IRP in my backyard so Im thinking about taking it in. HELP!

[TNwoodsman]

Hello all. My name is Daniel and I live in Nashville, TN. Yesterday, a blue IRP wandered into my backyard. My wife coaxed him into a temporary cage. Today I went to Petsmart and bought him a cage and food and tried to educate myself about him. I am sure he belonged to someone. I am searching the neighborhood for signs and posted it on my neighborhood facebook page, etc.
Anyhow, i think he is an adult. He has no "downy" feathers. I have done some research so far. I am assuming his wings arent clipped because he started on my roof before he came down into my yard. He easily went into his cage today. He is eating. He is drinking. He doesn't seem stressed but I have no idea if he is. He isnt too loud but he has made some loud noises a couple of times.
I boldly stuck my hand in his cage today and he has eaten a few things out of the palm of my hand and he has taken food from my fingers when I stuck them into the cage between the bars.
When I put my empty hand into the cage to try and touch him, he tries to bite me. I jerk my hand back so I actually havent been bitten yet. I have read that they need socialization and they need love and they need attention. What do I do? How do I start? Do I give him a few days before trying to touch him? After all, he is brand new to me and my house and his cage today. Where do I go from here? Please help.

[InTheAir]

Hi there,
I'm sure his owner is missing him.
Check out parrotalert, you can list him on there and look through the listings in your area. Also let the closest avian vets know you have him, even if the closest avian vet is a long way away... a lot of parrot owners (including myself) drive a long way to get to an avian specialist.
Put flyers up at shop noticeboards and pet stores, if you are a Facebook user look up lost pet pages in your area and list him there.

Does he have a ring on his leg? If he is microchipped he will probably have one that says mc or microchip.

In the mean time, a lot of irns don't like to be touched and quite a few will only accept pats from people they know well. It is pretty threatening for birds to have someone reach into their cage and try to touch them. Let him come to you and give him treats when he does and he will soon start to feel more comfortable with your hands being close by. I would aggravate him by trying to touch him and pulling away, that's going down a path that can lead to problems.

Good luck finding his owner.


Regards,
Claire

[TNwoodsman]

No ring on his leg. I am going to try to find his owner but I have been warned that any person could claim to be the owner with intentions of getting a free IRP. At this point, I invested $110 in him. I don't want to deprive the owner of his bird if I can find him/her. In the meantime, I want to do whats best for the bird. So they don't like to be touched? Or they dont like it initially?

[Donovan]

I bet he's only a mile or two from his original home... put up flyers on power poles and bulletin boards at local stores.

[MissK]

You have to train them to accept touching.

Perhaps you can reserve some information when you advertise your found bird, so the prospective claimer can prove they know this bird. If the bird talks, this would be information to use. Also specific details of the appearance - don't state the colour. If it were me, my ad would say "Found Pet Bird" and my contact information. On the one hand, everybody who lost a bird in the last year will contact you, but on the other hand you can just tell them "I'm sorry. This is not your bird. I am withholding the identifying information to prevent someone lying and stealing it that way." Real parrot owners, the thinking ones, will respect this.

ALSO, if you cannot find the owner, (and I hope you contacted the government office that deals with lost pets as well) I suppose you get to keep the bird. However, you should do a lot of learning fast, because they are *really* not for everyone.

[eckythump]

most owners... and when i say most i mean all owners will have photos of their pets, look for any distinct markings and tell the owners you require a photo that they have of the bird, my guess is that if he/she talks it would be a massive help coz the owner should know a majority of the words, however in the short time you have had him/her it probably in my experience will not talk around you that quickly, hope you and the bird get sorted

[TNwoodsman]

Thanks for the information so far. I posted on the lost and found of Craigslist today and have called the local Avian and exotic pet vets today. I am still keeping a watchful eye out in my neighborhood and my neighbors and wife are asking anyone they see in the neighborhood if they have lost a bird, lol. "Sonic" doesn't seemed stressed. He is eating and drinking. He makes a variety of noises from chirps to almost purring to screeching and loud outbursts at times. I don't know what his language means. Most of the time, he stays put when I approach his cage. I sit and talk to him and interact but he doesn't do anything except look at me. Occasionally, I try to put my hand up the cage and sometimes he backs away to the other end of the cage. Sometimes when I put my hand up to the cage, he kind of bows his hand and almost looks like he would accept a touch. Sometimes he tries to bite my finger outside the cage. He will put his beak to the metal bars of the cage. I have noticed him standing on one foot quite a bit. I am not sure what that is about. He seems to be moving around the cage more today (I bought him a large bird cage). Today is day 2 of being in the cage and being inside my house. Still welcoming advice and input. Thanks all.

[TNwoodsman]

Here is a picture of "Sonic" After my last post not long ago, he started making clicking noises at me that I make to him and he started whistling at me.

