Blue Bird of Happiness!

Let us know a little about yourself! Tell us about your birds and why you are here.

Moderator: Mods

Post Reply
PythonzEve
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:25 am
Location: Columbus, GA
Contact:

Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by PythonzEve »

Hey all, my name is Jessica and I bought a blue IRN from Delorce's bird barn in SC a couple of weeks ago after looking up reputable breeders and doing a couple interviews with her, which she graciously took the time to oblige :wink: I had been wanting an IRN for about 7 years but because we moved around with the military we didn't think it fair to a new bird, so I waited, researched and dreamed. We are now settled down in the states so we planned and budgeted about $500 for cage, bird, shipping and supplies (of which I have not yet hit due to some good deals and making some of my own toys, mwuahaha :twisted: ). He is not my first bird but my 5th as I found new homes for 3 when we were moving out of country and one was killed by a little neighbor girl that thought it fine to walk into our house and help herself to anything of ours at her leisure even when we were not there. If asked I can tell more about that story later but this is about my newest addition! I received him on August 19th and he was hatched mid March, so his birthday is now March 19th to combine the two happy occasions. After a bit of deliberation I named him Sukha which means 'happiness' in Hindu (since he's an INDIAN Ringneck :wink: ) and thus he became my little blue bird of happiness! :D

I have now had him for about two weeks and though the breeder said he may need some time to tame back down (he had been fully weaned for over a month and started to revert to his wild IRN ways with some of his feathered buddies) my husband and I have accomplished a base amount of trust and he knows 'Come here', 'Step up', 'Kisses', 'Gentle' for when he wants to test our squishiness, which he then lets go and/or gently tongues our hand and 'Yummy' for treats. We are training him using non-invasive methods to which he comes to us and if he backs away we do not push him, letting him know he has some say in his interaction as I have read from bird trainers this may take longer, but is the best way to encourage real trust and a true relationship in the long run. Besides he'll do just about anything for some raw almond! He gets Zupreem Garden variety pellets, fresh fruits and veggies and the occasional nuts, seeds during training and sometimes some of my food like cooked noodle if I'm making spaghetti, cooked meat before I season it, egg and whatnot. Oh and constant access to fresh wheat grass. I'm trying to get him to start using a water bottle, but I haven't seen him using it. He has a bowl just underneath that I keep a little bit of water in, at least until I know he can use the water bottle.

He tests and lunges every now and again and I've gotten a couple indented fingers from not backing off when he gets rough (usually just before he steps up, maybe to see if I'll jump or any instability?), but no blood thus far which is always nice. I have two dogs as well and my Min Pin who was at first interested completely ignores him now, and a very sweet Doberman who will sit still with her nose against the cage as he plays and kisses it with his beak and tongue, it's quite cute though they'll never be unsupervised together and so far I have not had them out in the same room. Because I felt he needed a bit of time and training before I took him out of the cage we kept and trained him inside, his first real outward excursions only happening today after approximating a step up to come out of the cage for a couple days to get him used to coming through the door. At first he was a bit anxious to get back in, but after a few times he started to get used to it, but kept his eye on the cage. Today he busied himself finding all the seeds and fruit hidden in the cracks of some grapevine I have and fishing for grapes in the water dish I put out for him to drink and bath in, as well as of course climbing all over the outside of his cage and fluttering around a bit and testing out the colored wiffle balls I got for at the dollar store.

So hopefully these pictures show up. This is Sukha playing with his mirror I got for $1 and his cuddle-buddy which I made by knotting a feather boa (also $1, I love a bargain):D
Image

And this is his cage. I'm making more toys and planning on getting a few more foraging and store-bought toys as well. The window is insulated and not in any direct sunlight. I keep half of the blinds open for him to look out and half closed so he can have security, but all are closed to keep the glare out of the picture. I'm thinking of putting a bird feeder outside so he can watch wild birds out of the window, is that a good or bad idea?
Image
Because it had vertical bars I secured some braided cotton rope around the cage and a climbing toy, but he seems to navigate pretty well, being able to reach the lateral bars just fine. For clean up I found some recycled drop-paper that painters use to keep paint off floors. It is 100% recycled/recyclable, biodegradable with no chemicals or dyes added to it, and I got it in the painting/hardware section of Walmart and paid $6 for a 140 foot (by 24") roll. He also has a foraging toy that may get fruit, almonds, seed/fruit clusters (Lafeber's Nutriberries), cotton swabs, wood or shredded paper that he loves, some baby links with plastic rainbow keys, 25cent whiffle balls, a few cardboard tubes, a 25cent rainbow slinky with oversize sequins threaded onto it and a button abacus that I made with yarn, clasps, colored beads and a bell in the middle which he frenzies over! There are a few more toys I've made, but those are what are in the picture. There is a wire storage shelf underneath that I plan on getting some canvas totes/drawers for a bit neater organization, unless anyone does something different or has a better idea?

