cage is in, he goes to the furthest corner away from me and just sits there without even looking at me. I spend about 30minutes to 1 hour (in a single session) daily with him alone and just talk to him, showing him various treats and stuff, but he just started to ignore me for the most part. If I even dare to come close to his cage he starts to struggle and whistle out (guessing calling for help) and doesn't stop until i'm at a sufficient distance away from him. This is a big issues since I have to replace his food / water from inside the cage. I've done my best to go supremely slow and talking softly while doing so, finishing each time by offering him an orange slice which he loves. I'm a really patient individual but any improvement that has been done in the first 5 days seems to been thrown out the window now, and he no longer trusts me at all.
Hope this post makes any sense, and I'll gladly answer any questions regarding his habitat, but I'm really worried now so any further suggestions would help.
PS: Loro has an unusual interest in power tools apparently. He pins his eyes and whistles whenever watching me drill or cut into stuff. He doesn't appear scared of them at all, starts whistling even louder if I stop using them.
Hope this post makes any sense, and I'll gladly answer any questions regarding his habitat, but I'm really worried now so any further suggestions would help.
PS: Loro has an unusual interest in power tools apparently. He pins his eyes and whistles whenever watching me drill or cut into stuff. He doesn't appear scared of them at all, starts whistling even louder if I stop using them.
Re: First Time IRN, exp in budgies
I'm sorry that things aren't going better for you and your bird.
It's good that you're a patient person - don't give up! Your mood will affect how the bird feels, so try to stay cheerful, confident and relaxed when you're around the cage. If your bird reacts badly, try telling him calmly that it's no big deal, give him space and try again later (this will also help you remind yourself that it's no big deal - it can be disheartening, so you need encouragement too!)
Of course you need to keep up the feed and water routine, so try to be confident and predictable with these approaches to the cage. It sounds silly, but I've found telling my birds what I'm about to do can reduce their anxiety. They don't understand the words, but I think they sense on some level that I'm trying to communicate with them respectfully.
I also found a webpage that you might like, this site won't let me insert the URL, but google "Ways to Bond With Your Bird".
Some of the ideas will be too much for your bird at the moment, but I like the suggestions about eating meals near your bird, or dancing and singing to make yourself seem like a fun creature to know. I've found my IRN is very sensitive to mood, and if I'm stressed he will be too. On the other hand, if I'm wandering around singing, he perks up and sometimes joins in.
Hang in there, and hopefully you have somewhere to seek expert help if you're really concerned.
It's good that you're a patient person - don't give up! Your mood will affect how the bird feels, so try to stay cheerful, confident and relaxed when you're around the cage. If your bird reacts badly, try telling him calmly that it's no big deal, give him space and try again later (this will also help you remind yourself that it's no big deal - it can be disheartening, so you need encouragement too!)
Of course you need to keep up the feed and water routine, so try to be confident and predictable with these approaches to the cage. It sounds silly, but I've found telling my birds what I'm about to do can reduce their anxiety. They don't understand the words, but I think they sense on some level that I'm trying to communicate with them respectfully.
I also found a webpage that you might like, this site won't let me insert the URL, but google "Ways to Bond With Your Bird".
Some of the ideas will be too much for your bird at the moment, but I like the suggestions about eating meals near your bird, or dancing and singing to make yourself seem like a fun creature to know. I've found my IRN is very sensitive to mood, and if I'm stressed he will be too. On the other hand, if I'm wandering around singing, he perks up and sometimes joins in.
Hang in there, and hopefully you have somewhere to seek expert help if you're really concerned.
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DonnaandNeo
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:28 am
Re: First Time IRN, exp in budgies
hi LoroDots,
Your getting the same treatment as I am from Neo, the best I can suggest is that you keep getting Loro out and let him/her have a wander around. I sit on the couch each night with a little food between me and Neo and he spends his time flying across the room and then climbing back up on the couch. Each time Neo does this he gets a little closer to me. I just talk to him and don't move to quickly so he can learn it is safe to be near me. Last night Neo went through the motions of up and down the couch like he is on sentry duty then got closer and closer until he made the effort to touch me. This didn't happen in a short time it has taken hours of trust.
