Ozzy and Silvia

[oneconfusedcat]

Hi everyone!
Silvia here. I got Ozzy on Sunday the 11th and I am extremely happy. He (or she - I keep changing the gender when talking to him/her, my bf told me I'll get it confused in the end hihih) is full of energy, very curious, and very talkative (as of today ).

I think I managed to spoil him already. When I brought him home he ate all kinds of stuff and now he makes me give him only black sunflower seeds and apple. I think he noticed that when he calls I come running with treats. He even calls when he drops food by mistake on the bottom of the cage because he knows I pick it up for him. That's not ok is it?

I don't like the fact that he poops well... water basically (well, he does eat only fruit and some seeds, but I am sure it is ok even so) . I'll give it some more days, he might be a bit stressed.

When he was with his breeder he used to fly around all day long. Now he's in his cage since Sunday evening and I think he hates it. I've been told it is best to keep him there for at least 10 days so that he gets it that it is his cage, his sanctuary. Well... 1 week to go now... Today he even stretched his wings and did a flight simulation on a stick - he didn't hurt himself - just fluttered his wings for some seconds as if he was flying.

He bites! I cannot touch him - I didn't try it out of the cage, but I am having trouble setting his bowls in place inside the cage. I hope it is just an accommodation phase. He is not at all afraid of humans, on the contrary - he approaches immediately.

Well that is it for now!
I'll go post other stuff about diet, wing clipping and first time out of the cage stuff.

[Melika]

Welcome to the board!

No, it is not okay to come running when he calls. The day you don't come, he'll call louder and louder until he is screaming. And then you will come and he will think screaming is the way to get your attention. Screaming parrots are really not fun in the house. And outside they are no fun for your neighbors.

With only those two foods, he will become vitamin deficient and his health will suffer. For more information on diet (and great articles to read) be sure to check out this topic: http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... f=3&t=8078

You can take him out whenever he seems comfortable with his new surroundings. I would clip his wings, but that is a personal decision.

Enjoy your new relationship. IRNs are interesting companions to say the least.

[Sixty Fiver]

I am new to having IR's but did have an African Grey and have spent time with a lot of other birds and have a professional background in rehabilitation and behaviour modification which works well with birds...

As is the case with most animals, you will either train them or they will train you and because of the high intelligence of parrots they quickly figure out what actions yield the responses they want.

I also have two daughters (11 and 13) and a housemate so am teaching them the proper way to interact with our new kids and they have been excellent in following a few simple rules in that undesirable behaviour, especially loud vocalizations are never to be rewarded.

It seems that over the past 2-3 weeks the birds have learned that humans cannot tolerate high volumes of noise and will leave the room when this happens.

I also installed a middle passage door between my porch and front door as a bird lock and to prevent drafts and when I am leaving there is often a little protest but once the passage door is closed they quiet down.

It is acceptable for them to get a little excited when we come home or when their mom comes to visit but she was also a very good owner and also does the same thing... sometimes all one needs to do is turn their back as this is not the response they are looking for.

My African Grey was brilliant and at nearly 50 years old he had learned a lot and how to manipulate humans so he would get his way and once bad behaviours are established it is exceptionally hard to break them.

When I give Lucce a treat like a sugar pea, apple, or carrot he will often drop it and then look to me to give him another piece.

I think he has been testing me but if he drops his treat he does not get another one and knows that if he does not retrieve it, the missus will go and grab it.

What is funny is when Lucce or Amore will made load squawks and Lucce follows this up by saying, "hush"... he has started playing this game by himself and does not squawk loudly but ups the volume a little and then hushes himself.

[oneconfusedcat]

Thanks for the info and for the warm welcome.

One week and several bites later here I am back and happy to be a pet owner. It is amazing how things have changed in only a couple of days.

I tried not going when he called and it was fine - he tried calling a couple of times not to loud and then stopped. I noticed he is not a loud bird, rarely screams - maybe once a day (I'm sure it is excitement)when I take the food bowl and he knows it is coming back full of treats.

I clipped the wings on Monday, and although I was planning to let him out today or even on Saturday I felt sorry for him - plus, his wings were clipped anyway so I let him out on Monday. I'll post the rest of this story under another topic

We're not doing very well with food, or at least I'm not satisfied. As he has a lot of it, he eats only what he likes of course. Anyway, he did have some sweet potato yesterday (mashed and mixed with small pieces of bell pepper and carrot). He doesn't like everything to be mashed which again I find strange - he likes to have small pieces which he can chew on and then throw on the floor, of course. He doesn't like leafy stuff. He really likes fruit - grapes, apples, plums - does not like banana - I'm surprised, and likes some veggies: pepper, carrot sometimes.
Today he had some rice (3g I guess ) and he eats his daily bowl of mixed seeds and nuts (loves pistachio, likes peanuts too, but I am afraid to feed him those ever since I read about the bacteria).

To make a long story short - He is clipped he is still happy, came out of the cage immediately the very first time - he is brave too and dangerously curious, he comes out of the cage every day and tries a flying, well, more like landing, in a new spot.
He allowed me to touch him, pet his head, he even enjoyed it, he closes his eyes and makes some soft noises - for 5 to 10 seconds then he's good to go

I'm happy with the progress so far. Well we have been together 11 days now (out of which the first was the one I brought him home and during the weekend I was away - i did see him Sat morning and Sunday evening, but that's not really spending time together.) So we basically spent 7 days together and he already knows me and likes me I guess. If there are more people in the room around his cage he always comes closer to the side which I'm next to.

Ah, forgot to say he always sings along to Aerosmith, Roxette and some Bon Jovi