Since we're being honest....

jen5239 · Post by **jen5239** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:24 am

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, want my babies to talk! I would just love that. I could care less if they're male or female. Yes the ring would be way cool. But I want them to talk. And you all know I wouldn't get rid of them if they didn't speak a word. Wouldn't get rid of them for nuttin'. But I sure would love it if they spoke. And if they don't I'll be bummed, but I'll still love them with all of my heart! But sometimes I feel like it's taboo to say you want them to talk. That was PART of what drew me to IRNs. Their speaking abilities and I also read they could mimic well. I just thought that would be very cool. But Remmi has wrapped himself around my heart and I just simply adore every onery moment with him. Milo is my darling and all he wants out of life is to be held and loved. And Byndi is my moody little girl. Much like myself I must admit. Moods! Oy! :shock:

Poor John! Tee hee. So there! I was honest. Hope no one has lowered their opinion of me. We're being honest here! Hee hee.

Renate · Post by **Renate** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:59 am

Hehe. See what you meen. There is nothing wrong by wanting your bird to talk. And my opinion of you have not changed at all. :lol:

I would also want my birds to talk, but they don't, so there's nothing to do about that. But that's ok.They makes it all up with their personality!

Dani03 · Post by **Dani03** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:32 pm

*sighs* Jen we wouldn't think any less of ya...but alas not all IRN talk. Believe me (and Mik) once they start they don't shut UP. Not once not at all...they talk and talk and talk...friggin 6 in the morning what do I wake up to? 'What are you doing?' and 'Hey Prin' 'Byyyyyynnnnndi' (just like ya say it Jen) *rolls eyes and sighs in esasperation*

Dani Prinny Bodi

Lisa's Tiki · Post by **Lisa's Tiki** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 1:03 pm

Yep, Tiki is the same way. Talks, talks, talks, he doesn't know when to stop sometimes and now that I have taught him the Shave and a Haircut whistle he goes between that, the wolf whistle and all his phrases over and over and over again. Yes, I admit I do love it, but when you are trying to sleep and they are trying to wake you up - UGH! Tiki knows when I am ignoring him and he will put his head into his stainless steel food bowl and talk into that, so now his voice is louder and makes an echo sound as well! :lol:

It's just like having a child, you want them to talk and walk when they are babies and when they get older you keep telling them to sit down and be quite! Us adults are never happy! :lol:

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:16 pm

I felt as if it were taboo too Jen and tried not to care but worked with him with the idea he 'can' talk but probably wont choose too.

I dont have to tell you about Baby's vocabulary. Its almost as good as a 5 yr old with much better pronunciation.

The key is consistantcy... say the same thing everytime you open the cage and repeat it the same way. 'You wanna be a good girl, huh?'

THATS how you get them to talk. Make them realize they can! Then they actually love doing it. Baby literally talks SO much we have to put her up. On and On, my lord!

Less you care, more luck you'll have. Catch 22 though because we have to care to get the time needed it. IIIeee. These birds are crazy!

Its true what Dani says hun, was so happy with my Baby's first words but talkers are talkers and they want to talk to you like an old woman thats had in company in a year.

And noone wants to wake up to commands and I have this fur ball sitting at the cage door as soon as he sees me. Hey Baby! Whatcho doin girl! You wanna be a good girl! Cmere Baby... step up! And it works, I step him up.

I ask him! Which of us is the pet!?

Also: if your bird is making gibberish, be quiet and ignore them... rather than talk and confuse them... they are probably practicing a phrase. Dont blow that.

They are shy until very confident about what they are saying so they speak gibberish reallly low until they get it right. Thats an important time and they shouldnt be distracted then.

Shhhh

julie · Post by **julie** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:32 pm

everytime i walked into indies room i said hello indie or just hello like i would do to a person,it was totally unexpected when one day he said hello back to me.but like mikaela said just say the same thing.

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:39 pm

Same thing here. I always said Hey Baby, what chew doin, huh?!

And that was in fact her first words.

Its out of context sometimes though but very rarely. He'll be hanging out preening or whatever and he'll look over and say 'Your water dish dirty boy, huh?'

I obviously say huh alot to my birds but to be honest... its that high pitch I acheive from that which I believe made Baby so very verbose.

jen5239 · Post by **jen5239** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 5:18 pm

I will keep all of this in mind. I do repeat the same things to them over and over. They just aren't showing any signs of talking. Which is ok, I won't love them any less. I just would love it if they would talk.

Mazziemom · Post by **Mazziemom** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 8:14 pm

LOL, I think I enjoy the silence of the IRN crew because we have so many other jabber beaks. Sitting here I am hearing "Hello" in a sweet soft voice, over and over and over and over. Its the male Ekkie determined to get me to come hold him LOL.

We teach talking more in context, which I am not sure works with ringnecks since mine don't talk much.

But, for example, all of our birds have their own ways of saying they want some food. Dayo hollers Banana, while Char hollers "I love Cracker!" at the top of his lungs

. Kato learned that Apple juice is tasty, so when she wants some she asks for it by name.

They pick up other things on their own, like Cody and Ceebee hollering for the kids by name

Athena

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:32 am

Chamon and a I got into a tiff over this very thing. And I was wrong.

My stance was: Its great your bird can talk but come on... parrots simply mimic. I could not have been more wrong.

Baby has since started talking and I realize they frigging do know what they are saying. I have already told everyone... I WAS WRONG.

Atleast Dats and Baby speak in context... anyones elses?

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 5:25 am

Depends if they are *taught* in context.. It you just dribble nonsense to your bird then they are going to mimic.
But if you associate actions with words then they will get it.

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 5:56 am

yup

And for the love of god.... DO NOT teach your bird your partners name. Relationships dont last 40 yrs anymore, ringnecks do. Would you want to listen to your girls/mans ex's name being called out... didnt think so. heh Nor would your new partner. If Baby said 'Jennifer' I would chock her bird neck. Sadly... not really joking. (the kids mother)

I dont even recommend allowing the bird to bond with a partner. Only enough to be able to care for it in your absence.

You see what Datsun is going through.

WE! take on that 30 yr commitment... noone else. So, we shouldnt assume they will follow through on their end. Not worth it for the bird.

Mazziemom · Post by **Mazziemom** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:27 am

Mikaela...

You would be doing yourself, and your bird, a huge disservice if you didn't allow it to bond to your partner as well as yourself.

Birds are social, by shutting them off to any person you are limiting their social circle, their flock. They need a flock to be healthy emotionally. And, theres really no way to stop them learning a name if they want to say it. Kato still calls for her former owner by name, not because she wants him but because thats the name she knows to call when she wants attention.

Dayo still calls my grandpa by name, and it makes my heart ache, because he was the only person outside the immediate family that Dayo really loved. But it also makes me proud that he was happy enough to love him.

Sometimes relationships end, but by stridently trying to block your bird from your partner you are acting like you are sure it is going to end. Not good for the bird, or for your relationship.

Athena

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:54 am

Agree to disagree

Luckily... my families idea of bonding with a bird is:

'Get that damn bird away from me' so I havent this to be concerned with.

And my birds like them even less.

Matthew messes with Baby a little but usually just to show off to his friends.

Dani03 · Post by **Dani03** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:01 am

I agree with Athena. You can't really shut away your bird from loving someone else. They pick who is theirs not us. We are lucky if those people are us...but we still clean their cage and give them food and water and love them but they may not return that. We have to accept it for what it is...

Dani Prinny Bodi