Bird Thought - Handfeeding Revisited

So, I just got another handfed baby bird yesterday that's not really all that tame.  The baby's only four months old and very skitterish, handshy and bites.

The person I got it from handfed it, let it out of the cage every couple of days, but otherwise didn't play with it or socialize it.  She couldn't figure out why it's not tame because she handfed it.

To all of you who either are breeding or handfeeding babies - Please remember IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST HANDFEEDING TO HAVE A GOOD PET PARROT!!!

Please read:  Handfed does NOT = Tame and The "S" Word

Staring at Birds - Indian Ringneck FAQ

Some questions I've received regarding Indian Ringnecks:

1.  Is it male or female? Unknown. DNA sexing is an additional $25.  Males do not get their rings until about two years of age.  Prior to that time if you want to know the sex it needs to be DNA or surgically sexed.

2.  How old he would be at the time he's ready for his new home?  Average weaning age is apprx. 10-12 weeks.  I don't force wean so the wean date is an estimate and can be about 2 weeks in either direction.

3.  How long is their expected lifespan?  Apprx. 25 years

4.  Any special requirements in terms of care of such a young bird, special food, for how long, long term diet plan/health/happiness -etc. 

No special requirement for a young bird.  It will be fully weaned and eating on its own before it goes home.  Birds should be fed a varied diet.  I have some information and links on feeding at my blog:  http://staringatbirdsandgoats.blogspot.com/2011/04/bird-thought-there-are-no-human-pellets.html

5.  You mentoned that he's very tame.... would he adapt to the attention of both my husband and me, or do they tend to bond with just one perferred person? 

All parrots may tend to favor a special person.  If raised well and you continue to socialize and not let it overbond to one person, everyone in the family should be able to handle the bird.  My experience has been that if a bird will only be with one person, that bird was encouraged by the human to be that way.

6.  Does he squak loudly and what are his normal range of noises/chatter?
Noise is a personal consideration.  Ringnecks are known to be one of the "quieter" types of birds.  But I don't know what your tolerance for noise is.  Birds vocalize every single day.  Some info on noise:
http://staringatbirdsandgoats.blogspot.com/2011/01/bird-tip-teach-independence-to-reduce.html

7.  Is he good about staying quiet through the night? 

Most birds don't vocalize after dark unless you're keeping them up.

8.  Do you cover his cage at night? 

No.  That needs to be your decision and preference.  I've never covered any of my birds. 

9.  You mentioned that you take him on outings, can you elaborate? 

I take my babies on car rides and errands for socialization purposes. 

10.  Does he always stay close to you and not fly off (are his wings clipped?)

Prior to clipping babies are taken out in carriers to observe the world.  After clipping they travel in carriers and then get to come out to look around.  Being tame, they don't usually try to get away from people and are very calm. 

11.  When at home, do you let him roam free outside the cage? 

I have playstands all over.  Birds are out several hours a day.  Some days they stay in their cages so they're used to being both out and locked up.

12.  Is he affectionate?  

More about ringnecks: http://staringatbirdsandgoats.blogspot.com/p/staring-at-birds-indian-ringneck.html

13.  Is he potentially a talker?  

IRNs can be very good mimics.  But don't get a bird expecting it to talk.  Some never do.

14. That's very cool that you are a certified aviculturist.  How long have you been working with birds?   

I've been keeping them as a hobby for over 20 years.

15. Are Indian Ringnecks a good choice as a pet bird?
 Depends on your personality.  I don't know you so I can't comment on whether it's a good pet for you.

16.  Why you chose to breed this type of bird?
Primarily for the colors they come in.  Also, they're "low maintenance" as far as birds go, so I like the balance of their independence with the "needier" types of birds I keep.  I've kept a lot of different types of birds over the years.  Each has their own qualities that recommend them.

Bird Thought - Don't take your "common" bird for granted.

I always thought sun conures were one of the rats of the avian world.  I mean, they're so common . . . aren't they?

I just learned yesterday that the sun conure is common in US aviculture, but upgraded to endangered status in 2008 in the wild.
Endangered Species List - Sun Conures: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/142601/0
Estimated Wild Population

And the cape parrot is uncommon in US aviculture, but not considered endangered in the wild.
Endangered Species List - Cape Parrot:  http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/142531/0
Estimated Wild Population

Makes me curious to search other species that we think of as "common" and how common they truly are in the wild.

Just soze y'all know - wild caught parrots have not been legally imported into the United States since 1992.  So, don't feel bad about getting a sun conure!  Cherish your little baby for the special creature it is. US captive breeding does not negatively impact the wild population.  I feel privileged to be breeding the endangered sun conure.

