Hi all, I have had "pepper" our all grey IRN for a few days now and have used my experience with other birds to get a good start to her training. She has no problems with us handling her now and will step up no problems, and has no issues coming in and out of her cage, it's been a lot of work in a short period but it's going very well, I have some questions though...
She has to be on me, always. On my shoulder, arm or on my lap even though I have encorperated my partner and children in a large percentage of her short training. Will this change? Or am I now her best friend? FOR EVER??
Her diet consists of a range, from a mix of cockatiel mix, pellets to fruit and vegetables as I'm trying to find her favorite food for rewards for further training. However, I'm yet to discover a "treat" or a "reward" as she will gladly eat a mixture and nothing in particular is favoured. Any tips?
She "pepper" as we have named her, has little interest in toys. She had a variety that I have swapped and changed but nothing has been touched?? I have made my own for her from native nuts and bark ( I'm from Queensland Australia, and have heard irn's love gum nuts and the like, but no joy. Why is this? There's bells, mirrors, ladders and nets but not a single toy has been touched?
Pepper is very quiet, the only makes the same quiet calls a few times a day, but she's active and all over her cage and the house. We play quiet music for her to encourage this behavior, but I don't want to decrease her want to make calls or in the future talk, could this do that?
Also, we have toyed with the idea of buying her a man friend, I have thought while still young, it may be in our favor to introduce them. Is this a good idea? I would like to breed them so our children can see this, but I don't want to start a breeding factory of birds as I know there is a lot of work involved, and ultimately, she is a part of our family, not an income. But would like her to have a young hunk, a bit of bird eye candy if you will around the house.
Thanks for reading, and hope you can help with a few of my questions, pepper is preening me as I type this and whispering something in my ear. She may have read the part about a feathered man friend???, lol.
Behaviour of new IRN, quick learner.
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