How to tell if my IRN is content

[Magpie]

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

[MissK]

Hi Magpie,

First, congratulations on your excellent find. Your bird sounds fantastic, right out of the box. Why was she not kept in the first home? Maybe you will never know.

Your bird eats readily, takes food from the hand, displays interest in the domestic activity, bathes, is not upset, and grinds her beak before sleep. This all sounds hunky dory to me. Right now the whole scene is new for her, and so just being there is probably mentally stimulating. Make sure she's got enrichment inside the cage, toys and foraging. I bet you already have, but didn't mention it. If not, search those topics here and get her some. I found that Dr. Foster and Smith website had some very nice stainless bowls at a kind price, so if the floor doesn't exist for her, maybe you would want to get her the largest size of bolt-on for bathing? Just a thought. If I don't provide a bigger tub my bird will bathe away his drinking water in a jiffy.

I realize while you're home doing schoolwork you may not need the burden of watching the bird. However, if you can bird proof the room and keep half an eye on her, might want to consider letting her out while you're there. She most likely will learn/relearn to fly, but till then you can make the outside of her cage like a play gym, with toys and interesting things. If you want her to fly, it will probably just take proper motivation. My second hand, adult bird came to me not knowing he could fly, but if he was truly startled he would end up in the air with no idea how he got there. It only took a handfull of nuts a few days in a row to get him started initiating flight intentionally, and after that it was just a matter of practice.

NOTE, during this practice he had to learn by doing, so there were a good number of crashes and lots of panicked circling. He had the biggest challenges learning both to take off and to land, but landing was by far the hardest for him. If you plan to bring your bird out and promote flight, you should cover the windows, not only as a sight barrier, but for cushioning. So don't just hang a sheet and be done - use something thick that will stand away from the window and give a little if the bird hits it. It would be nice to cover the walls as well, but maybe rather challenging. Since your bird is already used to people, it is possible she will accept your hand as a landing spot. In that case, you could just stand around with your hand up as she learns flight, to give her a place to go. My bird would not land on anything he was not already used to being on, so that made things hard for him. If he passed the good landing spot then he would have to circle back and try again. Not really knowing how to land, this was really hard for him, and sometimes he would give up and crash into the curtains or wall instead. Unsafe? Yeah, unsafe I think, but he was moving slowly and he didn't get hurt, so good thing there. Once he figured out he could grab the curtain with his claws, then he started doing a semi-controlled crash there, and I was happy with that. With more experience under his belt he is now an adequate living room flyer, but he is still picky about where he lands. Compared to my Budgies, who almost certainly learned to fly from their parents, his flight skills are rather embarrassing, but the point is: He can choose to fly now and he couldn't do it before, so in my book, this is a WIN. Unless handicapped, your bird can do it, too.

One more thing~ the Ringneck is capable of a very impressive type of flight. They can go straight up, like a helicopter or a yo-yo. How cool is that?!! I was fortunate to witness this when my bird was still quite new in my house, before he got flying under control. It would happen when he was startled (in the beginning, this was practically All The Time) and instinct kicked in to get him out of what he perceived as a dangerous spot. Once he got comfortable with living in my house, I never saw it again. I really recommend you watch for this exciting type of flight because the sight of it was amazing. I was blown away and could hardly believe my eyes, even though I knew it was possible. If you get to see it, you will feel very lucky and impressed.

[Magpie]

Hi MissK,

Thanks so much for your reply, all your input is very valuable. Where she was previously she had nothing in her cage but three perches. No toys, no treats, nothing. I have no idea why she has been passed on so many times, but I get the feeling that because she is only semi-tame, and a mature bird people go off her, preferring younger animals? I don't know, either way she has found her forever home now.

We immediately gave her toys, she has three long dangly ones and a bell. She loves one of her toys already, and she's done a number on the wooden perch section of the toy. The toy features treats (pellet loops) that she is happy to snap off and chew on.

We have a room where it's quiet and the ceiling is high, that's where I let her out. She is growing in confidence by the day. Today my friend came to visit and she could hardly get a word in, it was like the bird was excited to see a new person. I talk softly to her, and sometimes she'll come right up to my face and tilt her head in all directions, she is shockingly cute.

