IndianRingNeck.com

I have had Heeki for 2-3 weeks now, he came from an avery and wasnt hand reared and is about 9-10 weeks old, I am being patient and slow with him to get him to trust me.
I have read that IRN's can be moody and as he is the first one i have had i'm not sure whether i am doing something wrong.

One day he is fine and wants my attention, i am slowly feeding him with both hands in the cage and he accepts food and doesn't bite. I bring Heeki to work with me and home everyday as i work pretty much 7 days, however the cage is right next to me at my desk and i am there most of the time unless running classes.

Heeki cracks it with me when i handle him to put him in the carry box to transport him, some days he is fine other he wont come near me for hours.
I suppose this is just me being impatient however i would love someone to tell so thats all it is..

I am talking to him all the time and he does seem to responds when he isnt shitty with me, he takes food from my finger through the cage and i can put my hands in and he takes from as long as my hand is closed, if i go in the cage with an open hand he panic and flys around in his cage, then he wont speak to me for a while, is it just his moods, he also makes this noise when i try to give him fruit that he doesnt seem to want, it is a growling type of sound, he does this at me when i put him in his carry cage, i'm thinking this is his disapproval noise, lol i am calling Heeki a he perhaps its a she lol!!
any suggestions for the next step, i have read loads of post and i have say this site is awesome and has taught me so much thank you everyone!!

hi, i have had my IRN for 2 weeks and for one weeks, but not like 1 week two week it was a in the middle type thing like it started a few day after i got him and ended a few days ago. but he would make a growling sound, at first i thought it might have been him immitating the kettle (although he is still too young to talk) so when i made the growling noise so did he i soon realised it was what he did when he was scared he will soon realize that you arent scary and stop growling.

and with the open hand thing and idea is to put your hand in the cage closed wait a bit and slowly open it with treats in your palm, ive never had to deal with this because it apperas every bird i get it pretty much tame, never bitten and flew away but only if we werent on the computer or i wasnt scratching him and 2 of my three birds were aviary birds and my thrid one is the IRN he/she's only 8 weeks old (2 months)

hope it helps and i just think ur being impatient, i always was with my budgies, i expected thenm to love me and do all the tricks i wanted in a few day, oh and talk, and if the didnt they hated me hahaha, but just try opening your hand slowly with treats inside so maybe he wont get scared and will say that open hand means treats or 'good'

you sound as though youre being quite patient and considerate of his feelings which is definately the best start!

putting him in the carry box is possibly causing him stress, and really might not like it. I know my birds love the car and if you take them down, in a small cage, within 5 mins they'll settle right down, and i open the door. They loove to sit and watch out the window! Its also a much calmer way of travelling rather than being in a small box. maybe you should try this?

as to food, theyre notoriously picky. Salvador for example loves yellow capsicum, but hates red capsicum and if i offer it to him, most times he deliberately takes it from where ever it is and throws it to the ground/bottom of the cage. however, many of the foods he initially had an aversion to he now eats quite readily. instead of hand feeding, peg a small slice in his cage and keep doing it to let him adjust and get a taste for it. As you're building your relationship and trying to get him adjusted to you, just offer him treats he likes, apple and such, so that he associates you with only positive experiences.

the growling is quite normal, salvador growls all the time. at food, at toys, at us. It obviously an annoyance sound, and sometimes he does it for practice, as a game. But dont be worried that its unnatural or even uncommon

never fear, youre on the right track, and it can be slow progress with earning their trust. and welcome to the the wonderful experience of befriending a parrot!

Thanks guys

we put him in a travel box, which he sits on the bars of the door and looks out, so he isnt is darkness however his personality is definitely developing.
Im glad the growling noise his normal, does make me laugh though.

I'm starting to understand that this isnt a quick process grr however i have patience and we will get there...

thanks again, its always calming to be reassured that we are doing the right thing.

In my experience with birds generally (especially non hand raised ones), I find just when you get to the stage of, "if I dont see progress today, I'm going to give up", that's when you get a breakthrough! So don't give up, be encouraged & look for the smallest signs of progress & celebrate those!

Ellie.