Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed)

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Zaheer708
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:59 am

Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed)

Post by Zaheer708 »

Just purchased my new IRN 2 days ago. I bought it from an individual who claimed the parrot was tamed. Infact he let the parrot step on my hand when I was buying.
But now since two days at my house, the bird is so scared and shy that she doesn't even eat or drink in my presence and tries to be as far from me as possible.
It looks as if she has gone back wild....need your kind advice.
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by MissK »

She has not gone wild; she's scared, as you noted. Review your actions towards her as well as her housing. Give her time and space. You should probably also communicate with the seller for help.
-MissK
Zaheer708
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:59 am

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by Zaheer708 »

Thanks for your reply.

Well as far as reviewing-my-actions is concerned, she looked scared the moment i bought her and put her in my car; well before I could start any actions towards her.

I contacted the previous owner & he told me that she is well tamed and she might be scared due to new environment and surroundings.

Regarding the cage I don't think there's any problem with that as I bought the bird along with her very own cage.

I am just hopeful that she will get acquainted with my house soon. How soon, I don't know

If you have any further advice, please do share with me.

Thanks
Wessel Gordon
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Location: South Africa
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Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by Wessel Gordon »

Zaheer,

Just be patient...birds can take quite awhile to get used to a new environment. Keep to your familiar routine around the cage and hes/he should settle in a few days.
sanjays mummi
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Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:07 pm
Location: Bedfordshire UK

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by sanjays mummi »

Animals Do Not eat or drink when they are afraid, so that's your first clue, Sanjay was exactly the same, I sat next to the cage and talked to him, it only took a couple of days for him to eat and drink again. Keep all contact to an absolute minimum, she must learn to trust you. In a few months from now, she will be eating out of your hand.
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by MissK »

Wow. I really hope I'm misinterpreting your message because my first thought was that you're not understanding that everything you do (everything) around the bird affects the bird. Please be sure to understand this. You started acting (in whatever way) towards the bird as soon as you met her.

Also understand that whatever is done is up to you to do it. All of the responsibilities are now yours. It sounds like you're upset, maybe with the bird, or maybe with the seller. Don't be. It is totally natural that she was scared the minute you took her - why wouldn't she be? How would it go for you if you had the intellect of a child and you were sold from your home and taken away by a stranger you didn't know or understand? Cut her some slack.

Also, while she came with her own cage, consider that the cage is now in a different house. I shouldn't have to point out to you that it is now a totally different situation for her. There is plenty of discussion here about cage placement. Use the SEARCH function to find it.

We all hope, when we bring in a new bird, that it will get comfortable in our house quickly. How long each bird takes is individual. However, since you got a tame bird, she will probably settle down quickly as long as you do your part. She stepped on your hand when you bought her. Take comfort knowing she isn't going to forget how to do that even if she doesn't practice it often. What she needs now is to understand she's in a safe place.

I recommend that you make a few more posts so you can put up pictures of the situation and describe what kind of routine is developing in your home. I'm sure Wessel will be able to help you spot any trouble areas and guide you through ways to help a bird feel comfortable as well as what is likely to distress it. Also, you should review what the seller said about her personality, her likes and dislikes, what she's scared of or motivated by. If they didn't tell you this information, then call them back. Make sure the food you are offering her is the same food she is used to eating already.
-MissK
InTheAir
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Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by InTheAir »

Ringnecks can take a while to get used to new things. They also recognise individual people and quite a few can be very shy of strangers until they get to know them, especially if they haven't met many new people before. My girl is super tame, she flies to me, lets me trim her nails, I can grab her and pick her up, but if a stranger walks up to her she screams at them and flies away. If a stranger wants to play with her they have to make friends with her first.

The best thing you can do is drop lots of yummy treats in her food dish and let her get used to you in her own time. Also check out this website www.goodbirdinc.com
Zaheer708
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:59 am

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by Zaheer708 »

Ok, after around 10 days now, She is still afraid of me but occasionally accepts pieces of Apple & grapes from my hand while being in her cage. I sometimes get a chance to touch her beak too (while she is in her cage) which she does not mind at all. Everyday early in the morning she comes out of her cage and spends all the day being around us discovering new places. As per my observation, she loves to be out of the cage & enjoys playing on the floor. She does lots of chewing too with different objects. Today I sat on the floor extending my hand towards her with a piece of apple. She just stayed away for around 5 minutes, then came slowly towards my hand & grabbed her delicious treat. She enjoyed all of it sitting on the floor just 2 feet from me.

She is still afraid of hand coming towards her.

Can I consider it a good progress so far? Any more suggestions on how to bring her closer to me and get her stepped up on to my hand?

This forum has been of a great help so far. Thanks everybody
Wessel Gordon
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Location: South Africa
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Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by Wessel Gordon »

Zaheer,

That is good progress.

Keep offering her a treat like you did with the apple for at least the next couple of days until she's relaxed enough to approach your hand for the treat within a few seconds instead of minutes. Do not make any sudden adjustments to the routine for now since that might cause her to become ''afraid'' of you again. Before you can progress to her sitting on your hand (or any other bodypart) you have to get her to approach you out of her own free will.

You are just beginning an adventure with her so be patient, do things at a pace she's comfortable with and the most important of all: enjoy every moment you can spend with her even if that means simply being close to her.
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by InTheAir »

What Wessel said. And also ringnecks don't naturally like being petted, so for her reaching out to touch her is scarey. Don't try it until she trusts you more.
Zaheer708
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:59 am

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by Zaheer708 »

Now after 15 days, she is still afraid of me. Runs away when someone gets near. Accepts treats from my hand very occasionally. I try to be very polite to her and talk to her standing beside her cage.

Need help.

Thanks
Wessel Gordon
Posts: 408
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:02 pm
Location: South Africa
Contact:

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by Wessel Gordon »

Zaheer,

The fact that she occasionally takes treats from you is still progress. I have one female that will take a treat from me only when she feels like it...sometimes she'll take a treat a few days in a row and then months will go by without her showing any interest in a treat.

Just keep patient.
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Need help with my newly purchased IRN ( supposedly tamed

Post by InTheAir »

There are a lot factors that lead to a bird trusting you. Even the way you move when you are in the bird's sight can affect it's opinion of you. So can trying too hard to make it your friend. Things like reaching out to touch a scared bird can take away several layers of trust that have been built already.
I advise that you stop trying to make her come to you for treats and just drop them in the bowl and back off so she can eat them. When she starts coming straight up to the bowl after you leave a treat, then she is ready to start taking treats from your hand. It can take a long time to build up a friendship with a ringneck!

Check out this link too http://learningparrots.com/blog/trainin ... ing-trust/
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