[MissK]

Awwwww. Poor little Sonic, far from home! Actually, I imagine he is going to adapt to the change far better than his former humans will.

So, going forward:
Your new friend is an adult for certain, judging by his handsome neck ring. I'm in Maryland. My bird has thrown down a few feathers but not actually molted yet. He is still feeding things (seems to be his expression of breeding time) and will probably stop in the next couple of weeks. Then he will be over breeding season, sure and certain, and I expect a big molt. Sonic will likely start molting soon as well. This will mean feathers everywhere. The little down feathers are very sticky for some reason- they stick to everything. Don't expect trouble, but do read up on blood feathers and emergencies related to these. Since your bird is not clipped and not thrashing in fear, I would judge the risk of a broken blood feather to be minimal, but best to know what may happen and how to handle it.

Be sure to feed him well, including leafy dark green veggies like kale, fruits and veggies in a variety of colours, plenty of fresh water in a clean bowl every day, a high quality seed mix, some protein (like egg), and provide a bath. Check out the toxic foods list to avoid mishap. You'll be stunned at how gorgeous the new feathers will be. When I say high quality seed mix, I am talking about one of the more expensive (usually) pet bird mixes. Millet will not be the primary ingredient. A variety of seeds will be there, including canary grass seed, high on the list. Skip the sunflower seed. I choose a Cockatiel mix for mine.

Since Sonic was so nice about the cage it should be easy to bring him out of it for exercise and socialization. Just, ah, make sure the doors and windows are shut!! Also put away any hazards including predatory pets, burning and drowning hazards, still any fans, cover windows until he gets the lay of the land at least, cover or remove anything that it would kill you to see damaged (hello heirloom wooden objects!). Also, don't let him out if you are then going to be in a hurry to get him back in, just in case. Be sure and give him a really nice treat when he does go back in, so he has a nice association with his home.

Understand that if you get carried away and push him too far too fast with anything he will remember and maybe hold a grudge. It's a survival skill. Proceed with caution, always checking him for feedback. It's always good to lead and lure rather than push or force. Put simply, when dealing with him Ask, don't Tell.

What else can we tell you? Is he going to make a mess? Yes. Do you have to change the paper daily? Yes, Please! It looks like you might be using some kind of litter - watch he doesn't eat that, and watch for moisture buildup. Baby wipes do a great job on wiping the grate, but vinegar and water in a spray bottle plus a paper towel is just as good, maybe better because of the nontoxic part. Is he going to get on your nerves sometime with his vocalizations? Count on it. Is he going to mess up something you wish he didn't? Yeah, probably. Don't allow him access to your deed to the gold mine and priceless diamond rings. Do you really have to change the water every day? Yes, you do. He may try and bathe in his water, fouling or spilling it away. Also, microscopic bad guys may breed in standing water, as you recall. Fresh water, and wipe out the bowl with some soap every day.

Toys- he needs them. Fortunately, since his perspective is different from ours, mostly anything is a toy to him. Plastic bottle caps, the lid off your pen, twigs, bits of cardboard, poker chips, seashells, kitty cat jingly balls, clean leather laces, popsicle sticks, wads of dried grass, clean wisps of straw brooms, clean jute cord, cotton rope, etc, etc, etc....... Or you can buy stuff designed for bigger than Budgie, smaller than African Grey (mostly). You can get him Budgie stuff, but it will die quickly. He will appreciate a variety of textures, things he can count on to always love (like seashells) and things he can destroy (like cardboard and twigs). He needs a rotation of toys so he doesn't get bored because he is VERY smart and he is locked in a box all day. Compare him to a dog - One dog is happy to be with you, chew his bone, chase his ball, and lie around. Another dog won't do with this - he also needs a job, needs to hunt, needs to tear stuff up. Your bird is more like this second dog, and if he doesn't get stimulation he will create it with excess vocalization and self destruction.

The cage- your cage looks nice, but I can't tell what the size is. It looks like my bird's sleeping cage, about 18" square. (Maybe you can post a link to it on the store website (easiest) or measure and let us know.) It's a good start, and I *do* realize you just started. If your cage is the 18" size, maybe you can use it for a sleeping or travel cage and then get him a larger one for every day. If you got the 25"x21" size, then I would quickly clean it back up and exchange it for one smaller that you could use for sleep/travel or one larger for every day. -Disinfect it, but don't tell them you used it a few days, of course..... Cruising the Petsmart Website from least to most expensive, this is the first cage I found that I would consider putting my bird in -- it is half the size of my bird's actual cage -- with *plenty* of out of cage time daily. http://www.petsmart.com/bird/cages-stan ... 3Dcategory The next cage in the list is just $35 more, but a good bit taller - better choice, of course. Frankly, besides those, Petsmart hasn't got anything I would want to use. Some of the really, really expensive cages might be nice, but by the time you spend $680 and get the wrong bar spacing, you may as well shop elsewhere. This is my Ringneck cage, and I am *still* angsting over it being too short. http://www.birdscomfort.com/doubleflight_bird_cage.html Other than that, I love my cage. We never use the divider.