That's a top tip on the large aluminium screw-in bowl, I'll look for one this weekend. I want to buy her some more toys anyway. Thanks for that! I am happy to let her out while I read or do research, I spend most of my day in her company lately.

I just came home from purchasing a HUGE cage for her, it's seriously huge - I can't pick it up. It goes on a stand with wheels so that it can be moved around. We will kit out her new cage this weekend and move her to see if she likes the new, larger space. The cage she is in now was sold to me by her previous owner, and I would be hard-pressed to keep a tiel in that space, although all my bird-loving friends assure me it's adequate for a bird that gets time out of her cage daily. I don't know, I feel sorry for her. I also read on this forum that the bigger the cage, the better. So no harm no foul.

Another question, her previous owner says she likes tea with milk in it, but I prefer not to give her milk or caffeine. Is this the right thing or should I indulge her? I mean, I have herbal tea that she's welcome to, sans the milk of course.

Thanks for all your input again, I appreciate it

[MissK]

I would not give my own bird anything with caffeine in it. Likewise, I would not be in a hurry to give milk. There are others who will give both milk and cheese, even yogurt. It is my understanding birds are not built to digest these things properly, and so I see no reason to give them. If the bird "needs a treat" there are plenty more biologically appropriate foods that will delight. If the bird needs protein, again, there are simpler options.

It could well be, also, that the thing the bird really loves is sneaking a sip from the cup. If that should be the case, you could set her up with her own cup of home-made broth, safe herbal tea, or diluted fresh-squeezed/fresh pressed juice. Now that I think on it, knowing my bird loves kale, I wonder if he might not like some of the broth left after I steam my own kale. Mmm? Maybe. If you do that, just don't add non-birdie things such as salt. Salt's a no-no.


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=7433
I doubt you can get items from this company where you are, though it doesn't hurt to ask. This is the example of the bowl I suggested -- the bolt-on, not the hanging style. In the dog section http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=1125 they sell this cup in 96 ounce size, 8" across. A fine tub, especially since you will only put a little water in it. Otherwise might be too heavy (if full) for a bird cage. They sell smaller sizes as well.

[Magpie]

Hi again MissK,

That was my first instinct. As the owner of a lactose intolerant dog I am always wary of diary, and caffeine, well that needs little explanation. I haven't given her any and I don't plan on it after you kindly highlighted some details. In fact I read that birds are generally not supposed to ingest diary? I have read a lot of conflicting advice though. I have a powder probiotic for animals (I keep dogs, cats and horses). I will check with an avian vet what a good maintenance dose for her would be now and again.

Ooooh regarding Kale juice, I sometimes blanch beets for borscht - I am sure that leftover juice should be ok?

The bigger bowl shouldn't be a problem, because her new cage is big enough to house a macaw comfortably (no jokes - I'm obviously an overzealous first-time owner and as I solemnly tried to explain it to my husband in my orphan Annie voice, we got it for a bargain). I'll see what they have at our local in terms of dishes, but because mom and dad in law are based in the states, it wouldn't be impossible for them to bring one of the ones on that site over when next I see them, they seem really well priced.

Regarding misting, how do I get her to accept misting? Do some birds just hate it? The first day she was here I misted her and she seemed ok with it, when I did it again yesterday she moved away unimpressed. I make sure to do it with tepid water when she decides on a bath, so that there isn't a stupid human making wet when she's relaxing or whatever. LOL.

Also would it be advisable to keep another bird in a separate cage so she can have a chat mate? Or is it fine to keep one bird only? I don't want to dive in over my head, but I want what is best for her.

[MissK]

I'm glad to hear you went nuts on the cage! If you see my pictures thread, you'll see I definitely support bigger.

I guess beet juice would be OK. Please PM me your borscht recipe. My parents used to make this, but it seems they had a different recipe than everyone else I see. Still hoping.

My bird doesn't want misting, and never has. Others say their birds love it. Experiment, I guess, leaving the option for rejection.

I usually feel a bird needs a flock, but as your bird is happy with you and you are so often there, I think you are safe to stick to one at the moment. If your lifestyle should change, as one day it probably will, you might consider a friend. There is always a fair chance the bird won't like another bird, but most of the stories I hear tell of IRNs being fairly accepting of company. Note, since you keep a female, that at certain times of the year it might be dangerous to leave another bird where she might attack it unsupervised. Proceed with caution and do a lot of research before you select a second bird.

