Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Moderator: Mods

Post Reply
Cambry
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:05 am

Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by Cambry »

Hi guys.
I have raised quite a few lovebirds and cockatiels in the past, and I'm looking for a new bird. At the moment I'm interested in Indian ringnecks as well as Quakers, but I'm stuck on the bluffing part. I became scared of my pet ferret and had to rehome him after a series of awful bites, and I'm worried an IRN might be a bad match for me as it would be really unfair of me to become scared of it and be less likely to interact with him/her.

Which is a shame as they are gorgeous birds.

How bad is bluffing? Should I never try an IRN incase it gets bad? I've heard it can go on for months, how manageable is it? If I do get an IRN, should I opt for a male to improve the chances of a more mild bluffing?

I have read the FAQ section on it, and most websites seem to copy the wording, so I'm having trouble getting as much info as possible.

Thanks for any guidance you can give me!
Donna
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 9:01 am
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by Donna »

Quakers and ringnecks are not a bird for you then. They can bite at any given time not just going through a stage. All birds bite, bigger the bird harder the bite.




Donna :)
In Loving Memory
of one special husband and one special bird.

I miss you both
Image
jeansieluvszazoo
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:03 am

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by jeansieluvszazoo »

Hi there,

I have had my female indian ringneck for 2 months now.
She has been the best bird I have ever had!
However, she is going through this phase the last good two weeks where she is attacking me and drawing blood. Yes! the bites really hurt! I think it is because of breeding season, not sure yet.
However, this doesn't stop me from loving her and thinking the best of her!
delboy
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 7:02 am

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by delboy »

ha ha ha sorry but no pain no gain u no the one jus grit ya teeth :lol:
MariaFT
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2010 1:59 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by MariaFT »

:) I still have 5 of my babies, and go through bluffing and biting with them every day, one of them is much worse than the others. They are in a large cage inside, but are not clipped, and are fine until they know that play time's over. Then the fun begins. One is big on biting, but I find if I hold him, and push through the pain while talking calmly and stroking his head (with the hand not being bitten), he/she gives up. It's just a bluffing stage, and you do have to grit your teeth, and be positive! I'm sure they can smell fear!

Don't let it put you off, these birds are wonderful intelligent pets, and worth any time you have to spend with them!
xx_sheena_xx
Posts: 748
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 11:02 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by xx_sheena_xx »

If you want a bird that will never bite than forget about it.
All birds will bite, no matter how tame they are, it will happen sometime.
Lauren
Site Admin
Posts: 2836
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia.

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by Lauren »

Just repeating.. all birds bite.. the bigger the bird the bigger and stronger the beak the more they hurt.. but sometimes we have to train ourselves as well. :wink: Yes some will go through a bluffing period when young.. but even adults bite and in my experience, harder. Most of the time they bite you before you even realise what they are doing.. well in my case anyway! My male has given me a few blood lips and will attack when I am too close to his 'wife' and nest in breeding season. But that might be different to having just 1 pet bird. (He was a lone tame bird until he started breeding) Most get a bit nippy around breeding season. But you learn to pick up on the warning signs and know what not to do to provoke them. If they do bite, you will need to learn to ignore it, like it doesnt hurt you at all. If not an IRN is probably not a good idea if your timid of bites. And its not all bad to be put off by bites. Some are just not suited.
Dont let biting give a bird a bad name. IRNs make wonderful intelligent loving pets. They all bite regardless of species.
"Jibby aka Gilbert" Indian Ringneck 13 years "Charlie" Rex Rabbit 1 year
Melika
Posts: 1920
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by Melika »

Hane never bit during bluffing. Not that he hasn't ever bitten me, but those were usually errors on my part. For instance he would bite me just a few months ago when I went to pull him from his cage. He was biting because I kept jerking my hand away in fear (massage therapist, bad to have open wounds on hands) and he wanted it to just STAY put so he could get on. So when I would finally leave my finger, I got a nice big bite and puncture wound.

I did figure out what was going on (pft took me long enough) and since he always bit the same spot, I used my thumbnail to block his beak. After just a few times he stopped trying to bite and I was more confident.

Quakers are notorious for being territorial of their cages, by the way.

All birds bite. We just don't speak their language and misunderstandings arise.

It is wonderful to see someone really looking into all this before running out and getting that beautiful parrot. I think you would have to ask yourself, answering honestly, a few questions.
Will I alter my own behavior and figure out why I am being bitten?
Will I control my reaction if my parrot does bite me?
Will I accept that my bird may never want to be pet?
Will I overcome my fear if I do get bitten?

If you do decide you want a parrot, do look into foraging activities. The more you can keep that beak busy, the happier your parrot will be.

P.S. The worse bites I have ever received in my life were from lovebirds and cockatiels. :lol:
Image
Image
I've been called 'birdbrained' before, but somehow I don't think this is what they meant. say:hah-nay
Cambry
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:05 am

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by Cambry »

Hi guys,
thanks for all the advice and comments. It's given me a lot to think about.


It's hard to wrap my head around this breed of bird without experiencing it for myself. Cockatiels and lovebirds have always been really easy to tame, but I guess IRN's are quite a challenging step up (same with quakers).

I'm definitely not rushing anything and I guess I'll keep thinking and looking. Maybe I should stick to "easy" birds if I don't want to be bitten enough to bleed :p
xx_sheena_xx
Posts: 748
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 11:02 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: Nervous about getting an IRN because of bluffing

Post by xx_sheena_xx »

if you get a young handraised one it should be very easy for it to start to like you.
all the ones i have sold have liked their new onwners in less than a week
Post Reply