Am I doing the right thing or not ??

[phlem_21]

Hi

I adopted what I was told was a 6 month old male IRN, I bought a massive cage for him and didnt try to interact for a week whilst he got used to his new environment.

Iv had him 2 weeks now. He make plenty noise, fly's around the room and will land on my head, he will take food from my hand and will fly onto my hand if I say "come on" and reward him with a treat

i thought he would be used to my hand but he backs off if I try to touch him or bites me. Iv ordered a clicker off ebay to try and tame him and read about the touch training however, when i try to use a chopstick or a pen he backs off ot flys away

can anyone offer advise as to what im doing wrong and how I can tame him. He only goes into his cage for food, toys and water, spends most of his time outside ontop of his cage. i dont see how I will be able to get him to "step up" if he back away for anything I put near him other thatn food /

any help appreciated

thanks

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Phlem

I know it may not feel like, but you are doing really well. You've got your bird taking food from your hand and voluntarily flying onto your hand. That's really, really good! Well done!

Touching is a hard one. Not all birds will feel comfortable being touched. Of my two, only one of mine likes to be touched. You can try to train your bird to like touch by holding a pile of treats in your hand and stroking your bird with your other hand whilst they are on their playstand.

Stepping up isn't too far away if your bird flies to your hand. I would suggest you continue doing that and gradually get closer and closer to your bird when you invite your bird to fly to your hand and eventually your bird will be stepping up. The other way you can do it is by having your bird on a T-stand and letting your hand become an extension of the perch and use treats to lure your bird closer and closer to your hand until eventually he has to put one foot on your hand (maybe just for a second) to get the treat and keep going in that vane.

Do you have a play-stand/t-perch or something you can use to interact with your bird when he is out of the cage?

Ellie.

[phlem_21]

thanks for the reply Ellie

I dont have any other stand's or perch's for him, wasnt sure if I needed one as he just sits on the top of his cage or ontop of the curtain pole in that room.

Iv tried to stroke him with my free hand when he's been eating a treat but he fly's away. Im trying to to ignore him to make him want more attention but its hard when I would love to stroke him.

I think seeing these video's on youtube of very tamed and interactive IRN's is inspiring but also makes me feel like Im doing something wrong. I know I have to be patient.

Can you recommend what food you use for treats please ? Iv used apple, grapes, honey, brocoli nuts and seeds

thanks

[ellieelectrons]

I tend to use sunflower seeds and granulated nuts although, I do use other things from time to time. Whatever you use, cut it up really finely, otherwise your bird will be full before you even get started.

A play area is nice because it gives you "neutral territory" where you can interact with your bird. Some birds will get territorial of their cage, so it's nice to have another special place for you guys to hang out. I also train behaviours with my guys on the play perch (eg. turnaround, retrive). You can see some videos of them here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ellieelectrons

You've still got time to teach your bird - six months isn't too old. You may or may not end up with the "perfect bird" you were hoping for... but you can always improve your relationship with them and it will be fulfilling for you. Sometimes, I think it can be all the more worthwhile because you have to work so hard for it.

You need to remember that your bird is really smart, so you need to find ways to stimulate him mentally. I've found training is really good for mental stimulation and for communication.

I still have problems with my two guys (especially around breeding season) but I wouldn't trade them for anything and we have lots of good times too!

Ellie.

[Skyes_crew]

Ellie gives good advice. Try to think of your ringneck like a toddler. They absorb new information like a sponge. They are very curious. And they can test your limits to see what they can get away with. Ringnecks are a constant work in progress. There will never be a day that they don't need training, stimulation, or interaction. The problem with seeing those videos on YouTube is that it gives new ringneck owners a false image of the average ringneck. Those birds in those videos receive hours and hours of training and interaction. Most of them have been handled since hatchling. You need to put those videos out of your mind and set obtainable more realistic goals for your bird. Maybe someday he could be a "Marnie". But for now work on the basics. You have made wonderful progress with your bird so far. Don't get frustrated or impatient. You will need a lot of patience. I've found that the older the IRN when rehomed, if not used to touch, the harder to get used to hands. Just move slowly, don't give up, because then you give your bird the impression that he is charge. And always try to end a training session on a good note. A separate stand would be a great idea and try to train when you know your bird is hungry. A full bird has a choice to eat or not. A hungry bird will stick around to see what's on the menu. Just keep going...you are on the right path for sure

[MissK]

I think a teensy tiny shift in perspective might be helpful here. I read:

Iv had him 2 weeks now. He make plenty noise, fly's around the room and will land on my head, he will take food from my hand and will fly onto my hand if I say "come on" and reward him with a treat

The bird will come to you willingly (fly to your head) and on invitation ("come on" to your hand), and will come to your hand for food. I think you are not having a taming issue, but a confidence issue. I think you just need to seduce him into stepping up with a great food lure and a rock steady hand, with a great deal of patience. I would go so far as to say that he would like to take the next step (so to speak) but he is not comfortable with this different method of your hand being presented. Once he has the skill of stepping up, then you can name it and put it on cue.

You could go with the method of making your hand an extension of whatever he perches on and luring him gradually closer and closer until he's on the hand. Then repeat a lot until he is unconcerned completely, and then raise the bar. I think that is a great method.

Another method you might try, since he already flies to your hand, is to have a second person help you. If he is also comfortable with a second person, let him fly to your hand, and put your other hand in stepping range. Then have your friend lure him to step on the second hand. Could be challenging, two people working together and trying to keep your hands still. But, since it would only require him to go from hand to hand I think it might be worth a try.

These are my opinions.

-MissK