IndianRingNeck.com

Very glad to have found the forum. Have been reading for a few days and looking at the lovely photos. Have concerns running in several directions and hope you will be kind enough to help. I Googled bluffing:)

I have large birds. Three cockatoos and two African Greys. Met an IRN once in a pet store years ago that I just loved. Went to a bird show for toys and Breezer, an eight week old Creamino IRN followed me home! I never do impulsive stuff like this, but did.

Was given the old song and dance about the baby being almost weaned...ya, not. This is the hardest bird to feed I've ever encountered with the tiny beak. I've resorted to pipettes. Since it hovers around 100 grams, I assume he needs 10 grams a feeding - but how often?? I'm doing four times a day right now. I have yet to see this guy eat anything on his own I didn't poke in his mouth. The fresh hot breakfast etc.

Other questions in other forums to follow - LOL

Debbie

Hello and welcome!!! Your baby is 8 weeks old and should be weaning very soon. Try spoon feeding it's much easier for a novice hand feeder. I use a baby spoon with rubber on the spoon and bend it on both sides to resemble a birds lower beak. You should also be offering foods like peas and corn and cheerio's, they will play with these foods until they get the hang of eating them. You should also get a scale to weigh the baby before the first feeding of the day. The baby should gain weight every day until it gets ready to fledge (learn how to fly).

What type of Cockatoo's do you have? I'm a Too mom too!!

Donna

Welcome to our flock! Sounds like you have a great lil flock there and congrads on your first IRN. Lots of healpy helpers here. Your baby shouldnt be too far off from weaned.

Hey, thanks! I've fed out two Umbrella cockatoos and an African Grey, but this tiny beak just has me in the fret mode:) All the flock gets a hot breakfast every morning that is a bean, rice, veggie mix.

So I gather that feeding it four times a day is not what I should be doing? I fed him fresh food from his bowl, from a plate and poked rice down his beak but he sure won't pick up anything on his own. The little toot has me trained already!

Donna, aren't Too's wonderful! We have two Umbrella's, one Giffins and two CAG's. Do you have to let your IRN out alone, when the TOO isn't out?? I'm getting this feeling that even grown, IRN's are pretty small. I can't believe I did no research first. It's not the way I usually operate! Our guys have a gallery here: http://www.pbase.com/manyara/parrots

Debbie

Debbie I've had a varitity of cockatoo's from M2's to G2's and I love them all. I will be getting a baby U2 in a couple months and I have 3 grey's 1CAG and a breeding pair of Timneths 1 B&G Macaw and 3 IRN's. Your photo's are great! Don't worry to much about your baby IRN just try to get it to eat more on it's own and just give it comfort feedings about twice a day. All birds wean differently when they get darn good and ready.
I wouldn't let the Too's out when the IRN is out. Theres a pic somewhere I think on this board of a little ringneck that had it's beak rip off by a Too
Good luck and keep us posted on the baby!!

Donna

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you have your hands full.

My babies began nibbling at food around 6 weeks old. I found leaving millet spray in with them and getting soft corn and pea's and pushing the centers out of the outside husk onto a small dish was a favorite of theirs, even pushing the center out into their beaks to chew on, or I would pick up bits with my finger and tempt them, they would nibble around on it, but not really eat alot of it. At 8 weeks you can also try soaked seed.

At this age, as donna says, two feeds a day should be ample and may prompt a little hunger to prompt him/her to attempt to eat on its own.

If you pick at the millet spray almost like your fingers are a beak and eating at it, it should interest your little darlin enough to try it himself.

Soaked milk arrowroot biscuit is another good one to get them onto a more solid style of food also and they Love! it but get a good brand with less sugar.

Soft cooked apple is also good.

Just leave the food available for him/her and s/he should start eating on his/her own. My babies were weaning by 8 weeks and fully fledged and flying by 10. Just to give you an idea.

But then I have only bred one round of babies so there are others here that know alot more than I do.



Here is a vid of my minikins



And one of my pickle nibbling at the millet



Good luck and keep us in touch .. please post pics if you have any.

Aww Donna,

I want to come snuggle M2's:) What a wonderful flock you have.

Kyria,

Thank you for such detailed information and actual photos of your little ones eating. The breeder did say my baby ate off a plate, which I have tried. I'll keep all your suggestions in mind. It has occurred to me to wonder if his cage is too big. I've moved all the perches and toys down lower to try and encourage him eating off his plate. Actually I put food and water and his little seed/pellet mix in two places - the actually feeding bows and in small dishes on the bottom. I have the next three days off. We are going to play serious games of "fun with food":) I do have a gram scale and weigh every morning. He's hovering between 94 and 100 grams empty weight in the morning.

Here is a photo of Breezer, not eating of course...<wink>

aww what a little sweetie, look at that innocent little face.

He is probably just a little scared of his new surroundings, its all a bit scarey and daunting. You may already be doing this but maybe if you keep his cage close to where you are when he is in it, keep talking to him alot, lots of contact with him, he will quickly learn that you and he are a part of a flock, maybe he needs to build a little trust. How long have you had the sweetie. (and I just refer to "him" because its easier for me, especially as I have three males and only one female .. lol)

Some of us even eat with our fids to coax them and show them things are safe, and teach them what to do.

I keep looking at his picture, what a total angel face.