Introduce yourself

[Blueberrybird]

I am finally picking up my baby blue Barry bird today! It's a 3 hour drive one way, I hope the long drive doesn't stress him out too much. I'm soo excited! Will post pics soon!

[Shrek&Fiona]

Congrats! We will definately want pics. You got any other IRN's?

[Blueberrybird]

No, he is my first, I got to the breeders, and was able to pick him up, he was skittish, but I was able to handle him. He slept most of the three hour drive home. I removed him from the travel cage when we got home, and he bit the crap out of me several times! Lol. I put him in his new cage, he runs and tries to hide behind his toys, I'll give him a day to settle in then I will bring him out to another room with treats and toys and go from there. I figure we will have a lot of years together to work it all out.

[Shrek&Fiona]

Yeah, just take it slow and he will be fine. You will love him to bits! My Shrek is my first IRN and he always cracks me up and suprises me. He is fantastic!

[Blueberrybird]

Did yours bite at first? How long should I leave him in the cage before make him come out? If I leave him in there for too many days will it be harder to get him out?the cage is pretty big, and it's in my bedroom, where he won't get that much interaction:( my dilemma is every spot in my house where he would be close to us, has an air conditioning vent. My goal is to get him out on a birdstand next to my recliner when I am home. I have a spot for the cage in the dining room, where he could see us and get used to us, but there is no sunlight there. I have an avian light, so, could some one give me their opinion, what would be better, making him come out to a birdstand, or move his cage an use an avian light? The cage in my bedroom is next to a window with indirect sun.

[Shrek&Fiona]

Shrek is not the tamest bird in existence so he still tries to bite me. I got him during his bluffing phase and I was so busy at the time that I didnt have the time to put into him to get him completely through it so he still gets nippy. I have found that if you want them to come to you and get used to you, leave the cage door open and sit down somewhere within view, then play with something really interesting or eat a piece of fruit slowly. They are enormously curious and can't stand someone having something that they can't have so they come and sit on you to investigate. This is when you can offer them the fruit or see if they will take the toy from you. You can work from there, making them step up on your arm to get the treat etc. Take it slow with these birds and try not to chase them or grab them around the back until they are completely comfortable with you cause it can freak them out (you wont need to chase them when they are comfortable with you). Make sure you spend time with him every day talking in a calm voice so he knows he can completely trust you. The trick is to coax not force. Make him want to do things.

Leave his cage in your bedroom for now and just make a point of going in to spend time with him every day. The extra privacy might help him feel safe in the beginning anyway. Natural light is always preferable to fake light in my opinion.

[Blueberrybird]

Thank you so much, I will try these things and give updates! I'm so glad this forum exists!

[Blueberrybird]

Hey, if I don't "force" him, how will I ever get him to a "neutral" place? I did get him to take treats from my hand inside his cage just now

[Shrek&Fiona]

Like I said, make all the yummy treats and fun toys be outside his cage. He wont want to stay in there for long when you are eating all his apple and playing with all the fun toys you have. If you can use treats to get him to step onto your hand inside the cage this would also work. All birds are different, I just know with Shrek, everytime I chase him round the cage or room and grab him he doesnt speak to me for a couple of days (literally).