Hi there fellow IRN owners!

[Tinus]

Hi guys, new here,

So i got 2 indian ringnecks, baby Creamino (Chico) and the older green one(paulie);
each one of them have a special story behind them which I'll share soon enough but first, i registered to see if some of you pros could answer some questions i have about them..

First, both of them are males and I've been thinking of getting another female, but here's the thing, im quite sure they will get jealous and aggresive, what would be the best approach to socialize my 2 boys with a newcomer to the family? Or, would it be better to just stick with the 2 instead?

Secondly, I have sweaty hands and feet due a glands problem, (doctors just keep telling me its stress, and that the only solution would be to kinda kill the nerves in my fingertips, naturaly i refused) for some reason, the birds love licking my hands when they are sweaty, same thing when i get back from gym, they all up in my neck licking the wetness off, not only that, seems they love to eat and drink out of my mouth, I'm a healthy person but i doubt this is good for them?

And lastly, i would like to know the best way of teaching them to talk, both of them are totaly lovable birds, the green one is so attached to me infact that hes on my pillow before i even wake up, climbs on me before i even finished getting dressed etc, so I would say the socializing part is definately over, the birds definately do trust and love me as much as i do them.

I would like to add that i love my two boys more than most animal owners do (I'm quite sure some of you know what I'm talking about ) i only buy the best food i could get, they have big cages, with loads of toys, mirrors, swings etc, they are spoiled with apples and the best food i can buy for em which is a mix of dried fruit, seends, nuts etc, they are ALWAYS open when I'm at home with them, but closed up when i'm not, even though this is sometimes harder for me than it is for them , they get more than enough love and attention, a fact which im realy proud of (I'm one of those people that get REALY mad and sad at the same time when people mistreat animals, or expect things from them when not giving them enough time and attention, and then reacts to their unwillingness in a bad way).

Sorry for the long book i wrote lol, i believe you guys who share the same love for your birds and literaly see them as part of the family will understand how you can never talk enough about them!

[Skyes_crew]

Hi and welcome

You've definitely come to the right place to find fellow bird lovers. This forum is full of advice on everything from fresh food diets to harness training. We also love to share training techniques, stories about our birds, and pictures and videos of their latest accomplishments. You will never lack for something to read I don't have a personal comment about your birds licking sweat, but sharing food and drink from your mouth can be dangerous for both you and your bird. Other than that though, sounds like you and your birds have a great relationship with each other

Adding another bird is a personal choice. It will most definitely change the dynamics in your household. If you're not planning to breed, maybe just the two will be ok. If you are planning to breed then you will have to decide which male you will be pairing up with a female. That may change the relationship you currently have with that male. its a lot to think about. In the end, it is possible, but ultimately your decision.

[MissK]

Hi. My two cents about getting a female - do some soul-searching first and find out what you would expect to change and how from adding a female, and then set about determining if your expectations are reasonable and realistic. For instance, you might expect to have one big cage of birds, all happy together, but this would be an unreasonable expectation due to the social dynamic in breeding season. On the other hand, you might expect to have three large cages and a joyous cacaphony much of the time. That would be a much more reasonable and realistic expectation.

I'm thrilled to hear your attitudes towards your animals, and SkyesCrew is right - you'll find very passionate people here. Nice to see you can make a longish post, too - I don't want to always be the yappy one!

Welcome! Now tell us the stories.

-MissK

[Tinus]

Thanks a mil for the warm welcome and replies;

Please do share your opinion from the sweat thing skye;

Also, @Missk, i currently have 3 large cages in my sleeping room, the boys are open from the time i get home till i leave for work again the next morning, they wake early, and as soon as one hears the other is getting out of hes cage, so does he, chico normally comes to me just to get a good mornin' kiss and then runs off playing with hes toys, climbs up the curtains and windowsill etc (windows closed at all times ofc) while paulie will climb up my bed, nibble my ear till i wake, and just sticks to me the whole time till i have to take him off to finish up for work . So the plan was to get a 3rd bird, simply because of my love for these birds, and since i have 3 cages anyway (was thinking about a blue one this time), not necessarily for breeding, i was only thinking about getting a female this time since i already have two boys (and another male might be even worse that a female this time?) so I'm only worried about socializing the 3, having them learn to love the newcomer aswell..

