Hi I'm Ryan, meet Lemon and Lime, I'm really new to this!

[blueice]

Hi All,
I'm from Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean. I have 2 baby IRN.
I joined this site as I really need info, help and guidance in correctly understanding my birds. I have them 5 days now.
The "pet store" owner i bought them from said they are a bout 5 1/2 weeks old since i got them. So I've being doing research on the net, and i realize that i'm really supposed to get them at a very very young age, and not this age. the pet store owner was negligent in selling me and a lot of other stuff. Well i have them now and i really want to do the right thing from here on.
I have no experience raising birds, i went into this wanting to learn and being good at it, that's why i'm here now.
attached are pics of lemon and lime (their names), so this is what has been happening so far....
day 1: brought them home at night time, left them in small cage i got them in (after reading to leave them there to get them accustomed to new surroundings)
day 2: tried to put my hand in and they flapped around i couldn't hold them i wanted to feed them, so i was concerned, all day passed, i put fruits, they didnt touch them
day 3: im really worried at this point, i go to another pet store they tell me to buy gloves hold them, give them the formula i have. got home used the gloves held lime (the green) made noise like crazy, squawking, biting, going crazy, i lost control, he took flight, flying from one end of the house to the other, i eventually got him and transferred to the bigger cage. I held the yellow (lemon) same thing squawking and going crazy, really really bawling. i transferred that one to the bigger cage as well. so at this point i'm extremely worried, sad and unsure of what to do, im worried about these birds.
day 4: i carried them to the pet store, they clip the wings, they are manageable, they perch and come onto my fingers, the green one is aggressive still but nothing like before, im completely amazed. he showed me how to use the perches to have them step up and step down, they tried to fed the yellow, it took some formula, the green was hard to fed biting like crazy. i took them home. When i got him my wife helped me feed them, im using nestum for human babies? mixed with peanut butter, consistency of soup.
day 5: they yellow is taking the formula but not like how i see the net vids, very slowly and crop not big like the vids, the green hes biting the gloves, and i can geta little formula in him.
day 6: i put sunflower seeds, the both of them are going to the container opening the seeds and eating! they do it prob 2 times a day they are going to the water container and drinking, but they are not big. I'm not sure if this is enough nutrients? If i crack the seeds myself and offer the green he takes it from my hand. the yellow doesnt take it, but walks about my hand if i put my finger to step up.

I KNOW I"M NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING, but i want to, can anything explain whats going on and what to do. I've attached pics to see if anyone can help me know their ages.
Thanks alot

[MissK]

Hi. I cannot help you with the feeding, but I'm sure a breeder will be along and assist there.

I actually wanted just to speak about your idea here:

The "pet store" owner i bought them from said they are a bout 5 1/2 weeks old since i got them. So I've being doing research on the net, and i realize that i'm really supposed to get them at a very very young age, and not this age. the pet store owner was negligent in selling me and a lot of other stuff.

You did not mention why you must have Ringnecks at a certain age, but it seems to me that any age is a good age to get them. These are living creatures with their own lives and histories and futures. You can step into their lives at any point. If you get them older, even much older, they are not too old or gone bad or lost potential. By the same token, if you get them younger they are not automatically tame or smarter or easier to care for.

Additionally, I must make the distinction that hand fed is not the same as hand tame. I'm assuming you wanted them younger so you could hand feed them. Many people assume this will make them automatically tame. It is not the case. Fortunately for all of us, once a Ringneck is comfortable enough with you, you can feed it by hand at any age. It's a lot of fun to hand your bird food and watch him choose to take and enjoy it.

I just wanted to make this comment because I got the impression that you felt your birds were not what they were supposed to be. I don't want you to think that way. As you go on with your birds you will doubtless encounter more challenges. I don't want your inner conviction that you got birds "too old" to lead you to blame them for whatever troubles may arise.

[blueice]

Thanks Miss K,
It's just that the internet is the only thing I have, i didnt buy it from a breeder, i got it from a very small pet store and that person got it from a breeder. They were taken away from their different mom's and never had human interaction. So what I've been reading on the net is that is wrong for the breeder just to take them away. But the net has so much stuff about these birds, I was just repeating what i read, and it was mentioned on many occasions.
I understand what you are saying just needed assurance i'm doing the right thing.
My biggest concern is food, is the nestum ok? and they are eating sun flower seeds, so i stopped the nestum as they don't want it anymore.
I tried putting a variety of friuts, but they dont touch it. What can I use in addition to the seeds?
I'm not even sure of the age

Thanks a lot for making me understand this

[SunniDai]

Try giving them fresh veggies. They may not eat them the first day. Or the second or third or tenth day. But keep trying a variety. I personally would not give them too many more sunflower seeds. Certainly not to make it the main staple of their diet. My thinking is that if they get too many at such a young age, it makes it more difficult to get them to try other things.
Try reading this post:
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... f=3&t=8078
Lots of good information there.

[MissK]

I hesitate to advise you on what to feed baby IRNs because I have no experience in this area. I'm sorry.

