my 12 week old ringneck..HELP!

[Salata]

hi everyone
i've recently gotten a ringneck parrot as a present, its 12 weeks old. He was a friends before he became mine. im very unexperienced with parrots & i have a few questions pleassee

1) this birdy tends to bite a lot, how can i train him not to bite???
2) are there any droplets or something to avoid air borne diseases? im keeping him indoors & he's constantly on my shoulder & head. should i be worried & how can i tell if he has caught any diseases? i dont want him spreading any unwanted pests!
3) how do you trim their nails? how often? with what do you do it?
4) do i have to shower it? how do i shower it? if i place a tub of water would it shower independently or do i have to place him in the tub?
5) should i be washing my hands after i deal with it?
6) is there any way at all i can train it to go toilet in its cage only, as it tends to stroll around the room and drop little surprises everywhere, even when im holding him sometimes

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Salata, welcome!

1) this birdy tends to bite a lot, how can i train him not to bite???

The mainstream philosophy on biting is that you let your bird bite you and don't react and your bird will eventually learn that biting doesn't achieve what it wants to achieve. I subscribe to a different philosophy which is based on figuring out what the biting triggers are and try to avoid them or distract the bird when they come. My ideas are based on this article:
http://www.parrotmag.com/home/77/396-re ... g-the-bite

Unfortunately only the first couple of paragraphs is available publicly. I've asked the author for permission to share it and am waiting for her response.

2) are there any droplets or something to avoid air borne diseases? im keeping him indoors & he's constantly on my shoulder & head. should i be worried & how can i tell if he has caught any diseases? i dont want him spreading any unwanted pests!

You can go to an avian vet to get a thorough check up. The main thing to watch for is psittacosis. Generally, diseases, lice and mites that birds may get won't transfer to humans and vice versa.

3) how do you trim their nails? how often? with what do you do it?

I don't trim my birds nails but if I did, I'd be inclined to file them with an emery board I think. I have let professionals do them on occasion though, however it's important to not file them down too low or they can't grip perches. The best way to look after your birds nails is natural branches (keep replacing them when the bark wears off) and cement perches.

4) do i have to shower it? how do i shower it? if i place a tub of water would it shower independently or do i have to place him in the tub?

Get your bird a big water bowl so it can bath when it wants to. You can take it in the shower with you but it will probably be scared initially, you need to introduce it gradually. My two LOVE the shower and I have special perches for them in there. I take them in when I go for a shower.

5) should i be washing my hands after i deal with it?

Like any pet, it's a good idea.

6) is there any way at all i can train it to go toilet in its cage only, as it tends to stroll around the room and drop little surprises everywhere, even when im holding him sometimes

You can toilet train your birds, however, I choose not to because it can cause them to hold it in and can be unhealthy for them. If you do toilet train your bird, you then have a big responsibility to ensure they get enough opportunities to go. I try to keep mine off carpeted areas as much as possible and wipe it up as soon as I can when I notice them do it. I read that birds need to go at least once every 20 minutes.

Ellie

[Salata]

hey ellie, thank you sooo much for replying, you've been a great help

okay so i kind of have a new dillema!!!!
i've kept the bird in my room for only about 24 hours & i've noticed a few creepie crawlies in my room that i've never seen before They're little, & black, they look like ants except they have wings
i've taken the bird cage out of my room & just cleaning, vaccum, wipe down, etc.
does anyone have any idea what they are??? & if i need to get a certain disinfectant to get rid of them??
this fella alsoo poops too much & its too much effort running around wiping his poop off the floor! what should i do?
i'd much prefer keeping him outdoors except i dont want him to catch anything like fleas, diseases from wild birds & to be able to communicate & talk to him he'd have to be indoors

Now im too scared to carry him since i have no idea what those creepie crawlies are.
im a bit of a clean freak but i cant help it
Advice peoples??

[ellieelectrons]

I think you need to get him checked out by an avian vet. If they are mites, I think yo can get a powder to get rid of them.

Do you leave his cage door open all the time of just at certain times? I only let mine out of the cage during supervised playtimes, so the poop doesn't get that bad. I also put a disposable painters drop sheet down under their areas which I can sweep up or throw away.

Ellie.

[Salata]

yuh i do only let him out under supervision...
gee thank you sooo much for the advice, will do

[ellieelectrons]

The other thing to know is that birds are messy. Unfortunately, there's not really any way to avoid it.

If you are looking into toilet training, there is a thread here about it, http://www.aussiebirds.proboards.com/in ... 673&page=1

This has a bit of information too: http://www.goodbirdinc.com/parrot-behav ... ems.html#9

The latest goodbirdinc magazine also has an article on it but you need to be a subscriber to access that.

You can also google "potty training parrots" to get some more ideas.

Ellie.

[Salata]

OMG thank you sooo much ellie, you've been a great help

just found out what the problem is & no its not from him, silly me!!! PHEW!

thanks soo much for the links & all, much appreciated

one more question though, for the shower, does the weather have to be warm to give him a shower or can you take him in even if the weathers a little cool or theres a little chill?
will it be okay or would that make it get sick?

[ellieelectrons]

You're very welcome . Glad your birdie is insect free!

one more question though, for the shower, does the weather have to be warm to give him a shower or can you take him in even if the weathers a little cool or theres a little chill?

I don't know what the "right" answer is for this but for my guys I try to only to take them for a shower in the morning when its cold so that they have time to dry out. I never "force" them to get wet. I let them choose whether they want to get wet. Sometimes I'll take them for a shower and they'll just sit on their perch and remain pretty dry. I don't live in a cold climate though and my birds spend almost all of their time in-doors. If it is cold and they are going to spend the day out-of-doors, I don't give them a shower.

Mine were also scared of the shower at first. It took a bit before they understood what it was all about but now they love it.

Ellie.