Any questions, comments, tips or ideas are welcome!
Jessica

If one refuses to learn and maintains a closed mind, one is thus trapped from the procession of life in their own archaic self-imprisonment. -Jessica McNeely

Because my Rice Crispies told me to! -Unknown

Image
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by ellieelectrons »

What a beautiful bird!
pinkdevil
Posts: 2601
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:35 pm
Location: Central West NSW Australia
Contact:

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by pinkdevil »

Welcome and congrats on finally getting the bird you have wanted for ages.
Good things come to those who wait, so the saying goes. :D

Very beautiful blue colour and a tad spoilt by the look of it. ;)
kyria
Site Admin
Posts: 3050
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Live in Australia - Have a home in Florida - Citizenship in Heaven
Contact:

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by kyria »

Welcome Jessica, I love bargains too :-) great setup you have there and Kudos on the time you are taking with your fid. You will develope a great relationship and bond with it over the years to come. Glad you are with us in this ever growing family.

P.S. one hint .. with paper tubing, just make sure if its like old toilet rolls or paper towel rolls, sometimes the glue can be toxic. ;-)

Take care and see you around and about the site.
Angie
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless


Image
Rueae
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by Rueae »

I got Briar from Delorce! /gasp
How weird. XD
Also my name is Jessica. (Though, I go by Jessi.) That's almost eerie. :O

Anyway, I don't really have much to say other than that, except...

For the water bottle. For him to use it, he has to know water comes out of it. Meaning you have to see him drink from it. (Briar has a water bottle.)
A way to get a bird interested in a water bottle is to (when you have the time to really watch them and whatnot) take their water away for a couple hours.
Spend quality time and whatnot, even train with lots of treats to make him really thirsty and then bring it out. Show him that water comes out and encourage him to nibble the end. :3
This is what I did with Briar.
Though I keep a bowl of water in her/is cage all the time (for dunking and bathing and in case the bottle malfunctions in anyway) and s/he mostly uses that anyway...she knows that water comes from the bottle. :3
And I've seen her drink from it, often.

P.S.
I dig how you manufactured a birthday for Sukha by blending two dates.
I know Briar was laid on the first of April so I just go with that, but really she's three weeks younger.
Now I'm toying with the idea of making it the 21st of April, since I got her on the 21st of August. :3
Which adds something more, since my birthday is also on the 21st! (Of November though...)
Oi. Lots to think on. .3.

P.P.S.
Is it Sukha that's by my Briar in the picture for my ticker?
That'd be really eerie too. XD But also cool.
Image

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by ellieelectrons »

The connections on this forum are weird. Shane and I discovered that his Nemo and my Janey are siblings... although Nemo is about 1 season younger than Janey.

Ellie.
Rueae
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by Rueae »

I would imagine.

It was a little difficult for me to find someone still breeding IRNs, but perhaps I wasn't looking in all the right places.
Harder still to find an albino.
It came down to two and one got sold. Briar was to go to someone else, but they changed their mind last minute or some such.
I'm a lucky person. <3

Anyway, it would be crazy and awesome if Sukha and Briar are siblings.

P.S.
Incidently, I did decide to make Briar's birthday the 21st. If anyone cared to know. .3.;
Image

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
PythonzEve
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:25 am
Location: Columbus, GA
Contact:

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by PythonzEve »

Wait wait wait... :shock: What color is Briar? And yes, that little blue in the back is Sukha! Same exact picture Delorce sent me when I asked for more pictures! When I was getting Sukha at first Delorce was talking about me taking both the blue and white, which the white was pretty but I just really wanted a blue. Then she told me someone was taking the white and someone else was interested in the blue. I reminded her that I reserved the blue a couple weeks ago and was in fact calling to set shipping into motion. At first we were going to drive up to SC to pick him up in person and inspect the aviary, but stuff happened and we couldn't so shipping was what we did.

