IRN/mustache parakeet....?!

[hashford]

Hi all!
I've recently purchased a IRN/mustache cross and I'm hoping someone could give me a little information about him?!

everywhere I look on the internet just tells me that it's not possible to breed the two and/or any babies will die, they arent worth anything.. etc. etc.

His name is Jethro!
http://imgur.com/a/bvGAE
Here's a link to a gallery of some pics of him, I didn't want to bulk out the whole post with large pictures. I've tried to add as many good angles as I can, from what pictures I've already taken. I dont have any of his tail but can provide some later if anyone wants to see??


He looks pretty healthy and good to me. The only thing that I think is a little odd is that his legs are quite far apart and a little oddly shaped.. He doesnt seem to be in any pain though. He waddles around a little funny when he walks on the floor but not in a limpy way, just in a his-legs-are-in-a-different-place way.

He's tame but not fully trusting. He's getting better very day though. He often makes little clucks and whines, kinda like a chicken. He's being defensive towards my other IRN but not going out of his way to get at him. Theyre getting along better and better every day.

I'm only really comparing him to My Blue IRN, Berry, and the few mustache parakeets I've seen in the store.

He's a little bit larger and heavier than my IRN and much larger than the mustache parakeets I've seen. He has a full red ring around his neck and kind of mottled purple/green feathers on his face. His body is mostly green/avocado and he has a short green and blue tail, that has thinner feathers, like on a mustache parakeet. I'm not sure if his tail is shorter because he's just been molting, but he doesnt seem to have any new tail feathers growing in.

So if anyone has any answers.. or questions, that'd be great! thanks!!

[sanjays mummi]

Hybrids are rare, in fact, so rare this is the first time I have heard of it in birds, they generally will only mate with their own species. How did the store owner know for definite that your bird is a hybrid? And not just a mutation.

[InTheAir]

I don't know about hybrids, but I definitely think you should take him to an avian vet for a check up and a look at that leg.

perhaps some side on photos with would be helpful. How much larger than your ringneck is he?

[hashford]

I don't know about hybrids, but I definitely think you should take him to an avian vet for a check up and a look at that leg.

perhaps some side on photos with would be helpful. How much larger than your ringneck is he?

hey sorry I'm not sure how to use this forum too well I hope this is the correct way to reply?!!?

anyway, you say 'that leg' i think you assume I think theres something wrong with it? if so, there isnt like, a worry, I was just noting how his hips and legs were wider apart that any IRN or mustache I'd seen and they seemed to be sort of, almost bow-legged looking. he doesnt seem to have a gripe with them at all.

He'snot too much larger.. I'm not sure how to explain without grabbing a ruler and measuring him. I'd say he's a little smaller than an alexandrine.. or a little bigger than an IRN (sorry?!) somewhere in between.

I am thinking about taking him to a vet for a professional opinion on just his general.. being. But the avian vet in our area that will be the most experienced is absolutely super expensive compared to the other avian vets around, one, who said she'd never seen an IRN before, and the other who I just feel kind of dubious about with more obscure or important topics.

I'll link some side on photos tomorrow up in my original post and you can check them out fi you're so interested. sorry for the late reply!

[hashford]

Hybrids are rare, in fact, so rare this is the first time I have heard of it in birds, they generally will only mate with their own species. How did the store owner know for definite that your bird is a hybrid? And not just a mutation.

The place I got him from is a really good place. they have a few staff who are really experienced with birds and I assume they'd know about that. But I guess they have to believe what the breeder told them if it's something they havent encountered before. But they were talking about him like he wasnt something totally foreign to them. Maybe in this country its happened a bit more or something? I totally agree that they're rare, I've been looking all over for some info and like i said most people said that it wasn't possible etc..

He definitely has characteristics of both an IRN and a mustache parakeet. Like colors and markings from both. I guess I can't be sure that he's not just one or the other with a strange mutation. But he has the purple on his face and the red on his neck/cheeks that IRNs dont have. and He has a red ring going all the way round his neck like the mustache parakeets dont have??

then theres the size. He's far larger than the other mustache parakeet they had there. and his feet are very big and strong compared to my IRN and the other mustache parakeet.

he also makes noises that are quite different to IRN noises.

