IndianRingNeck.com

Hi all, I am due to pick up my baby Ringneck (just fledging) in a few days. He has been parent raised in an aviary, and I'm not 100% sure how scared/ wild he is going to be. If any one can give me some advice and pointers on what to do when I get him home I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

Bobbijo

Ask the breeder to clip his wings, this will make taming a bit easier once you get to that point. Let him settle in for a few days. With new birds I keep the back and sides of the cage covered to give them a sense of security and over the next week or so I uncover one side at a time. Speak gently and don't move overly fast (nor too slowly! predators move very slowly while stalking heh). Just be deliberate, pass treats through the bars, etc. Feed lots of yummy foods. I swear you can win almost any IRN heart with food.

After that, it will all depend on how frightened he still is. Sorry I can't give a strategy, I tend to follow my instincts when it comes to taming and it changes with every bird.

Hi thanks for your help. I have just spoken to the breeder, and I will be picking him up on Friday. The breeder has suggested hand feeding him for a while after I get him home in order to tame him. What do you think? What would I feed him, and how? The breeder said he is currently eating seeds and fruits and veg, but the parents are still feeding him a little too. What do you think?

Bobbijo2354 wrote:Hi thanks for your help. I have just spoken to the breeder, and I will be picking him up on Friday. The breeder has suggested hand feeding him for a while after I get him home in order to tame him. What do you think? What would I feed him, and how? The breeder said he is currently eating seeds and fruits and veg, but the parents are still feeding him a little too. What do you think?

Your breeder is your best bet for that info. Ask the breeder for a little handfeeding formula and have him/her show (not just tell) you how to feed it. Personally if I had no handfeeding experience, I would ask the breeder to feed the chick I was taking home. That way the chick knows it is food. I imagine a parent-raised bird won't understand a syringe=food and that would make your first attempt difficult (mental image of formula splattered everywhere, bird and human freaking out) LOL!

...

Erp nevermind just looked at the date you posted. How is it going? ^^;

It's going really well thanks! The first couple of feeds weren't so easy, but he was also eating seeds and veg/fruit, but after that he worked out that I wasn't trying to hurt him, and he was happy to be fed. He is doing well and will eat about 5-8ml a feed at the moment, three times a day, he is happy to step up onto my hand now and will sit in my shoulder/hand happily for treats. He finally started squawking quite a bit yesterday, and he'll do pretty much anything for a sunflower seed. It was not as difficult as I expected and he's really starting to trust me! An he is so cute!!

Glad to hear it.

See? Food is the secret to a ringneck's heart.