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Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

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Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Drara » Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:35 pm

Hi everyone.

I am very new to this Forum but I'm certainly not new to being a parrot owner and I'm not new to Indian ringnecks neither. I used to have an Alexandrine parrot and a green Indian ringneck in the past (I don't own any parrot currently).


Now I would like to get a blue or yellow (Lutino) ringneck, but I got a few important questions that I would appreciate your answers and your help.

I believe that the following questions might help many others, since I'm about to cover few different aspects:

1. Main and most important question:
I am a journalist and my work requires me to be out of home for many hours and I live on my own.
Although that many days I would leave home late like on 12 or 1 midday, I can sometimes come back home late at night and be out until 1 or 2 O'clock at night.

I have read a lot specifically about Indian ringnecks that they are considered to be quite independent unlike other parrots who require lots of attention. I am well aware that even an Indian ringneck needs a fair amount of attention, and I will certainly share time with the parrot before I leave home and when I arrive back home (and on Weekends I am home all the time).

Considering my way of life, do you think he will do OK being left alone for long hours (with lots of toys of course etc...)?
Is it true that Indian ringnecks are more independent and require less time or leaving them alone for many hours during the day will ruin their being hand feed?

2. I currently reside in a country where Indian ringnecks have invaded the place and we have Indian ringnecks all around the country like you would see regular birds and crows flying around.
I remember that when I last had an Indian ringneck, when ever he heard the voices and screaming of ringnecks on the street, he used to start calling them and it seemed like as if he was wishing to be free like them and would wanna fly away together with them.

Do you think that owning a ringneck in a country where they flock outside on the streets would affect owning one in captivity? meaning, that he might not get connected good enough with me because of him hearing the others outside?

3. Is there any difference between a regular green ringneck or a blue/yellow mutation in terms of being a great captive parrot? would a blue or lutino ringneck make a better choice as a home parrot or all ringnecks are the same?

I would appreciate the response of those who have the most experience and in particular considering my situation.
(Please respond according to the number of question)

Thank you so much
Drara
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Alexandrine and Indian Ringneck
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Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Wolf » Fri Jan 06, 2017 7:23 am

I suppose that you might not wish to consider my reply to this due to the fact that I do not currently have or have ever had any of the ringneck species of parrots, including any IRN's, but there are some aspects that are in common to many species of parrots so you might want to consider what I have to share with you even if only for your amusement. I will try to keep my reply according to the numbers, but that is not the way that I normally think, so no promises.

1) IRN's are not normally classified as a companion species of parrot, they are classed as an aviary species. This does not mean that they don't or can't be an excellent companion species for anyone willing and able to devote enough time and effort in them, but it does require a lot of personal one on one interaction on the part of the human. Yes, they are fairly independent birds, but this is because they do not bond as well with humans as they do with other birds of their own species and this quite often leads them to revert to their more wild nature, more quickly than birds of a companion species and also means that they will require a companion bird of their own to even have a chance of being a happy bird if they are not going to have their human available to them for long periods of time. They actually require more time if they are to remain bonded to a human than many of the companion species of parrots.

2) Of course this is going to affect the bird, just as a similar situation would affect a human. Being isolated from physical contact with others of your kind, although you can see and hear them is going to have a most definite effect on you and it also will have a similar effect on the bird. People often forget that these birds are extremely intelligent and that they also have strong emotional ties to others, such as the human they choose to bond to as well as to others of their species and in the case of the IRN's the strongest ties mentally and emotionally are to others of its own species and not to its human. given the opportunity it would choose to go with the wild ones rather than to stay with its human.

3) For the purposes that you appear to be asking the only difference between the normal green IRN and a lutino is that the normal has a stronger genetic constitution and all things else being equal the normal green would normally be healthier and have a longer lifespan.
Wolf
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Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Pajarita » Fri Jan 06, 2017 1:09 pm

I agree with Wolf in all three points and just want to add two comments on your schedule. One I that no parrot is happy been alone for even just a single hour. They evolved to find safety in the flock and been alone is not only stressful but also quite boring for them. Two is that you won't be able to keep a healthy parrot if it's going to be living in a noon to midnight schedule. Parrots are diurnal animals which regulate their endocrine system by the difference in light hours from season to season. In order for their bodies to do this, they need to be exposed to dawn and dusk, wake up (and eat breakfast) at dawn and go to sleep (after eating dinner) at dusk. Unfortunately, we can't reproduce the different spectrum that happens during twilight and which turns on and off their 'internal clock' with artificial lights so I don't know how you are going to manage/solve this problem.
Pajarita
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Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Loriusgarrulus » Fri Jan 06, 2017 2:04 pm

The only way you are going to manage is to get two that are already living together and compatable so they have companionship.
Maybe look at taking in a small species like Pyrrhura conures not Aratinga or Patagonian conures unless you live in a detached house and don't have sensitive hearing as they are loud.
Pyrrhura come in lots of different colours and are fairly quiet and normally nice natured particularly the marroon belly.
You would need a large cage or indoor aviary (if you can manage to fit in 6ftx3ft great) for them with small bar spacing as they are not big. They can then still fly when you are not there.
When you get up in the morning you could have them out and spend time with them and feed them their fresh fruit and veggies.
Before going to work give them their seed and pelletts back in their cage. Make sure they are near a window so they get the benefit of dawn and dusk to get plenty of sleep.
Make sure where their cage/aviary is placed is somewhere you can avoid putting the light on and disturbing them at night when you come in as they need plenty of sleep.
They will probably not be as tame to you as only one that was with you all day, but with handreared youngsters or even older rehomes that are tame you should still be able to have a good relationship with two who have each others company while your not there.
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Loriusgarrulus
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Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Drara » Sat Jan 07, 2017 2:09 pm

Thank you all so much for your kind answers.