I'd like to post some pics about my boys, their cages and toys etc, not sure if i need to make more posts or if i need the permission added?

[MissK]

Hey Tinus, sounds nice. That was just an example, by the way. Since you bring it up, though, do think about breeding, because the birds will.

-MissK

[Tinus]

Naturaly

Would'nt mind some baby birds either, saw some beautiful baby bird pics yesterday from someone where the babies were in something that looked kinda like a material bird nest inside the cages, was really curious about this and thinking it would be awesome to having something like inside my cages for the birds to sleep in, but then again, my boys would probably rip it to shreds if they don't like it xD

[Skyes_crew]

Hey Tinus, I love that your birds are allowed to explore so freely are they flighted?

Generally male IRN's will always get along better in groups. So if it was my decision, I would go with a male. But if you have your heart set on babies definitely read up on the breeding season dynamics you will have to accommodate. Babies are so cute though aren't they

As for the sweat, I can see two issues possibly. The first is sodium. Birds love salt. But salt doesn't love birds unfortunately lol. Small amounts are ok, but not in excess. And sweat contains a lot of sodium. The second issue is any medications you may be taking could possibly be excreted in small amounts through your sweat glands. Ill have to do some research on this and get back to you. Maybe some thin cotton gloves could work. Although its very hot this time of year. Ill brainstorm for you

[Tinus]

Thanks Skye appreciate that, nice to meet people with knowledge about these things who are willing to share!

As for my boys, nope they are clipped, I'm ridiculously concerned for their safety but I do believe that its wrong to keep em caged up all the time, I have family that does that unfortunately.. Got into loads of arguments with em when I see how depressed and agetated their birds get, unfortunately some people only get pets for their own entertainment and only give them small amounts of attention when it suits them, I hate this kinda thing, that is NOT love towards your pets and people like this just shouldn't have pets period (my opinion ofc).

Their wings are clipped but I leave the last 2 feathers so they can still glide and to fall to hard, on weekends they are open fulltime from friday till monday morning, I normaly take them out for a walk in the park across where I live on sunday mornings early when its still quiet with just some doves and other birds around - they looooove this!

[Little Buttercup]

Hi and welcome, soooo lovely birds you have there. Maybe you should consider leaving their wings to grow in. You will have a lovely time watching them zooming around the house!

Ash

[Tinus]

I did consider that, thing is though that the animals get hurt, flying into windows etc, then they get stressed, it's a little too dangerous in my opinion, they seem very happy though, jumping around climbing up everything and having a ball with their toys, constantly grinding their beaks, especially before sleeping time, which as far as i know is also a sign of them feeling safe and happy

[Skyes_crew]

Hey Tinus,

So in researching I found that the sodium levels in sweat can in fact be harmful to birds in excessive amounts. So maybe just limit them. I also found out that a few medications can be excreted through sweat glands. You would have to check with your doc to see if any of the ones you are on are on that short list. It's an extremely small amount though. It suggested regular use of an alcohol based antibacterial hand sanitizer to remove trace amounts.

Now for a subject close to my heart...flighted birds. You'll find that most of us have flighted birds. While there are some situations that may call for clipping, we feel as a whole that it is healthier and safer overall for a bird to have the freedom of flight. Birds that are allowed to fly daily have less health problems, less confidence issues, and more exercise opportunities. They actually stress less often because they can fly away in situations that frighten them. You seem to be one of the lucky ones that have clipped birds that don't bite. We see so many people here daily asking about their birds and why they bite and why they can't train them and we find out they are clipped. Basically in a birds life when the fight or flight instinct takes over, they feel they have no other alternative other than biting when they can't fly away. It's never too late to let their flights grow in though just a thought. I'd never push you to do something you're not comfortable with. But it's such a glorious thing to watch my birds fly through my house. 4 of mine are flight recall trained and will fly to me when called. But if its ever something you want to give a shot, we can all help

[InTheAir]

Hi there,

Welcome! Your boys sound lovely, and you obviously do a great job of looking after them!

