IndianRingNeck.com

It has been awhile since I have been on! We just moved into a new house! Yay! Elliott seems like he is adjusting well. He is about 5 months old now and getting bigger everyday! I am just curious when he will go through his first moult. I think it might be now, but I don't know what to look for. But his cage seemed to have a lot of feather in it the last 2 times I cleaned it and he has patches around his eyes where he has very few feathers. Is this normal? Me being the worrier that I am, am afraid that there is something wrong with him. But he is acting normal other than that. Except he is always eating! Every time I see him he has his head in the food dish! I know he is a growing boy but I am afriad that he is going to have a weight problem. He has been eating a lot of pellets, seeds every 3 days, fresh fruit and veggies everyday and nuts as a treat 2-3 times a week.
And the other thing I was wondering is if it is normal for your bird to not talk in front of you at first. He is learning to talk but he won't do it when you are holding him and if he is in his cage talking and you look at him or talk to him then he stops right away. But he has said "good boy" a few times now and it is so cute!! But at night he just chatters away!! Any advice you guys have would be great!

Sounds like he's going through a moult and is a growing boy!

If you're worried about what he is eating, you can offer tons of veggies and fruits, especially veggies, in the mornings (sunrise) and pellets and seed in the late afternoons. That way he's eating more veggies and fruits than pellets or seed. Fresh foods shouldn't make him gain any weight. It's likely he won't be in danger of being overweight until he's about two years old, it's like they stop needing all that extra energy.

Hane and Tsume 'practice' their words when they don't think we can hear them before trying them out in front of an audiance.

Mine are moulting at the moment and look absolutely terrible, they have a really scruffy look about them and there is feathers everywhere to a point that I expect them to not have any feathers left, but they do still have enough tail feathers to fly.

Yep it is a pattern. I have seen and read this pattern over the years at the board and talking with others. And as Melika said, they are shy until they pick up the confidence to use their new voice in front of others, you will only hear him when he thinks nobody is around.

The first time he utters a word when he is with you and you reward him with his favorite treat.. oh boy ! then they never shut up.

Sounds like a growing boy, being a little piggie hehe. I always find down feathers no matter what time of year. But lately, Yoda is about 15 months old now and seems to have just got over a moult, he lost alot of down feathers, has grown all the clipped flight feathers back and lost all the tail feathers, (lol stumpy bum), the moult was quick though. I thought Yoda was too young to have a moult. But its happened, and it seems to be over.

Most are very shy when learning new words and will only practice when alone. Yesterday was the first time my family had heard Yoda say something other than screaming and we've had Yoda since November 06'. He seemed very comfortable around my family, still hates my partner though.