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Hi, I'm new on the block. I just bought my baby Suki last friday and boy oh boy do I have question! Well the first of all the first 2 days he would not eat or move. Finally i got him to eat and he now moves around the cage and plays with the toys inside of the cage..... but he has not make a peep! No noise what so ever..... My family seems to think he's a mute..... IS THIS NORMAL?? And as for handling, he will step up, but hates to come out of the cage! And doesn't like to be touched @ all. He's about 3 months so can i get some advice?

Hi.

When we first brought Magoo home we thought something was wrong because he made no sounds. After a few days as he became more comfortable, he started replying to my "tiel"s whistles with a"caw-caw-caw" call and now he is making a variety of sounds almost like a jungle recording.

Give Suki a little time to settle in and I'm sure he'll start vocalizing.

Skippie

My George was 3 months old as well when I brought him home. Your Suki sounds exactly like George behaved; barely eating if at all, no noise, and he did not want to be touched. Now after about 3 weeks of working with him he loves to be scratched, he makes little noises and this morning he woke me up with some very loud squawking. To day was the first time I heard him actually squawk loudly it was a surprise. He also just started climbing of his cage to come to me. He walked all the way across the room looked up at me, so I picked him up, he sat happily on my shoulder for 30-40 minutes before going back to his cage to eat.

So do you think it's better to leave the cage door open to let him come out on his own? Also is it better to keeping trying to interact with him or not force him to interacte with me?

Well I think the cage door being open is a good thing it lets the bird decide for himself what they want. If you have other animals, small children, or lots of people running around, that is not a good idea. Also if you can not keep an eye on your bird when they are out and about or the cage door is open you may find that you can not find your bird. This can be bad for your house and the birds, no telling what they will eat, get eaten by, destroy, get tangled up in, etc. Irn’s love to chew on stuff and they don’t know what the cost of the wicker chair is they only know it sure is fun to chew up(found George and my two lovebirds chewing on mine and all I did was step out to go to the restroom I was gone for less than 2 minutes). There are a large number of household dangers for birds.

If you have a bird room or a bird safe room (so to speak) a place were you can keep an eye on the bird and still get things done, you could leave the door open.

As far as interaction, I always talk to my birds and hold them. When I first brought George home, I held him several times a day starting with little 10 minute sessions working up to 30-40 minute sessions I did have to take him away from his cage as he wanted to go back in and just sit there. I also gave him little treats in his food dish after handling him, now he will take them from my hands. This reinforces the idea that something good comes from being with these human creatures. It just takes time and effort with birds, I find the more you work with them the more of a reward you get from there company and love.

I have been reading a lot about irn’s as George is my first one. Everything that I have read says you need to handle them daily. As I said I handle all my birds daily, they all have unique and wonderful personalities. Sometimes George just wants to be left alone but with every bird you will have to find out there different quarks and the only way to do that is interact with them constantly.

You can also try just sitting by the cage and talking to your bird even reading aloud gives them the opportunity to decide that you are not going to hurt them. Do not I repeat do not stare at your bird this is what predatory animals do it will only scare and discourage your bird. Blink more than you will normally do when looking at your bird and talk softly. You may even find that when you blink your bird will blink back. They do communicate this way in the wiled. It is a way of showing that they are friendly. My lovebird do this when I look at them and start blinking.

Hope this helped.

Hi I had named mine Suki as well! We don't know if she is a boy or girl quite yet so now we just called her Baby Well, that and we called her baby all the time anyhow

Hope you darling starts vocalizing soon!

I leave my cage door open as well except at night because i dont want him to get stepped on in the dark. He loves the freedom and that makes him happier. Time is all it takes, I just bought a red belly, a african species of bird, who is very quiet doesnt like to be pet. Today is day two and I can see improvement. Time.

You also might want to try to get a shower perch and take him in there, and let him sit on it while you take a shower. The steam and the light mist they get from the shower calms them down. If i didnt do this I would have more scars on my hands, My dude(IRn) loved to make me bleed but now he is my love!!