Found and Keeping a IRN
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Found and Keeping a IRN
We have found and are keeping a male ring neck. We are Kepping him because he has a metal chain around his neck ,which we find that his previous owner cruelly put on him. We have had him less than a week. He is eating and drinking well. He takes food from your hand, but is still scared and not sure of us yet. My Question is, How do we get him used to us and to sit on our hand etc. His wings are not clipped ( that's how he ended up in our backyard!) His beak is large ! Should I waer gloves or will that scare him? Help !!!
Live life to the fullest!
Aww, that’s really sad that they kept a chain around his neck! Poor thing! I wonder why the owner put a chain around his neck? I would image the bird hates the chain and I would get it removed by a vet!
At least he is eating well. Make sure you give him a healthy diet of seeds, pellets, and fruits/vegetables.
You said the bird is scared of you. That’s normal, especially if it has lived inside a rough house. There could have been many factors that made him uneasy of human presence. With this knowledge in mind, it should be up to you to try to coax him in thinking that humans are great. What are things that can be done to help win over his trust?
Winning over your Ringneck’s trust is not impossible but may be difficult. You said your Ringneck takes food from your hand. The bird taking food from your hand puts you way ahead of the game. Find a treat that he really enjoys. Food is the way to a Ringnecks heart. Seriously! It works! Once you find your treat use it for training. Take the treat and offer it to your bird with your hand. Gently and slowly bring the food closer and closer to you. The bird will take the food but might pull back. It’s ok. Continue to do this till the bird feels comfortable being near a human.
Once that step is completed, start putting your hand as a barrier and use the other hand to coax him towards you, which will force the bird to step up on your hand. Keep doing this until the bird is comfortable stepping up on you. Don’t rush him. Take it a step at a time. It may take weeks or months to complete this task. Just stay patient and don’t force the bird to do anything it does not want to.
Once the bird is comfortable on your hand, start to move him around the room. In time, he’ll soon except that you’re his buddy and not an enemy as he perceived you to be. He might hop off or flutter down, just keep repeating. In time you’ll have a tame pet that will enjoy countless hours with you. Also, at night you might want to sing a song to him, or just talk to him while he is in his cage. Get close to the bars and gently talk to him. This calming talk will help sooth him and let him know you are not there to harm him.
Also, you asked about using gloves. I have mixed feelings about gloves. Many times they scare the birds but are a great alternative to prevent biting. Let me tell you, Ringnecks BITE hard!
But personally, I would not use them. Just use coaxing techniques to lure him towards you. That should be all you need and forget the gloves.
Also, clip the wings! Ringnecks that don’t have wings clipped become extra nippy. Once the wings are clipped, the bird will get a real attitude adjustment. Keeping the wings clipped helps to ensure the bird will depend on you for mobility. The bird will soon start to realize that if he wants to get around, he’ll have to be on you, which helps to strengthen the bond between you and the bird.
Hope this helps and welcome to this board!
Best Wishes
I.C.
At least he is eating well. Make sure you give him a healthy diet of seeds, pellets, and fruits/vegetables.
You said the bird is scared of you. That’s normal, especially if it has lived inside a rough house. There could have been many factors that made him uneasy of human presence. With this knowledge in mind, it should be up to you to try to coax him in thinking that humans are great. What are things that can be done to help win over his trust?
Winning over your Ringneck’s trust is not impossible but may be difficult. You said your Ringneck takes food from your hand. The bird taking food from your hand puts you way ahead of the game. Find a treat that he really enjoys. Food is the way to a Ringnecks heart. Seriously! It works! Once you find your treat use it for training. Take the treat and offer it to your bird with your hand. Gently and slowly bring the food closer and closer to you. The bird will take the food but might pull back. It’s ok. Continue to do this till the bird feels comfortable being near a human.
Once that step is completed, start putting your hand as a barrier and use the other hand to coax him towards you, which will force the bird to step up on your hand. Keep doing this until the bird is comfortable stepping up on you. Don’t rush him. Take it a step at a time. It may take weeks or months to complete this task. Just stay patient and don’t force the bird to do anything it does not want to.
Once the bird is comfortable on your hand, start to move him around the room. In time, he’ll soon except that you’re his buddy and not an enemy as he perceived you to be. He might hop off or flutter down, just keep repeating. In time you’ll have a tame pet that will enjoy countless hours with you. Also, at night you might want to sing a song to him, or just talk to him while he is in his cage. Get close to the bars and gently talk to him. This calming talk will help sooth him and let him know you are not there to harm him.
Also, you asked about using gloves. I have mixed feelings about gloves. Many times they scare the birds but are a great alternative to prevent biting. Let me tell you, Ringnecks BITE hard!
But personally, I would not use them. Just use coaxing techniques to lure him towards you. That should be all you need and forget the gloves.
Also, clip the wings! Ringnecks that don’t have wings clipped become extra nippy. Once the wings are clipped, the bird will get a real attitude adjustment. Keeping the wings clipped helps to ensure the bird will depend on you for mobility. The bird will soon start to realize that if he wants to get around, he’ll have to be on you, which helps to strengthen the bond between you and the bird.
Hope this helps and welcome to this board!
Best Wishes
I.C.