Did you guess that housing is one of my pet issues? Please have a look at the end of my photo thread to see how my cage looks in action. NOTE you will see two such cages placed end to end. http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =5&t=18437 ALso, please explore other options than those plain dowel perches. You need a variety of diameters so the bird's foot closes 50%-75% around the perch. I feel natural is best, so my bird has store-bought fir perches, an assortment of home made perches from butterfly bush, fig, kiwi, and grape as well as clean jute cord. Skip those shiny manzanita perches - too hard and slippery. Swings are good, especially for exercise. Since Sonic has lived outside and free, he should accept a variety of perches well, and I feel he deserves them.

That's all I can think of for now - I haven't had my tea yet and the dogs are staring at me. Best wishes for setting up your new friend. If you DO happen to find his family, though, you might find yourself out to buy a bird. As you may have noticed, purchase price of the animal is the least concern!

[TNwoodsman]

MissK,

Thank you for taking the time to post it. The birdcage is called "Slant roof bird cage" It is 25" by 21" by 22". This forum wont let me post a link because it is saying im too new and it loos "spamy"
I am really afraid I wont get him back in the cage when he is let free. How does that work? Will he eventually go back in to it on his own accord? At Petsmart, I bought him GreatChoice Large Bird Food. It says fortified nutrition. It looks to contain a lot of seed products in addition to a few peanut shells and what looked like a dried red pepper. The ingredient list is on the PEtsmart website. The litter is wood pellets. They were using them at Petsmart to line their cages with. I don't think Sonic can access them as the bottom grate prevents him from getting to them. They you for the toy advice. I am re-reading your post trying to think of what else to ask.

Daniel

[MissK]

Dan, my personal opinion is that you are going to upgrade his cage and then be left holding this cute but not so functional slant roof cage, wishing you had not toasted that money. I'm certain the cage is not big enough and it will cause you a problem, more of a problem for Sonic. It's barely larger than my "guest cage" for my mother's Canary who's been living with us since Thanksgiving. Remember, this is the bird's whole world until you liberate him. I strongly urge you to shop again and select a cage that you can use for travel and, if you go that way, sleep. The 18" cube size has been ideal for me for that.

Getting back in the cage works for many people by the bird following a lure into the cage. Basically, he comes out before breakfast, unless he is cranky then, and he goes back in to the cage to get his breakfast and you close the door. Don't leave him out and starving, but this way he gets a chance to come out, and is still strongly motivated to go back in when the food comes along. Do it maybe half an hour before breakfast normally comes and I think it will be good. If he hesitates, start offering the great treats, the sunflower seeds, the apple, the nuts, whatever. The catch is that he goes home to eat. If you feed him out then your primary motivator has less impact. This is also why you allow plenty of time. Once the bird learns the process you can flex a bit. Motivational story: My bird came to me totally unapproachable, though not terrified. He quickly learned that I had the goodies. Fast forward, no matter how resolved he is to stay out, all I really have to do is be noisy about dropping some safflower seeds in his metal dish, give it a shake, put it in the cage, and get out of the way. On the best day I just go over to him or call him to me, and pass him into the cage on my arm. Total time elapsed, including human and avian learning curve - 2 years. Would have taken much less if I were not so lazy.

Great Choice Food For Large Birds contains

Striped Sunflower, Safflower, Oat Groats, Corn, Wheat, White Millet, Kibbled Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Buckwheat, Whole Peanuts, Red Peppers, Dried Bananas, Oyster Shell, Ground Rice, Pumpkin Seed, Calcium Carbonate, Wheat Middlings, Dicalcium Phosphate, Corn Sugar, Salt, Corn Oil, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Wheat Germ Meal

plus additives. Do not buy this again. It would be more appropriately called a "treat" and you can give small amounts as a treat. Compare to the food I chose ABBA 1600

Millet seed, canary grass seed, oat groats, safflower seed, buckwheat, heat processed corn, cracked corn, flax seed, sesame seed, nonviable hemp seed, ground shelled peanuts, ground mollusk shell, kibbled biscuit made with meals: wheat, corn, oat, rice, barley, soy bean, buckwheat, bean, ground: peas, brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, shelled pumpkin seed, egg shell, water, shredded coconut, whole eggs, bone meal, precooked: fresh beef meat, fresh poultry meat, fresh fish, Fresh and dehydrated: carrots, dandelion, chicory, kale, grapes, bananas, apples, oranges, pears, apricots, milk, honey corn syrup solid, casein, salt, brewers yeast, yellow beta carotene, cod liver oil, wheat germ oil,