Just thought I'd add my 2c to the flight and safety debate. As far as hitting windows is concerned, birds can learn the concept of windows easily. If you take your bird to the window so his beak touches it, he can feel it is there.
We don't cover our windows and our bird zooms around the house fine.
Our avian vet has a big window in the consult room we were in. When our bird started thinking he wanted to fly around, I pointed this out (I could see nila wanted to fly, but wasn't sure about the space) and the vet got us to take nila to the window and let him beak it. After that Nila flew around the room fine while we talked to the vet.
Flying is healthy and fun!
But, you do need to be able to ensure doors always get closed in your house, that is the only safety reason I can argue for pro clipping. We almost had to clip our last flatmate around the ear because he liked to open the door to go out then turn around and talk to us with the door wide open and the bird flying laps of the house. Needless to say, we clipped the flatmate out, not the bird.
Windows can be covered with lace curtains or opened blinds too.
Sorry, I always get the urge to defend a birds intelligence when safety is called as a reason to clip. There are some birds that are so scared and panicked by humans that keeping them flighted in the house is not going to be safe, but a tame bird is unlikely to have this issue.

Regards,
Claire

[Tinus]

Makes perfect since, I'll definitely consider not clipping them anymore and ofc keeping the doors and windows closed, to be very honest I always felt bad and guilty clipping them, to me it felt like I took a part of their natural being away, and hated doing this but convinced myself it was for their safety, I would also **** myself if I were to lose any one if them knowing they can't survive out there on their own, so I'll have to be extra cautious, but I'm convinced that its better to have them fly freely when outside their cages, thanks for the advice guys,

Thanks for the info too Skye much appreciated!

So guys about the socializing part when getting another one, what would be the best way for them to accept the newcomer without biting?

[InTheAir]

Heyo,
I think flight = bird. Just do your research though. We discovered flighted birds can chew cornices the hard way! Luckily he only does it when he feels he is being ignored and he does warn us a couple times before he will do it. As long as we pay attention when he wants it he lets us have undamaged cornices.

[Tinus]

It is indeed! its always nice to hear what other people do to make their birds feel more comfortable, and then hearing what the bird's reaction was, in the end i think it goes back to basics, let your bird be, while taking the necessary precautions and looking after them, thats the only way the birds will ever realy be happy. My birds will die of old age and nothing else, ill see to this, and when that time comes, i want to know that ive done everything to make their lives worth it, that's why its good for us humans to have pets, not only having a pet to love but also to take them out of cruel reality and give them a life worth living, seeing how happy they are, the way they shine and when you can almost see a smile from their little expressions, watching them hop around and whistle, makes it all worth it. There i go again, but y'all know what im talking about im sure

[Skyes_crew]

Funny you should say WE have pets...our birds seem to think that they have pet humans lol.

http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =2&t=17524

As far as introducing a new bird, you should always start with rule number one. Quarantine. At least thirty days in separate cages in separate rooms. But not so far that the birds can't call to each other. When you're sure your new bird is safe from sickness, place the cage next to your other birds and give them time to get acquainted through the bars. Feed treats at the same time, same routine in everything. Then slowly incorporate small amounts of supervised playtime. Honestly it just takes time. They will have their scuffles. As long as there isn't blood and real nasty fighting, just let them get used to each other the way that birds do.

[InTheAir]

Lol opps I totally misread that post. I thought you meant socialising them with people lol!

[Tinus]

Awesome advice! thats been on my mind for some time now, great to get a professional answer thanks so much!
You said your birds were flight recall trained? how did you train them? i'd also like to know the best way in teaching them to talk!

[Skyes_crew]

lol Claire...Nila is messing with your mind now

Tinus you are very welcome. Flight recall is actually one of the simpler things you can teach your bird. All it involves is a perch, your birds favorite treat, and some patience. You start at a close proximity to your bird holding a treat where he can see it and call him to you. When he responds you treat him. Over time you move further away. Eventually you work up to a call from another room by voice command only. Once he has mastered this, you can add other objects besides your hand. You can teach him to go home, or back to his perch, or to his favorite play gym or even a certain person. This can be done by visual cues or verbal cues. I prefer verbal cues since they are consistent. If you decide to let your birds go flighted, flight recall is a very important step in the process. It may just save your bird from taking off one day or getting your bird out of a dangerous situation. It's also a good stepping stone if you decide to start trick training. Claire (intheair) and her bird Nila are amazing at trick training. She can help you if you ever want advice or help in that department. Her bird can paint, play the piano, play billiards, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.