I understand that these could just be a mutation of one, but there are a lot of things that are present in both. but who knows. maybe the breeder has some really weird thing going on with lots of mutations going on. I dont know who the breeder is so I cant ask him!

thanks for the reply!

[InTheAir]

anyway, you say 'that leg' i think you assume I think theres something wrong with it? if so, there isnt like, a worry, I was just noting how his hips and legs were wider apart that any IRN or mustache I'd seen and they seemed to be sort of, almost bow-legged looking. he doesnt seem to have a gripe with them at all.

He'snot too much larger.. I'm not sure how to explain without grabbing a ruler and measuring him. I'd say he's a little smaller than an alexandrine.. or a little bigger than an IRN (sorry?!) somewhere in between.

I am thinking about taking him to a vet for a professional opinion on just his general.. being. But the avian vet in our area that will be the most experienced is absolutely super expensive compared to the other avian vets around, one, who said she'd never seen an IRN before, and the other who I just feel kind of dubious about with more obscure or important topics.

I'll link some side on photos tomorrow up in my original post and you can check them out fi you're so interested. sorry for the late reply!

It is very hard to tell much from the photo's, but if you say he does not grip well that is a bit of a worry. I also think it is sensible to get a health check on any new bird and have them screened for psittacosis and internal parasites.
I know avian vets are expensive, my boyfriend and I have spent well over $2000 on vet bills in the last 2 years. That is the price you pay for taking on the responsibility of keeping pets.

[hashford]

It is very hard to tell much from the photo's, but if you say he does not grip well that is a bit of a worry. I also think it is sensible to get a health check on any new bird and have them screened for psittacosis and internal parasites.
I know avian vets are expensive, my boyfriend and I have spent well over $2000 on vet bills in the last 2 years. That is the price you pay for taking on the responsibility of keeping pets.

after a few days I've noticed his grip strengthening up a bit and i think he was just reluctant to cling to us too much because of his.. level of tameness..

i understand avian vets are expensive too ( I have a bird who likes to cause trouble, and lol yeah I've spent a lot more than 2000 in the last two years on him (especially because we started out going to tis expensive place)) I meant that, the ones that would know about him are like, super overpriced. there are 3 that we go to who deal with birds. and the one well established advertised as exotic vet is like, wow, at least twice the price of the others. and somehow they always end up putting the bird to sleep for x rays and keeping them for the day and then charging for all of that. When we took Berry there for a broken blood feather they put him to sleep and stitched the feather up instead of just pulling it out, then tried to convince us to get feather implants so that.. his clipped wings would stop annoying him.. they're not like, weird but they like to suggest the most expensive things they can.

like if i took him in and noted his legs they would most likely say they needed to take an xray and then say he needs to stay a day before and after for preparation and recovery so..

I might try and contact the breeder and ask them a bit about him. and I'll take him to one of the other vets for some checks for parasites and stuff, and ask him if he knows anything about hybrids.

[sanjays mummi]

Here in the UK vets seem to charge what they like, they all differ, and they all charge a consultation fee before even looking at your pet. You could take out pet insurance, but be aware, you may have to pay money up front before the company pay out. Sanjay has a piggy bank, so if he ever needs treatment, he will have some pocket money towards it. I think contacting his breeder an excellent idea, but if said breeder has more than those two species in a mixed aviary, even he/she may not be able to tell you Exactly what your birds parents were. Good Luck.

[vinayv92]

He does look like a hybrid. Don't know anything about mustached parakeets so can't help.

Regarding his legs, hes looks like he has a slight case of splayed legs. When they are chicks in the nest , a lack of nesting material/concave nest bottom can result in the parents/siblings sitting on the younger ones a bit too hard. If there isn't any nesting material , the developing chicks don't have anything to grip onto as well.
This causes their legs to grow deformed. Most of the time the chicks can live a healthy life even in severe cases but need specially arranged cages. Fortunately , Jethro doesn't seem to be too badly affected.