IndianRingNeck.com

He is two months old now, we just got him a fews days ago

The breeder told me that i could start feeding him fruits in two weeks!

But i will like to know exactly what to feed him and how?

and is it ok to start giving him the fruits in two weeks or should i wait until he is older?

Im feeding him baby bird food by ZuPreem its recommended by Avian so i figured thats a good food

Hi and welcome. That's a great selfie with Leo.

I think the breeder would be the expert on your particular bird, having raised him so far and being experienced. When you give the fruit be sure it is washed very clean. Apples are considered very polluted, so I would suggest organic apples for him. Organic would be a great choice for fresh food all around, but I confess I give regular to my bird. However, yours is just a baby starting out and I think he could really benefit from organic. Onions/Garlic are considered by some to be unsafe. Skip the avocado. Use the SEARCH functin here to look for other foods as well as poisons.

I never fed a baby bird, but my adult bird likes me to show him I like eating the new foods. It's a group activity, eating food. You can offer little bits, smashed bits, whole fruits - Leo will have to learn and make his own choices for what he likes.

BTW, if Leo should turn out to be a girl, feel confident the name is still good. See Wiki article on Leontyne Price: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontyne_Price

Well thanks a lot for the information! the breeder i got it from its an old indian guy (very nice guy) but very hard to understand hehe

and if it turns out to be a female we are thinking of name him Leah! so lets see!

http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... f=3&t=8078

Gives a list of good and bad foods, as well as feeding tips.

Personally, and this is just one woman's opinion, I would start with veggies before fruits.

Dana

And more information on weaning here: http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... ?f=1&t=799

Congrats on the little one and welcome!

Thanks a lot! i appreciate the help

i'm gonna do a minor hijack here.....

a 3 month IRN.. how much should it be eating?... mine seems to be fixated on food to the point i've had to cut him off twice. I've only had the bird for about 24 hours at this point but he seems to love anything labeled 'food'

Donovan wrote:i'm gonna do a minor hijack here.....

a 3 month IRN.. how much should it be eating?... mine seems to be fixated on food to the point i've had to cut him off twice. I've only had the bird for about 24 hours at this point but he seems to love anything labeled 'food'

Why cut him off? If a bird wants to eat, I won't stop him. The amount I feed is dictated by how much he will eat.

Because he just wouldn't stop. He ate for a solid hour and a half when I brought him home. I figure he's young and nervous and didn't understand when to stop. Trust me I let him fill up good. You should have seen that "oh my god i'm so full" look on his face when he started falling asleep afterward




Sorry that's such a huge picture. Did this from a phone and can't seem to shrink it down.

If he really IS too full, won't the food come back up?

Donovan - do you have a scale? Maybe you should weigh him now and then every few days to see if he is actually gaining weight. Do you know how to feel the keel bone to see if he is either too thin or too fat? Do you know what firm muscle will feel like versus muscle covered/filled with fat? I know certain parasites will cause some species to always feel hungry or over eat because of a lack of nutrients. There are also some medical disorders that disrupt the absorption of nutrients. BUT, I am not sure if parrots/IRN's have these problems. How about posting in the breeders' section or PMing someone if you know one of the breeders?

MissK wrote:If he really IS too full, won't the food come back up?

Right. There is a point where they just can't eat anymore.

Keep in mind that a bird's digestive system moves fairly quickly, so eating over a period of hours means the food IS being digested even as they are eating.

Hane and Tsume both ate like this for a year or so. They would just eat for hours. I called Hane my 'little pig'. It was great though, as he was being exposed to all sorts of foods. Also, they only really did this once a day- usually beginning in the late afternoon to evening. They might have nibbled through the day, but didn't EAT until then. His appetite gradually reduced as he matured. Though sometimes, if he really really likes what he's given, he'll still try to eat it all. XD For most animals, and remember that our birds are still wild, it is natural to gorge when food is readily available, to make up for the lean times. Hane never got overweight, by the way. After all, there was only so much he could stuff into that maw of his before he looked like that picture.

Hi, I am currently feeding my 52 day old IRN with Neocare bird powder and just wondering if there is a specified powder to water amount that he should be having? I was told that morning and night is fine for his feeds as well. The breeder I bought him off adds a little apple sauce and peanut butter to the mix. Does anyone else do this?