Now talking....this really is all dependent on the bird. Some birds are chatterboxes, while others are just super quiet. I actually have one of each. I did nothing different with each. I talk just as much every day to them. One talks all day long. And the other hasn't said a single word yet. Just continue to talk to them. They'll repeat whatever phrases they like the best. Usually when they get sleepy they start mumbling to themselves and that's when you'll usually hear your first word or phrase for the first time. So listen closely ;)

[Little Buttercup]

Makes perfect since, I'll definitely consider not clipping them anymore and ofc keeping the doors and windows closed, to be very honest I always felt bad and guilty clipping them, to me it felt like I took a part of their natural being away, and hated doing this but convinced myself it was for their safety, I would also **** myself if I were to lose any one if them knowing they can't survive out there on their own, so I'll have to be extra cautious, but I'm convinced that its better to have them fly freely when outside their cages, thanks for the advice guys,

Thanks for the info too Skye much appreciated!

So guys about the socializing part when getting another one, what would be the best way for them to accept the newcomer without biting?

Hi, I'm soooo happy for your birds that you considered not clipping them again . I had a clipped bird at first and her wings was very short when I bought her, she could not even land properly and would just fall down. And one day when a cat went after her she could not fly to safety and that is when I lost her to the cat. My cockatiel had clipped wings too for 1 year and now that he is fully flighted I have to teach him flight recall and he keeps on crashing and banging into windows and walls , since only 1 wing used to be clipped, he does'nt know how to fly. On the otherhand Kiwi flies gloriously through the house and not once did he crash into glass, I have a large window in the bird room and a large glass door, but never did he crash into any of those, he loves landing on the kitchen windowsill and from there fly to the other rooms and land on the windowsills. Yes I have to be very careful about keeping all the doors shut.

When we do something and feel guilty about it it shows that we have done wrong!

Ash

[Tinus]

Interesting thanks again! Definately looking forward too seeing my birds reaction when they can freely fly around the place, and ill definately try the flight recall thing, i would loooove to brag about how my birds come to me when called, that kinda bond would just be awesome to have! Skye, got some nice recent pics of your birds? I'd love to see! (cant wait to share mine either ^^)

[InTheAir]

Skyes, I've got a cold and my brain feels a bit squishy. Nila has been extra quiet (by that i mean he is practising saying peekaboo in different voices and inflictions over and over) and well behaved this week, so I can't even attribute my floss brian to him!

Tinus, I think the best bit is when the bird flies to land on you for no particular reason. Then you know your 'in'! That's my favourite thing, every time. It's a privilege.

[Skyes_crew]

Awww feel better Claire. We luv ya squishy brain and all!!

Don't you just love when it sounds like you have 20 different birds that know how to say peekaboo lol. Skye was stuck on that one for weeks

[Skyes_crew]

Hey Tinus...found this great article for you to read on why flight is so important in birds

http://theparrotuniversity.com/flight.php

[Skyes_crew]

Hey Tinus...just saw that you asked for pics of my babies...of course always willing to share pics of the fids

This is Skye my Blue Ringneck



This is Hamlet my Violet Ringneck



This is Mack my Umbrella Cockatoo



This is Jewel my conure



My two cockatiels Nani (grey) Banana (yellow)



My Alexandrine Cyrano



And my Bare Eyed Cockatoo Bubbles



And this is their home

[Tinus]

I'm in awe.. That is absolutely amazing, every single one of them looks so healthy and happy, they all look absolutely beautiful, the room with the cages and everything is huge, I realy respect the love and devotion you show to your pets skye, I can see that you took everything into consideration and put A LOT of thought into it, the room has enough space, they have beautiful cages and places to play, you have my respect!!

Do all of them get along when opened? None of them bite each other?

[Skyes_crew]

Not all of them get along. They have their scuffles...believe me lol. But they have wings so if they don't like someone, they can fly elsewhere. They know who they can and can't play with. Who will and won't bite them I have additional perches in other rooms for them to escape to also. Usually though its pretty peaceful. It just takes time. I put a lot of time into my animals. Thank you for the compliments. It means a lot if you'd like to post a pic of your babies you could always email it to me and I could post it for you.

[MissK]

I didn't realize you were *really* going to bring Bubbles home!

No wonder you need a new play gym!

