IndianRingNeck.com

Few months ago I posted a thread about my IRN refusing to eat,

http://indianringneck.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=6286&highlight=

and nothing has changed. The bird is still refusing to eat food and is now 6 months old. I started out hand feeding like all my other parrots and slowly tried to ween him onto regular food (Zupreem) For a week he was tearing up the Zupreem, then he suddenly refused it and all other foods. I brought him to the vet fearing he was sick... but he wasnt. Vet figured it was behavioral, but its not like the bird was just waiting for me to play the Mommy role and feed him, he HATED to be fed the bird formula as well. He simpy refused to eat at all unless i force fed him.

So here we are at the 6 month stage and its the same story. I even went down to 1 feeding a day, hoping he would get hungry and throughout the day would explore and maybe start eating on his own. Every morning I leave fresh fruits and vegetables for him choose from, seed, and even somehting different like goldfish crackers or some alternative. Every morning I offer this, yet it goes untouched. i dont know what else to do. At this point I should not feed him at all and force him to have to eat, but I fear he will die. He seems interested in food, but even when the bird spends time with me and I put a little bowl out with some food, he will go taste it, and nibble, put never keeps any in his mouth. he will just chew it and let it fall back in the bowl. It almost seems like he thinks that tasting is feeding *shrug*. Ive tried everything.............

This IRN is a happy, very active bird that shows no sign of illness. So i need some advice.


P.S. This bird also has a SERIOUS chewing problem! I have owned many birds in my life and never seem such behavior. The bird will chew everyhting, i mean EVERYTHING it sees. If it lands of the couch and sees the remote it will chew it, even though he knows better. he would immediately fly away land somewhere else and begin chewing the first thing he sees elsewhere. What is that all about? Any advice on stopping this pattern? i cant stress enough that when I say he chews everything , it is literally everything!

I don't know what to tell you about that baffling food issue. About the chewing.. maybe keep tons of chewing stuff in his cage if you aren't already?

Sorry I'm not more of a help. Good luck with your little guy!

Hi,
Indian Ringnecks are chewers by nature. Our IRN has chewed woodwork, remotes, shoes and a ton of other things. But the feeding problem could be an obsrtuction in his mouth, throat or crop. Since he chews everything, he might have some kind of obsruction that is keeping him from feeling hungry enough to eat or being able to digest what he does eat. Does he drink water? and do you notice any droppings and what they look like? One way an avian vet can tell a birds health is by weight. If your IRN is at normal weight and maintaning it.
I am thinking that if he is chewing, but spits out food, mabey the vet needs to take a closer look at his mouth, throat and crop. Your IRN, may be feeling hunger, but can't swallow or digest what he is trying to eat. If you are concerned that he isn't getting enough to eat, this could be life threatening. I think I would go ahead and hand feed him with baby chick formula that is thined down enough to be swallowed easy, untill you can have an avian vet take a closer look at things.

Hi Darlene thanks for the suggestions. To answer your questions. The bird does indeed drink water, and his dropping are normal. He is slightly underweight, got a small case of "razor chest" but nothing too serious. And I am still feeding him baby chick formula...have never stopped since I first got him when he was a few weeks old.

I guess I can go back to the Vet again, Im just afraid they will shrug and say I dont know again.

Again, thanks for the suggestions. Any other advice would be more than welcomed.

If the vet finds nothing wrong with his crop or the way he swalows I would try putting food out 3 times a day if after 20 minutes he hasn't eaten it take it away don't give him anyting else until dinner ay dinner put food out again and see what happens let him eat what he wants and take all the food out again Offer another meal at just before bedtime and do the same thing he will evencualy eat becuase he is hungry and he will start to realize that the food not going to wait for him that he better eat it while its there.

OK, thank you. I will give that a shot.

i think darlene is right, you he is too destructed by chewing to feel hungry.....i htink you have to satisfy his chewing needs, do you gave him any chew toys?

hmm, may be you can hide or hang the food on the chew toy...
if he look week because of not eating, honey can work for emergency time...last time my rooster leg was trap somewhere...a few days later we found him, he was very week and almost die of hunger, honey help him live again...


as he is pooping well, i thing there should not be much problem

I have find that millet spay and fresh (or frozen) corn on the cob are the best foods for the weaning stage ( at least for my birds).
I hang them in cage, so the bird plays and starts to eat them.
Can you try with seeds like sunflower, peanuts?

.S. This bird also has a SERIOUS chewing problem! I have owned many birds in my life and never seem such behavior. The bird will chew everyhting, i mean EVERYTHING it sees. If it lands of the couch and sees the remote it will chew it, even though he knows better. he would immediately fly away land somewhere else and begin chewing the first thing he sees elsewhere. What is that all about? Any advice on stopping this pattern? i cant stress enough that when I say he chews everything , it is literally everything!

it looks me like a behaviour problem there, like stress