I hope this helps a little I am no expert but Neo seems very happy with this type of training, next I am going to try a little hand feeding when he is happy to do it. Can I ask does Loro have his wings clipped? I am not really big on doing this but Neo came to me with 1 wing done and was very unhappy with me due to this. I had my local pet store clip the other and Neo has calmed down a lot and become more trusting after this was done. He seems to be a lot more balanced not only physically but mentally also. Let me know how go with Loro.
Cheers Donna and Neo
Your getting the same treatment as I am from Neo, the best I can suggest is that you keep getting Loro out and let him/her have a wander around. I sit on the couch each night with a little food between me and Neo and he spends his time flying across the room and then climbing back up on the couch. Each time Neo does this he gets a little closer to me. I just talk to him and don't move to quickly so he can learn it is safe to be near me. Last night Neo went through the motions of up and down the couch like he is on sentry duty then got closer and closer until he made the effort to touch me. This didn't happen in a short time it has taken hours of trust.
I hope this helps a little I am no expert but Neo seems very happy with this type of training, next I am going to try a little hand feeding when he is happy to do it. Can I ask does Loro have his wings clipped? I am not really big on doing this but Neo came to me with 1 wing done and was very unhappy with me due to this. I had my local pet store clip the other and Neo has calmed down a lot and become more trusting after this was done. He seems to be a lot more balanced not only physically but mentally also. Let me know how go with Loro.
Cheers Donna and Neo
Re: First Time IRN, exp in budgies
Hi LoroDots,
I'm sorry to hear it sounds like things have degraded with your bird.
I'm sorry to hear it sounds like things have degraded with your bird.
Last edited by MissK on Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
-MissK
Re: First Time IRN, exp in budgies
Hello everyone, I'm sorry for the lack of updates but been busy with both bird and people. Regarding my appearance, well my beard tends to grow fast (from like clean shave to santa claus levels in about a week). Anyway, in the past few days I've let the guy out to explore the living room and play with the budgies. Safe to say he wasn't trusting anyone around him. So he spent the day out, and started "crying" when he couldn't get to his food bowl that was inside his cage. Well that turned into a rather fun experience for me, trying to deploy various elaborate devices to show him the way to his food bowl. After about 3 hours of that he finally mustered enough courage to go inside the budgie's cage, which turned into a full blown fight (not his fault, he was just desperately hungry). After being kicked out by them, shockingly, I tried using a perch to get him on and take him to his cage, for some more elaborate pointers. Safe to say around midnight he finally found his food bowl and ate like a pig. Fun experience I must say, but I'm reluctant to let him out since he can't really find his way back in. I'll attempt this again after the entire Christmas stuff is over. Meanwhile he started imitating sounds, and ofc he started imitating my budgies. Our relationship has improved however, to the point that I can now put my hand inside his cage and he won't freakout but just stay away from me. He's slowly improving so I'm really having renewed hoped.
@MissK: I'm always feeding him varied food. His bowl is either made of fruits or vegetables on a few days rotation. He won't touch anything unless there is variation so I'm pretty much stuck with having to make an extra "plate" for dinner. I will try your suggestion in regards of bait, but Loro will protest at not having his food bowl where it is supposed to be.
Happy Holidays, and I'll keep updating this as our relationship evolves.
Lorodots
@MissK: I'm always feeding him varied food. His bowl is either made of fruits or vegetables on a few days rotation. He won't touch anything unless there is variation so I'm pretty much stuck with having to make an extra "plate" for dinner. I will try your suggestion in regards of bait, but Loro will protest at not having his food bowl where it is supposed to be.
Happy Holidays, and I'll keep updating this as our relationship evolves.
Lorodots