-MissK

[Tinus]

Not all of them get along. They have their scuffles...believe me lol. But they have wings so if they don't like someone, they can fly elsewhere. They know who they can and can't play with. Who will and won't bite them I have additional perches in other rooms for them to escape to also. Usually though its pretty peaceful. It just takes time. I put a lot of time into my animals. Thank you for the compliments. It means a lot if you'd like to post a pic of your babies you could always email it to me and I could post it for you.

Well, how many replies do i post before i can post them?

[Skyes_crew]

Tinus..you should be able to post today or tomorrow. You reached your post quota

MissK...was there ever really a question

[Tinus]

Great! pic flood incoming!

[MissK]

Guess not, really.

-MissK

[Skyes_crew]

Maybe it's more of a trickle hehehe

[MissK]

Jewel shows great attitude. I've long thought the Suns are beautiful, but not the right bird for me. I just appreciate other people's....

-MissK

[Tinus]

So I've tried posting but i still cant post my pics, mind giving me your email skye? cant send attachments via the site's email link.

[MissK]

Search for ellieelectron's picture posting post. It helped me!

-MissK

[Skyes_crew]

You should be able to post Tinus. You need to upload your photos to a photo hosting site like photobucket. Then copy the URL link and paste it to your post. If it still doesn't work let me know.

I love my sun MissK. She's a sassy one. But she's also super cuddly. At night when she's sleepy and I'm putting the birds to bed she climbs down off her cage and crawls into my shirt to go to sleep for a bit.

[Tinus]

I tried, uploaded to imageshack, it still tells me to remove my offsite url's and that my post looks spammy for a new user.

I'm curious to know, are your ringnecks cuddly as well? Mine aren't at all, as lovable as they are, they are 'hands off'

[Skyes_crew]

Ok..email to me...arcticwolf1975 @ hotmail . Com

Skye will allow exactly two minutes of cuddles if I'm away all day...then it's like," hey mom, you're cramping my style"

Hamlet will let me squeeze him to death...he doesn't care

[Tinus]

Thats so cool! how long have you had the two? In my case, Paulie will let me pat him abit, when he gets tired he will let me scratch hes neck untill he falls asleep, but chico ducks and dives xD

Ill send the mail over, thanks skye

[Skyes_crew]

Sorry again Tinus...didn't see that you asked another question. this week has been crazy so far.

Anyway, Skye was a secondhand adopted bird. I got him when he was 10 months old. He's about 18 months now. He's really forgiving of just about everything, but he's just not that cuddly. He will sit on me for the longest time when he feels like it. And other times, I don't see him all day because he's off playing. But he does love to be scratched. His eyes close and he goes into a trance. Especially if i get right along his crown. Hamlet I got as a baby. He was parent raised and fledged and came to me as a confident happy quiet bird. I picked him out of a clutch of four. He's been such a great bird from day one. He's super smart. He was flight recall trained by 4 months old. He's now going on 7 months old and he just learned to wolf whistle and he's started mumbling his first words. He will let me grab him any way I want. He never refuses to step up. And I can bury my face in his feathers and he will nibble on me to give kisses at the same time. The two birds definitely have unique personalities.

[Tinus]

Sounds awesome! Mine has completely different personalities as well, Paulie is also adopted, my mother's boss said he got this bird but didn't want him because he's other bird stopped talking so he kinda just wanted to rid himself of the bird by letting it fly away, thing was tho that Paulie could already whistle and I noticed the bird was owned by someone before, so Paulie wouldn't know how to take care of himself out there, and so I took him in, and with absolutely zero regrets.

Chico I got as baby, he was one of the elite birds that this elderly guy bred, the old man also had a crazy amount of love for these birds, after 4 months or so after buying Chico from him I took Chico to him to brag a little, the guy gave me a hug out a nowhere and thanked me with tears in he's eyes, about 2 weeks after the old man died and I was glad I showed Chico to him in time..

[Little Buttercup]

Awwwww, Skye! What lovely birds you have there! And a nice home for them too!

Ash

[Skyes_crew]

Thanks Ash How have you been?

[Little Buttercup]

Fine, just would like to have more time to spend here on this forum and learn as much as I can! Still taming Kiwi, going veeerrry slow but steady. Prefer not to rush and let him take his time to get used to me.

Ash