Potential IRN Incoming - Rehoming Questions

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stillbeing
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:06 am

Potential IRN Incoming - Rehoming Questions

Post by stillbeing »

Hi everyone :-) A friend of mine is in a dilemma - she has an 18 month old Indian ringneck she adores, but one of her sons is allergic to him. He's hand-tame, already talking (and wolf-whilstling!) and she says he's very handsome with big personality (she's also not sure if he's a he or a she yet). She's asked me to take him as she knows I'm a mad-crazy bird person and needs him to go to a home with a lot of love.

I've kept budgies for 20 years now (as companion/pets, not aviary/breeding). I lost one of my budgies to a tumour earlier this year and the remaining bird, Beaker, is flightless due to an injury when she was not long fledged. Beaker is also hand-tame, but not personable, a bit of a grump and not bonded with me at all so I wouldn't be interrupting our relationship. I'm intending on keeping them apart, probably one in my room and one in the lounge, at least initially for quarantine and observational purposes but I suspect with Beaker's size, disability and surliness the twain shall never truly meet.

I'm sure I'm going to have many questions and I've already sent her a barrage of them. The main thing I wanted to ask was what can I expect in rehoming a bird at this age? I'm trying to establish whether he's bonded with her or if he's more gregarious, but do you have any tips on how to accustom a bird of this age to a new owner?

He'll be going from a house with many kids to a one-human, one-bird (and two-stick insect) apartment too, so I imagine the change will a big one for him and I want to be sure I know we'll all be in for.
Skyes_crew
Posts: 1946
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Hawaii

Re: Potential IRN Incoming - Rehoming Questions

Post by Skyes_crew »

Do you have the option of handling him while he's still at your friends place? I would get him comfortable with you while he's in a familiar place before trying to move him. So often people don't have that as an option, but I believe it is the healthiest way to rehome a bird. As for the noise aspect, you could play a radio for him or leave the TV on for him. At 18 months most IRN's are reaching sexual maturity and may be a bit touchy if not introduced properly. Handle him/her as much as possible but do not force the interaction. Hope that's helps :) let us know how it goes.
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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stillbeing
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:06 am

Re: Potential IRN Incoming - Rehoming Questions

Post by stillbeing »

A play-date! Of course! I forgot about that, thanks for bringing that up. She lives quite a distance from me, but I'm trying to organise something.

From the sound of it he hasn't gone through his "angsty teen" stage yet, but he makes friends easily, doesn't startle much and when he does startle he talks back to the startling noise or object, and he's very curious about things. He sounds like a confident, cheerful bird. And it looks like sunflower seeds are his absolute favourite so at least I know what to bribe him with ;-)
Skyes_crew
Posts: 1946
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Hawaii

Re: Potential IRN Incoming - Rehoming Questions

Post by Skyes_crew »

Sounds like he is an excellent candidate for re homing :D as for the bluffing period...that happens when they are young usually around 5 months. So if he didn't go through that your friend is one of the lucky ones. They obviously socialized him well :)
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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stillbeing
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:06 am

Re: Potential IRN Incoming - Rehoming Questions

Post by stillbeing »

Hi guys, just wanted to give you an update on Mojo.

He's been living with me for one week and he's settled in really well. He was super-snuggling for the first night (spent half the night pressed into my cheek, showed some distress if I left the room), then was a little stand-offish for the next couple of days, but now we have a routine he's much more relaxed. He's incredibly gentle - nervous of hands at first, but tonight we progressed to head-scritches - and he definitely lets me know when he wants to hang out. We did have a playdate beforehand which seemed to help enormously as he remembered me when we did the change-over and he was comfortable to climb onto my shoulder from the start.

I leave music playing for him during the day when I'm at work, and he's got eucalyptus branches to shred, some home-made toys, and I just bought him a bunch of parrot toys today (which he adores), so he's certainly amused when I'm not there. He has a habit of snatching things from my hand - funny and cute when it's a pen or a tea spoon, not so cute when it's a book or my mobile phone - but I'm hoping the toys will help. Failing that, I've got a decoy pen on standby.

The biggest challenge I'm finding so far is the mess (utter strawberry massacre! :shock: ), but otherwise he's an incredibly sweet, intelligent, affectionate, chatty little bird. Looks to be the best outcome in an otherwise unfortunate situation!
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