Where are you located? I'm planning on going to the Atlanta bird show, and Delorce will be there as well, are you coming??? I haven't really started crate training Sukha though.. Hrmm I wonder how that would go, or is it just get them used to it by taking them places?

Anyway, I'm thinking of making a counter as well, I have that for my toddler :wink:

What a small world eh?
Jessica

If one refuses to learn and maintains a closed mind, one is thus trapped from the procession of life in their own archaic self-imprisonment. -Jessica McNeely

Because my Rice Crispies told me to! -Unknown

Image
Rueae
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by Rueae »

Briar is albino. White. :D (Though I may be changing her name. Oi.)

Awesome! We have siblings!
/Gasp
So it was you who I was told was going to take her? XD I'm so glad you only wanted little Sukha.
My albino baby is the love of my life. <3

I'm waaaay over in Washington state, so much as I would love to go see you and Delorce at the bird show, it's just not possible right now. XD;

I haven't really crate trained Briar, but she came in one and...she seems fine in it. Doesn't like it so much anymore, but I'd much rather harness train. .3.
I take her places with me, as it is. She likes to crawl in my jacket so we travel like that mostly.

I'd teach him to be fine in it first. Put some treats, leave the door open, that kind of thing. Then get used to closing the door and then being picked up in it.
As curious as IRNs are I think once he figures out that getting in the crate means going to new places he'll start to love it. :P

Tiny, tiny this world be.


Mm...though if we have siblings than one of us is a month off in birthdays? Delorce told me that the bubs were laid on the first of April, when I asked for specifics.
Image

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
PythonzEve
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:25 am
Location: Columbus, GA
Contact:

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by PythonzEve »

White IRNs are quite beautiful, and it was more Delorce trying to sell me both than me wanting to take both, though I was tempted because she was pretty. But I really wanted one (for now) so it could bond to me and somewhat to a lesser extent my family, which my husband has been working with him more than I expected so that's great!

What will you change her name to? If you're not sure I advise looking up Hindu names or go to a Hindu translator to look up some words, some are very pretty! If Sukha was a girl I was going to pick the name Karma if you want to use that, but he already has a shadow of a ring and it's slightly darkened in the front, just enough to see it clearly as a band but still blue.

Too bad you are so far away, I think Sukha and Briar's parents will be at the show! Delorce is getting out of IRN breeding and will be selling them there. As far as the date, I wondered that myself... I know the eggs are laid and hatched with days in between, but she told me mid March, and she only has one pair of IRNs so yeah one of the dates are off!

I would much rather harness train Sukha as well, but he's still not too fond of me. He won't really come to my hand unless I have a treat, though he makes his way to the front of the cage sometimes when I come around and will give me kisses pretty readily :)

I kinda wish I'd gotten a neutral or boy color for his carrier, he has a pink carrier and hubby says I can't get the carrier I want because this one is fine... I don't think he'd be harness trained in time for the show though as well, but I'm trying to wait until he's really comfy with me before harness training. I can't wait until we can snuggle up and I can give him scritches! I've stolen a few gentle touches here and there when his mouth was full, but that's about it without getting bitten. :|
Jessica

If one refuses to learn and maintains a closed mind, one is thus trapped from the procession of life in their own archaic self-imprisonment. -Jessica McNeely

Because my Rice Crispies told me to! -Unknown

Image
Rueae
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by Rueae »

Ink.
I actually did look up the Hindi translation for it, but I prefer it in English. :3

Really? I've never seen their parents! What do they look like?

Yeah, when I asked for Ink's age she told me 5 months. Which made it March, but when I asked for a specific date, she said they were laid April first.
Also, the site where I found her, has a hatchdate option for ads and there it said April 24th.
Confusing.
There are about three weeks between when ringnecks are laid and when they hatch, by the by. :3
So I read, anyway.

Sounds like you need some taming exercises. I'll tell you more about those in my reply to your email.
I'll try and make a video or two to help, as well. :3

I got a pink carrier too, but I assumed that was because Delorce thought Ink was a girl. XD
Image

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
Rueae
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Blue Bird of Happiness!

Post by Rueae »

Apologies for the double post, but I wanted to mention I made a new thread for the taming methods I was talking about.

http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =2&t=11089

Sorry it took so long, I just made the videos today. :P
Image

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
Post Reply