I have a IRN and im completely in the dark

[Niccijt05]

Hi eyes are pure full black, his eyes aren't pinned or anything
xx

[Pricey_boy]

Usually birds who's eyes haven't pinned yet are between the age of about 4-6 months old

My new eyes haven't pinned yet and I just weaned him

[charlieandkiwi]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your feedback.

Firstly he hasn't made any noise as yet towards me, or the girls, im clucking at him, kissing, talking in diff tones, I know he is intruged definately as his head is cocked, he looks round at me, then if i look at him and talk he'll turn his head. So i know he's intrigued.

Pauly's feathers differ, sometimes they are tight to him, but he does ruffle them up and they are quite loose sometimes.

I know he's gaining confidence as hes sat on his perch more, rather than clinging to the side of the cage. However im sure in the night he must cling to the side of the cage to sleep, cause when i turn the light on hes theres!!! I dont hear him fly up so I just think he must.

But also can anyone tell me how I sex him? When will the ring appear around his neck if he's male?

Thanks
Nicci &
xx

Does he fluff out featherwise when you're talking to him? Try to not look directly at him if that's scaring him, but still steal peaks out of the corner of your eye everynow and then. It sounds like you're definitely making progress. Just be patient and keep it up. Be prepared for it to take a while. I personally think it takes two years of consistency to achieve a perfect bird, especially if you're just learning. The first part of that is always the part where you don't think they'll ever get it. Just know you're looking at a very long time commitment and if it takes a month for him to start feeling really comfortable around you, you're still doing great

[Niccijt05]

Hi,

yeah he fluffs out and watches me, and then turns away and tries to scrabble up the cage. While im typing this hes watching me intently, ive got his cage right next to me every nite while i watch tv, talking to him, making kissing noises.

Oh my life i think hes just made his first very quiet sqwark at me lol. . yep he's making really quiet noises to me while im typing away. im so excited, thats def more progress.

i would like to open his cage door to allow him his freedom but im worried he wont go bk in, im sure he's fully flight, he climbs everwhere but flaps his wings, how do i know? but i do think hes not been clipped.

Now he's come down to his food bowl for his fresh food, are they allowed raisins? i would like him to feel comfy with me before i try target training. I don't want to scare him, so soon after moving home again.

thanks
Nicci &

[Polarn]

sorry i havnt read everything couse I'm off to bed, but regarding not going back in... well there are a few things you can do to easen that.. Either you targettrain him while in the cage. or...

You basically try let the food run out in his bowl, open the cage let him go out, if he wants too. some birds doesnt go out of the cage when you open it at first, but once he has left the cage you refill the foodbowl, then you wait... so make sure to have plenty of time on your hands when letting your bird out the first time, well any time you let your bird out as long as it isnt tame enough or trained enough to be going into the cage easily.

But the thing is that as long as the cage is an adequate livingspace, and the bird knows thats where the food is served, it will eventually go back in, might take all day long though. so key factor.. time!

Good luck and I hope you get to see your IRN fly the room soon, nothing beats looking at a flighted bird.

[charlieandkiwi]

Yay!!! I'm so excited for your progress.

I know it's really exciting and you're encourages by what little progress he's made, but I wouldn't open up the cage and let him fly around yet. For the next couple days, I would just keep doing what you're doing. At some point, he's going to really love it when you walk into the room and he may even call to you with some of the noises you guys make back at forth. At that point, go ahead and start clicker training him in the cage.

Remember, if you are planning on keeping him, he will have the rest of his life to fly around with you. But if it goes badly when you let him out right now, he crashes into a window or a screen, or you have to chase him down to get him back in his cage eventually, you'll be taking steps backward.

The best thing to do is to just keep it up and be patient. Get him to the point where you're consistently calling back and forth to each other. If he gets excited and you see him give a head flick or bob, do it back. If you see him sway out of excitement while he's calling with you, do it back. Eventually, he'll start initiating body movement imitating games too (both of my birds love that and the calling games). Add the clicker training in.

Oh yes, and when you start with the clicker training, remember to talk to him with his favorite noises when he does it right. A lot of people go silent when clicker training and the birds don't like that as much. However, make sure not to make a lot of noise before he targets to the clicker. Just give the cue and shut up until he gets it, then celebrate.

Good luck! Sounds like he's coming around just fine.

[charlieandkiwi]

Oh I nearly forgot-before you start clicker training him you have to get to the point where he'll eat treats in your presence. So before breaking out the clicker, and after he becomes comfortable calling and playing body movement games with you, start putting treats in his cage and see if he'll eat them with you standing there.

Once he will without hesitation, you're ready for clicker training.

[Polarn]

Oh I nearly forgot-before you start clicker training him you have to get to the point where he'll eat treats in your presence. So before breaking out the clicker, and after he becomes comfortable calling and playing body movement games with you, start putting treats in his cage and see if he'll eat them with you standing there.

Once he will without hesitation, you're ready for clicker training.

Actually... yes and no... You can actually start clicker conditioning (I'm not saying it is really useful to introduce the clicker at that stage though, but it can be, but it is discussable). since the clicker basically only replaces the "good boy", "good" or whatever bridge you would use training without a clicker. If your bird seems frighten when you speak a clicker might be a better tool than your voice in this case. What you can use is a power pause technique, this requires you to be able to read your birds body language though, knowing when it is calm and when it is stressed. But at some distance your little baby will be completely relaxed with you looking at it, when you find where that is, take a step forward, notice how the birds body language shift:PAUS dont move neither back or forth, just stand still wait for it to go back into a calm relaxed body language, CLICK, and back off a few steps. since the bird wants you to go away you stepping back functions as the reward and the clicker will serve as a marker as to where the desired behavior was displayed.

SO yes a clicker can be introduced quite early on, but this technique can be used in complete silence or with a "good" to mark the moment where you reward your bird by stepping away. but at the same time start walking backwards when it calms down basically serves the same purpouse... the only real benefit of introducing a clicker at this point in my oppinion is for the bird (if skittish) to get used to the sound of a clicker before the clicker ends up right next to him or her since you can hand it treats, while introducing it at this stage might be 12-15feet away.

[Niccijt05]

well he started to squark while we are in the room in the day. so a big step really and he's started to sit on his swing and perch now wen we are all in the living room. He was a little fluttery wen i went by cage yest but I think this was down to a load of kids sat next to his cage eating their dinner and chatting to each other.

He seems more relaxed with us now but still a little edgy wen i go near cage to give him a treat but im only in the 2nd week of having him, so if Im his 3rd home that i know to, i dont wanna push him.

Ive bought him a few little bits and toys and im the one that feeds him everyday, so i guess he'll come round to me soon. Ill be sitting by him tonight and chatting to him, so we'll see.

xxx

[charlieandkiwi]

Aw. You sound so cute with him! I haven't personally worked a lot with ringnecks, but I think they might be especially shy compared to, say, the conures I'm used to. I've met several that had one bad experience and didn't get over it for years.

So good job taking it slow and I can't wait to hear how it goes