Personally, I wanted another Psittacula to keep my bird company but was unable to find an individual I wanted. I compromised and got a few Budgies. Now my guy has company, but he is not allowed to touch them. It was a compromise all around, except in the way it gave me an excuse to keep Budgies.

[Magpie]

Hi there,

I'll see, about other birds. I have two spare cages - one is nice and big too but I am only getting the base this weekend. I chose not to use that one because it doesn't have the perch that extends out when you open the cage. If I do get another ringneck, I think I will get another adult that no one really wants. I have sympathy for these birds.

I typed out my recipe and sent it to you Hope you enjoy.

Have a great day and thanks so much for all your input. I greatly appreciate your responses.

-magpie

[Magpie]

Hi MissK,

We had a breakthrough. I sat quietly with Pie. After about an hour she got on top of her cage. My husband came home from work and soon she took flight! She flew all around the room MissK! The top of the cupboard, then landed on the bed behind me and just like that she hopped on my back. We sat for a while and then she flew off again, this time she got onto my husband's finger and onto his shoulder as if she's done it a million times before.

Pie can fly. And she is a dab hand at sitting on us.

[MissK]

Ah, I told you she could do it!

That's so great!!

[lethalfire]

So sad that someone kept bouncing what seems to have been a once very loved and socialized pet. So glad that you gave her a good home where she can live happily and with room to move and toys to destroy.

Just my two cents worth: tea is actually good for all different kinds of reasons and there are LOTS of caffeine free teas out there. I agree on not adding the milk, a little bit of honey tastes much better anyways lol.
I know a person who makes chamomile tea and dilutes it with water and then puts it in their water dishes on the 4th of July so they don't get overly spooked with the fireworks because it is suppose to have a calming/sedative effect so just a little bit.

It's so refreshing to here stories of re-homes with positive endings. Keep up the good work.

[Magpie]

Lethalfire, I think she was given up on for the same reasons people generally give up on animals: not enough time, not enough of a baby, too messy, sometimes bites. When Pie gets cranky she simply drops whatever treat is offered to the bottom of the cage, forget it. And don't touch. While she is easy-going and cute we have put quite a bit of work into her. I think she has to rebuild confidence after whoever taught her and loved her gave up on her and passed her along. Like I said, she was only with her previous owner for little over a month. Her previous owner gave her up saying that she's an unwanted gift and she doesn't know how to talk to birds.

I drink only caffeine free teas - there is a great variety in our home, but we do not drink milk. I think the chamomile idea is wonderful, thanks! Altogether I want to encourage her not to sip out of people's mugs, because some unsuspecting guest might have a bird sipping caffeinated drinks laden with milk. So it's a habit I think I'll put a stop to. I think I'll do a dilute like you suggested and place it in her bowl. Thanks!

MissK - awesome heh? You were in her corner all along. She's a bit cranky right now, but she tends to get that way when it gets dark, whether she sleeps or not. I am very chuffed with her progress. Do you think this means she trusts us a little better? I am struggling with treats, she is quite picky. She likes apples and human food. That's it. She hates mangoes, banana, dried fruit, strawberry and leafy greens. I am trying some green beans, kiwi, pear tomorrow to see if she prefers that. She is more willing to try things when I eat them, so I am going to try and trick her. Although it didn't help with some treats She has a keen taste for 'people food' though. And will put up a show if you don't share at least a little something with her.

As soon as I can I'll see if I can put pics up via my photobucket, I have like a gazillion photos.

Thanks ladies! xx

[AJPeter]

Magpie was saying that Pie would not go to go to the bottom of the cage and l think is was MissK was saying last year that her bird woud not go to the bottom of the cage either but she put a perch in low down and now her bird goes to the bottom So l tried it becasue Billie only used the top of the cage only and she now really enjoys that low perch and spends a great deal of time on the botton of the cage routing around. I do not use papar to line the cage tray but because it is a plastic so l can use tissues to mop up any pooh so she does not stomp in it. Bille not MissK!

[MissK]

AJ~ Actually, mine was the bird who runs around on the bottom so happily. And dances. And plays. And (right now) feeds stuff. And he has a perch near the floor, which was something I thought Billie might like. Maybe Pie might like one, too.

