How to tell if my IRN is content
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:44 am
Hi guys,
As I mentioned in the intro thread, I recently adopted a mature female IRN. Her previous owner had her for a little over a month, so I get the idea she was passed along from pillar to post quite a bit . Another reason why I think this: she is entirely unfazed by the change in her environment. When she arrived, she immediately had a bath in her water bowl, ate with gusto and did a happy dance later when we brought take-out home (someone shared with her at some point).
She is semi tame in that she'll take treats from my hand with no compunction, and if she doesn't like what I offer she'll promptly drop it to the the bottom of her cage (where it seems it ceases to exist for her). She does bluff when I stick my hand in her cage though, but look, she's still settling right? We have a spare room where we open her cage and she chooses the safety of the cage over going out. I think she is still trying to figure out the new situation though, and we encourage her with treats. She does not ever bite to hurt, she pinches and let's go - as if to say: don't! She has not drawn blood, but I notice she's cranky when she just wakes up - which I read is normal? Then she'll lunge and snap her beak.
So all in all I don't think she's wild, she'll not move away from us and she chooses to spend her day time at the spot in her cage closest to me. She also will preen and groom no matter how close I come to my cage . She chirps cheerfully at me, but is not particularly noisy or chatty. She'll chirp away and when I speak softly to her she will tilt her head or look intently at me.
Don't know if this counts but her droppings are normal. I put a shallow bath at the bottom of her cage for bathing, but like I said: bottom of cage does not exist to Pie. It's largely a myth.
She grinds her beak before nodding off for her naps, and she seems to get a good amount of rest during the day. She also seems inquisitive: she'll move around the cage, chirp at the passing dog and tilt her head toward the television now and again.
Later today we are purchasing a large parrot cage on wheels - her cage is too small in my opinion, and she seems to not know she can fly, despite the fact that her wings are not clipped. This leads me to believe she was not in an aviary, and probably someone loved this bird at some point when she was younger.
Does she seem content to you guys? I mean, I don't have much experience and ZERO info on where she was prior to her last home . I think they tried to take good care of her. I am spending as much time as I can near her cage, most of the day as I am a thesis student. Am I doing everything right? What could I do to help her through this transition and help gain her trust?
I am not really invested in her ability to learn to talk, but I would like her to be more vocal (more chirping etc).
Thanks,
Magpie
As I mentioned in the intro thread, I recently adopted a mature female IRN. Her previous owner had her for a little over a month, so I get the idea she was passed along from pillar to post quite a bit . Another reason why I think this: she is entirely unfazed by the change in her environment. When she arrived, she immediately had a bath in her water bowl, ate with gusto and did a happy dance later when we brought take-out home (someone shared with her at some point).
She is semi tame in that she'll take treats from my hand with no compunction, and if she doesn't like what I offer she'll promptly drop it to the the bottom of her cage (where it seems it ceases to exist for her). She does bluff when I stick my hand in her cage though, but look, she's still settling right? We have a spare room where we open her cage and she chooses the safety of the cage over going out. I think she is still trying to figure out the new situation though, and we encourage her with treats. She does not ever bite to hurt, she pinches and let's go - as if to say: don't! She has not drawn blood, but I notice she's cranky when she just wakes up - which I read is normal? Then she'll lunge and snap her beak.
So all in all I don't think she's wild, she'll not move away from us and she chooses to spend her day time at the spot in her cage closest to me. She also will preen and groom no matter how close I come to my cage . She chirps cheerfully at me, but is not particularly noisy or chatty. She'll chirp away and when I speak softly to her she will tilt her head or look intently at me.
Don't know if this counts but her droppings are normal. I put a shallow bath at the bottom of her cage for bathing, but like I said: bottom of cage does not exist to Pie. It's largely a myth.
She grinds her beak before nodding off for her naps, and she seems to get a good amount of rest during the day. She also seems inquisitive: she'll move around the cage, chirp at the passing dog and tilt her head toward the television now and again.
Later today we are purchasing a large parrot cage on wheels - her cage is too small in my opinion, and she seems to not know she can fly, despite the fact that her wings are not clipped. This leads me to believe she was not in an aviary, and probably someone loved this bird at some point when she was younger.
Does she seem content to you guys? I mean, I don't have much experience and ZERO info on where she was prior to her last home . I think they tried to take good care of her. I am spending as much time as I can near her cage, most of the day as I am a thesis student. Am I doing everything right? What could I do to help her through this transition and help gain her trust?
I am not really invested in her ability to learn to talk, but I would like her to be more vocal (more chirping etc).
Thanks,
Magpie