Need help with Rio.

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Rio and 3
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 1:51 pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Need help with Rio.

Post by Rio and 3 »

Hello,

My 3 small humans and I have just added a new family member.

Rio is a green IRN approx 9-10 weeks old. We bought Rio home yesterday. He/she was caged with a sibling. Hand fed, tame. Had just started on seed and fruit/veg this week.

I am finding that when I handle Rio he just wants to fly off. Wings are clipped so he doesn't get very far but all the same he doesn't seem to want to stay with any of us. What should I do?
How often should I let him out of the cage and attempt to handle him?

I have noticed he hasn't touched his seed. But he has had a good go at his corn cob. Today I've put in some carrot and string beans. Is this normal? I understand he hasn't been feeding on his own for very long, when would I get concerned about his food intake?

I think that is all for now, but I am sure I'll need more advice as time goes on.

Thanks :)
nicolem
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri May 06, 2016 3:46 pm

Re: Need help with Rio.

Post by nicolem »

I got my boys when they had already been weaned (at about 4 months) and they weren't hand tame in the least, despite having been hand-fed. I think they had been well cared for, but in an aviary with lots of birds, they just hadn't had enough regular human contact.

I did my best to be patient with them. I sat next to their cage, and talked with them. I fed them through the cage and eventually they were comfortable with me around, and would eagerly come for food. One of them (from a previous clutch, so two weeks older) was a bit more tame and friendly than the other, so I started with him. I took him out of the cage in a bathroom with the door closed and just let him stay on me. He did fly away a few times (my birds are both flighted). Eventually, he got used to me. It just takes patience and time. It might help to start in a smaller room with fewer distractions or places for Rio to get away into. I would suggest trying to find ways to encourage him to come to YOU instead of approaching him (like having a piece of food and luring him over, and he would have to step up on you to get to the food, or something similar).

Now, they are both extremely eager to come out of the cage and will fly over to spend time with me outside of the cage in addition to playing around my apartment on their various perches. They both will come when I call them. The younger one (Ollie) still doesn't love stepping up on my hand and in general is more suspicious and nippy (I've now had them since the end of May), but overall, I feel like they have bonded with me and enjoy being around me. Especially with flighted birds, there was no way to force them to want to come to me (aside from luring with food!). All I can advise is patience and understanding. Personally, I found the youtube channel "wingsNpaws" very helpful. :)

Before these two, I've had parakeets and a senegal--my IRNs are much more skittish and really don't like being touched/scratched. Maybe that will change with time, but it seems to be pretty common that IRNs don't like to be "handled" as much as other species, even though they enjoy human company and relationships.

As far as the food, maybe just keep trying with different types of foods. Rio still seems pretty young and may be having a difficult time with harder foods like seeds. Perhaps steamed veggies, softer fruits or some sprouted seeds would be easier. My boys adore peppers. I know that my Ollie (now 9.5 months) still is a shade slower with opening sunflower seeds than his older "brother". I think it takes some coordination to figure out how to hull seeds. I know the breeder would also serve them some rice with steamed veggies (corn/carrots) and a few hardboiled eggs mashed in--shells and all.

I hope that helps. Good luck!
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