I am not totally satisfied with this seed mix. I was trying to compromise and feed the IRN and the Budgies the same food. It's not ideal, and I will try to remember which mix I fed before this one since it was better. STILL, note the first few ingredients of either seed mix. They should be listed by weight, in decreasing order. So, if it reads Sunflower, Safflowers, Oat, then that's what you're mostly eating, unless you pick out only what you want to eat (sooooo common). If the food says Millet, Canary Grass, Oat, then that's what you're eating. BUT if it says Canary Grass, Red Millet, White Millet, simple math will show you are eating more millet than anything else. You have to be a detective. I like the ABBA seed and it is well respected, but it is by no means the definitive best or only. Here's a link to my seed supplier which I provide since they do list ingredients, which not everybody does. You can do some research on what mixes may look like without running all over town and being limited to what's in the store. http://www.foryourbird.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT

Another thing to do, if a little time consuming, is separate all the types of ingredients in the food you offer. See which pile the bird prefers over a course of trials. Now you know what he wants for a treat (hi Sunflower!) as well as what he will never touch (in my house, Buckwheat). ANOTHER thing to do, and why did I not think of this sooner, - Google for a local pet bird keepers club or maybe just ask on Craigslist. This may be a little touchy, since the members are going to be, probably, more focussed on returning the bird to its original home, and there may be someone unscrupulous trying to snitch your happy find, BUT you might be able to obtain small sample amounts of seed mixes to try. I would certainly be happy to mail you a sample of our seed mix if you like - pm me your address if you would like this.

I'm all outta time again. Seeya.

[TNwoodsman]

MissK,

Should I not have food in the cage at all times? Currently that food that I showed you is in a feeding dish in his cage. So when you say time for breakfast...do I give him something else in addition?

[InTheAir]

There's a good chance that the bird will already know how to step up already and will be happy to step onto your hand, as he is very tame. To find out you can open the cage door and hold your hand so your index finger touches the perch nearest the door. Most small bird are trained to step up on the index finger. Keep your hand still and offer him his favourite treat from the other hand so he has to reach over your hand to get it. Say "step up" and see what happens.
Warning: he may beak/bite your hand before climbing onto it, this is a ringneck health and safety inspection, so keep your hand nice and still. If he is testing it for safety he probably won't pin his eyes or act aggressively, but it can still hurt a little.
if he reaches over for a treat but doesn't climb onto your hand, give him a treat and try again with the lure a bit further away.
Here's a rather badly filmed video of my girl learning to step up (she wasn't tame when I got her) to illustrate what I mean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q61MbgvFIag

The other things I'll add to missks advice is good quality pellets and foraging. If you search the forums you will find some great info about foraging.
Also, if you hear anything that sounds like a word coming out of his beak, try repeating it back to him. Our boy loves it when we do that.

Missk: try sprouting buckwheat, my guys love it sprouted.

[MissK]

Good thoughts from InTheAir. If he rejects the finger, also try the arm or a hand-held perch. Some people have success there when the finger won't work.

I don't know how other people do it, but I have food in there 24/7 as well. I even feed all my birds more than I know they will eat, in case I have a bad day, just so there will be leftovers the next day. In the morning I remove the old food and put in the fresh veggies. If time is tight the fresh seed goes right in, too.

Because of that picking out the more favoured food first, by morning all our birds will probably have used up their supply of that and will be wanting more. So, for instance, if my bird has a dish of untouched buckwheat and oat groats, and the never-ending dish of pellets, he's going to be really eager to see a fresh supply of safflower, canary grass, and millet. He isn't starving; he's self-indulgent (greedy little green pig)! I can't fault him. I'm the same way. There's a reason why it's *always* tea-time at my house.......

This is the same reason you want to hold out the sunflower seeds in his daily feed. I'll bet he's a hard core Sunflower junkie by now. NOTE WELL: If you try him on various foods and he won't eat anything but the Sunflower seeds, don't let him refuse to eat to his own detriment. If he will only eat Sunflower, then that is better than eating nothing and starving. But be very careful - if he learns you will withhold Sunflower seeds (for instance) for twelve hours and then panic and provide a dish full, you will get a Ringneck who can tell time to twelve hours. I CANNOT suggest that anyone do what I did, but once upon a time, once he demonstrated that he understood pellets are food, I did let Rocky run low on his regular seeds. It took about a weekend on reduced seed ration to get him eating pellets. He still does not prefer them, but he will eat them. It also took some time to find a pellet he would recognize was food. The pellet we currently use is Higgins In Tune. You can have a sample of that, too, if you want it.