[SunniDai]

Sunni ate the formula until she was about three months old. But in the meantime I was introducing veggies to her. I let her continue on the formula, not knowing how long was long enough. She weaned herself off of it at about three months. I heated up veggies just enough to soften them and let her eat them. We make our own applesauce, no added sugar or anything. Just apples. So she got applesauce at first too.
She was my first baby, and I am in no way an expert. I'm probably actually lucky that she and I did so well.
I used an eye dropper, not a syringe.

[blueice]

Thanks a lot for this advise Dana and Miss K.
I'll post about the progression using mixed. veggies

[InTheAir]

Check out this thread too http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... it=weaning
I thought there was another great thread on abundance weaning, but I can't find it right now.

[Donovan]

Invest in a larger cage. I recognize that cage they're on. I had just one bird in it and it was too small in the long run. Yeah they can -fit- inside but thats about it.

Getting them to eat fruits and vegetables should be easy. Their natural inclination to chew and explore will get them to eat them. Main thing is for you to forget this idea of feeding them seeds as their main food.

[blueice]

Yup,
I'll get a larger cage for sure, I thought this was big enough.. as I said the has so much info. But I', glad i joined this forum.
I'm getting the veggies today and will be introducing it to them.
Thanks again.

[MissK]

Hey, since you have the two, I'm going to make a plug for the cage I use -- OR SOMETHING LIKE IT. It's five feet long, some 20inches deep and about 3 feet high inside, and it's on a stand. Honestly, I wish it were taller, but that's how it went. It is also dividable. I am assuming you are going to house Lemon & Lime (so cute!) together, but if you ever need to separate them, a dividable cage might be nice. I'm thinking if they grow up to hate, or be boy/girl and you don't want babies, or even that one needs temporary isolation for a medical reason.

My cage is called "HQ Double FLight Cage" but there are other ones similar on the market. Needless to say, if it's an option, bigger is better.

Just my 2 cents.

[InTheAir]

The main thing to look for when choosing a large cage is that the bar spacing is appropriate for little birds. I've just ordered a new cage online because the local pet shops don't have anything suitable.
Your current cage has the widest space between the bars that I would use for an irn.
Most flight cages are ok in that respect, but I have seen a couple that aren't so it is worth keeping in mind when cage shopping.

[blueice]

Miss K, yup eventually i have to think of a way to separate them, already they are snapping at each other but alos cuddling with each other lol.
But yes i really do need to get a bigger cage

[Donovan]

They're birds, they're going to snap at each other.. unless they're outright fighting i would ignore the snapping

[ErnieisAwesome]

Hi there... Im sorry did you say that you are feeding them baby formula for human babies ? im not sure if thats so good for them ? I was told under no circumanstance to do that. I asked because i have cases of formula left over from my human baby and i thought " hmmm why not ? " . Hopefully someone will see this post and chime in . I was given a special formula for baby birds . Im sure you can find some online if you looked , that way you know the babies are getting everything that a baby bird needs .

They are really cute ! I hope everything works out for you . im currently weening my little green baby bird right now .

[blueice]

Hi Thanks,
I got the "baby bird" formula from the pet store. So no I don't feed them the nestum anymore.
Also they don't want it at all, they are only cracking and eating sunflower seeds.
I have introduced the veggies, but they wont touch it.

Thanks,

[ErnieisAwesome]

Hi Thanks,
I got the "baby bird" formula from the pet store. So no I don't feed them the nestum anymore.
Also they don't want it at all, they are only cracking and eating sunflower seeds.
I have introduced the veggies, but they wont touch i
Thanks,

Okay . Have you tried preparing the formula warm and giving it to them with a syringe? You probably have a syringe laying around if you have a human baby . It's the same kind you give your human baby medicine with . That will work . Wash it out good , prepare your formula warm not too hot , and try giving it to them to the side of their beaks . You may have to help them a little with your other hand . Guiding their little heads a bit. There's a ton of Youtube videos on how to do this . As young as they are they really are going to need more than just the sunflower seeds. Get that formula in them . Just my opinion of course .

[blueice]

Yup I have been trying to feed them the formula with a syringe, but I have to force them to eat it (not forecfully, but stick the syringe in their mouths, and sometimes they take it sometimes they dont, but its's a process. Yes i have read how to do it , so i'm doing it correctly , they just dont like it, if i put the seeds they eat it, I put fresh veggies 5 days not , they dont touch it.
I'm worried they are not getting correct nutriments.

[ErnieisAwesome]

dont like it, if i put the seeds they eat it, I put fresh veggies 5 days not , they dont touch it.
I'm worried they are not getting correct nutriments.[/quote]
Yes, I'm worried too ! Do they " cry" like they are starving? I would continue to force fed the formula . If they don't get what they need you may lose them unfortunately. I'm really surprised none of the breeders have seen this . If I were you I would try and repost this or edit the title to * Att breeders please help !!*

[blueice]

OK thanks will do!