I love how cute Rocky is when he runs around on the floor of his cage. I can almost hear him muttering "Bah! Humbug!" and "I'm going to be LATE!"

Magpie~ Yep. I bet you're feeling mighty proud.

I won't make you search my back posts for this little anecdote, so here's a brief on how Rocky learned Strawberries. Basically, he didn't want them. But, I wanted him to want them, since I grow them. --Fresh, clean, organic, certainly something I wanted him to have still warm from the sun. I cut up a big bowl of strawberries and stood by the cage with my two dogs. I offered Rocky a piece. Nuthin'. I ate them, I passed them to each dog, they ate them, etc, etc. Rocky started to get bugged about not having any, so I offered again. Nuthin'. We did this over and over till the berries were gone. All told, Rocky held and ate, maybe, three tiny pieces. But the very next day he was a bird who eats Strawberries.

I am convinced that Ringnecks learn readily from a model, and I also really believe having the extra dog models helped. In an even briefer anecdote, my Budgie taught him by example, in 30 days, to get on my wrist. I had tried various worthwhile strategies for getting him on the hand and failed. OK, I was a bit wussy about the testing. And maybe lazy. And it wasn't *that* much of a priority. I bought a little Budgie, put her cage right next to his, trained her to the finger, and one day Rocky was simply inspired to give it a try while I was cleaning his cage. All his idea. I'm not saying everybody should run out and get a Budgie, just that this worked well for us.

[Magpie]

Thanks AJ and MissK - I have an extra perch to put low down and maybe she'll learn that the bottom is hell. LOL

MissK- I'm chuffed as punch. It took a few days of sitting with that cage door open and just talking softly and offering treats. She plopped behind me on the bed and scurried up my back, I think she's cottoned on to the fact that we like her.

I notice that she feels left out when I eat something she doesn't get, so yeah, I think I'll use the dogs to con her slightly into eating more varied foods. I just really want her to have a full spectrum diet, for her health and longevity.

Did you get the recipe?

Thanks for the input all xx

[MissK]

I did, and thanks! Will save it for when I'm feeling ambitious. My folks did serve it cold, and it's not the same, but if you love it, then it has to be good!

[Magpie]

Cold with some bread is YUM!

She was out again today, didn't flap around but she sat on my head, and on my shoulder... on husband's head and his shoulder too. She gets a little cranky now and again and she was certainly cranky today, took a few bites out of us.

Interestingly, she squawks loudly when hubby comes home - maybe she knows that's when we let her out.

[AJPeter]

Is it not good when you do something they like, for ages Billie had three bowls in her cage, Number one was for seeds, Number two for fresh fruit in the morning and veg in the late afternoons and Number three was for grains and pellets but she never touched that bowl and l kept forgetting to do a veg bowl, So l have converted Number two into a veg bowl merging the grains and seeds with pellets, and a fruit bowl.

Well l make up all the bowls in the morning and she has been scoffing veg all day, they stink worse than her and she has hardly touched her fruit bowl. She also gets a floating bowl in the morning for porridge and in the evenings for cooked veg she loves cooked sugar snap peas and turnips both cooked and raw.

Do birds fart? I know if you give rabbits too much cabbage when they fart they stink the place out. I think Billie has been farting all day l gave her too muich cabbage. Also I had a tasty morsel in my mouth and l broke a piece off to give her and she rushed across the top of the cage and bit me! If l ask her nicely if l can put my hand in her cage she does allow this.

[Magpie]

Yeah AJ, I think you can easily make a brat out of a bird! LOL. She is quite demanding, when I wake up in the morning and put coffee on she instantly starts squawking. 'Look at me!' She also figured out we are up for this sitting on shoulders and heads thing, so she reserves it as treats. I wonder the extent to which these birds train us, and not the other way around?

[AJPeter]

Billie used to enjoy sitting on my shoulder as l played the organ but she chewed my jumper and bit the buttons of my shirts Skye recommended l put on a bead necklace and that has done the job but recently she has not wanted to sit on my shoulder.

Lol when l tell you she was grinding her beak today it sounded just likes she was muttering, it made me laugh! Billie wakes me up at about 5 am when she joins in with the dawn chorus as soon as she hears me moving she stops but about 8 am she starts to chirp as if to remind me it is time to get up.

[Magpie]

FINALLY! Here's Pie guys