Learn something new every day.

Bird Tip - Join Me!

Learn more about birds.  Join me in taking this course:

Fundamentals of Aviculture   Level II, Intermediate Aviculture

Fundamentals of Aviculture is written for: pet bird owners, bird breeders, veterinarians and their staff, zoo employees, bird-related commercial establishments and everyone associated with birds. The course provides a foundation for the emerging science of aviculture. The Fundamentals of Aviculture, Level 1, must be completed before enrollment in Level 2. The Level 2 course, Intermediate Aviculture, is presented in 15 chapters covering conservation, avian genetics, color mutations, nesting, courtship, incubation, hand-rearing, basic microbiology, disease, emergency care, enrichment and much more.

Visit the Fundamentals of Aviculture for more information.

Status of the Organization: The American Federation of Aviculture, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Corporation, established in 1974. Supporters: Development of Fundamentals of Aviculture is made possible by a grant from Pet Care Trust, and by funding and other support from the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University.

Enroll today to take Intermediate Aviculture at the introductory rate of $75.

©2011 American Federation of Aviculture, Inc.  All rights reserved.

Cockatiels - Two Day Old Baby Being Handfed

If you think that's tiny, you should try a day old baby bourke parakeet!

Bird Tip - **WARNING! X-RATED**

Don't sexually stimulate or encourage your bird to behave sexually!!!
It can cause screaming, biting, territoriality, aggression, and in the females egg binding - PROBLEMS!

Female Sexual Behaviors:

• Don't pet her in sexy ways - one long stroke from the top of her head to the end of her tail.  It feels like you're trying to mate with her.  She may start crouching for you to make it easier for you to "do it".
• Don't let her get territorial or obsessed over dark little cubbie type areas like kleenex boxes, happy huts.  Just don't give them any nesty type things in their cages.  
• Don't let her back up onto you, trying to rub her vent on you.

Just because they feel hormonal, they don't HAVE to lay eggs.  I have had many female pet parrots - African Grey (6 years), jenday conure (12 years), goffin cockatoo (16+ years) - and they didn't lay eggs because I discouraged hormonal and nesty behaviors.

They're not like mammals - we can't stop our bodies having a menses. Their bodies don't have to produce eggs if the conditions aren't right.  Egg production can kill your bird!  Google "egg binding" to learn about it.  

Male Sexual Behaviors:

• Rubbing his vent area on you in a back and forth motion.  I've heard they can complete the act and leave you a little puddle.  EWWWWW!!  You wouldn't let your dog hump your leg would you?

Male and Female Sexual Behaviors:

• Regurgitating for you or trying to feed you.  You might think it's sweet or cute.  Think VOMIT!
• Possessiveness of one person.  It's not cute that your bird sits on your shoulder lunging at other people. It's territoriality and "claiming" you.  If the bird can't bite the other person, he/she might take a bite out of your face.  Stop the behavior immediately!  Take the bird off your shoulder and firmly, not loudly, tell your bird "no"!

To Discourage Sexual Behaviors:

• Stop any sexy petting  (head and neck scritches only)
• Immediately stop any sexy behavior from the bird
• Redirect any sexy behavior from the bird (he/she tries to crouch, rub, regurgitate you need to change whatever it is you two are doing that causes these behaviors)
• Move the cage to another location in the house
• Move the toys and stuff in the cage around
• Decrease the number of lighting hours
• Remove any boxes, happy huts, or other dark cozy areas

**Sun/Jenday Conures - They really enjoy sleeping in happy huts, tents, cubby holes.  I don't  like these things because they're sexually stimulating.  They get aggressive, bitey, territorial.  For conures what I've always done is hang a towel in an upper corner and they go behind it to sleep.

I've never had any territoriality or aggression with the towel set up. I discovered this method by accident. My first jenday would put herself to bed behind the curtain that was near her cage, so I hung a towel in a corner for her in her cage. She'd wrap herself up in it like a burrito.

Just make sure the towel doesn't have loose weaving so no bathroom type towels. Cloth napkins with the tight weave work. 

 

An old shirt works, too.

Ducky was already asleep behind it, 

but came out to yell at me for disturbing his beauty sleep.

Jendays - Handfeeding Time

No, it didn't grow right before your eyes - It's two different babies.

Seriously - this IS about birds and goats. . . and my other kritters

  

(Patrick, a baby pygmy goat with a baby Jenday Conure)

So, this is going to be a blog with pictures of the animals I keep 

and my thoughts on keeping them.

Thank you Holly for the suggestion!