I guess I would not go for two birds since I have quite a small apartment and that wouldn't serve me or them any good.

I understood your points but then again I just want to understand one thing:
I am certain that like me there are many others who work a full time job, people who are out who of home for long hours during the day and yet they are parrot owners.
So, it would be interesting to hear from people like that from their experience.
Drara
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Alexandrine and Indian Ringneck
Flight: No

Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Loriusgarrulus » Sat Jan 07, 2017 3:00 pm

Till three years ago I worked full time and overtime as well.
I had two chattering lories who kept each other company while I was at work. They could have a fly out and breakfast before I went to work and when I got home at 6pm they came out of there large cage again till they went to bed 21:00 which was still a bit of a long day for them. Their cage was in the corner of our bedroom and I put a cover on it at night so they wouldnt get disturbed.
Two small parrots do not need twice the size of cage as one, so having two should still be ok.
I have only Kanga now as Tigger was a lot older and has gone now.
This is a picture of them doing a dental check and hair grooming session on OH.

!=http://s32.photobucket.com/user/loriusgarrulus/media/Grooming.jpg.html]Image[/URL
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Blackheaded caique: Tupi
Yellow thighed caique: Karo
Flight: Yes

Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Pajarita » Sat Jan 07, 2017 3:13 pm

Yes, unfortunately for the birds, most people think of birds as 'low maintenance' but this is nothing more than a fallacy spread by the industry ("Give it a nice cage, put toys in it, feed it pellets and water"). So, yes, lots of birds out there belong to people who work full time and most of them will tell you that their birds are fine - and most of them will be telling you the truth UNTIL the bird is no longer 'fine' because it's overly hormonal and in constant pain from overgrown gonads. This doesn't happen overnight, it takes a while because babies and juveniles don't produce sexual hormones so the bird needs to become sexually mature first before it begins to suffer from a breeding season that never ends. It's the same thing with diet... you have lots of people telling you their bird is fine been free-fed protein food until the bird starts showing symptoms of liver disease after years of a bad diet.

Every single bird that is given up because of screams, bites, plucking, self-mutilation, etc is a bird that was kept under conditions that were not good for it. Nature doesn't make mistakes and thinking that we, humans, know better than her is not wise. Please research avian photoperiodism and you will see.

As a separate note, I have a female GCC (one of the pyrrhura species that Lorius was mentioning) bonded to an older, wild-caught, severely handicapped male peach-front (which is, actually, an aratinga species but small like a pyrrhura) and she is as bonded to me as any 'only' bird. She never bites or even nips, she doesn't scream or pluck or anything - she is the sweetest little thing! She happily steps up to my finger just to quickly climb up my arm all the way to my shoulder so she can reach my cheek to give me a kiss and, if I give her a kiss on her head or if I tell her "I love you", she kisses me again so, sometimes, we go quite a few minutes with a kissing back and forth: birdy SMACK - human SMACK - birdy SMACK - human SMACK :lol: She then hooks her left foot on the neck of my top and putting her right on my chest, hangs there looking down at everything I do (I do all my morning chores with her hanging from my front). So, yes, it is entirely possible to have two birds bonded to each other and still have the close relationship of a bird bonded to you.
Pajarita
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Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Drara » Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:52 pm

Thank you Lorius and Pajarita for your experienced response.

As I mentioned earlier, unfortunately, I don't see my self handling two parrots at the same time because I have a very small apartment and not enough room.

With that being said, I just wanna add that basically, my late working days are mostly on Monday's through Wednesday's where I am out for long hours, but on weekends I'm home full time.

So, if you think there is a feasibility to make it work for me despite my strange schedule, I'll be glad to hear. Well, it's only my passion and love for birds that I crave to get a parrot again, but if you think that considering my schedule it's not the right thing then I won't.
Drara
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Alexandrine and Indian Ringneck
Flight: No

Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Pajarita » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:21 pm

I don't know how small your apartment is but I knew a lady who lived in a very small studio in Manhattan and she still managed to keep her birds healthy and happy. Of course, this meant that she actually lived in a huge aviary (she kept her birds cage-free) but she didn't care. But a pair of GCCs don't really take that much room - a nice flight cage (http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-E-Flight-Cage ... 2198602272) in front of a window is all that you need. You would not be able to interact with them much during the winter and would have to make adjustments to your lifestyle (like covering the cage with a blackout material before you turn on the lights in the evening, cleaning and feeding mostly in the dark in the am before you go to work, keeping the noise volume very low when they are sleeping, etc) but, if they have each other, a good fresh food diet and full spectrum light bulbs on timers, they will be fine. Consider it, it can work out.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Advice needed for interesting questions about IRN

Postby Drara » Sun Jan 08, 2017 3:24 pm

Pajarita wrote:I don't know how small your apartment is but I knew a lady who lived in a very small studio in Manhattan and she still managed to keep her birds healthy and happy. Of course, this meant that she actually lived in a huge aviary (she kept her birds cage-free) but she didn't care. But a pair of GCCs don't really take that much room - a nice flight cage (http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-E-Flight-Cage ... 2198602272) in front of a window is all that you need. You would not be able to interact with them much during the winter and would have to make adjustments to your lifestyle (like covering the cage with a blackout material before you turn on the lights in the evening, cleaning and feeding mostly in the dark in the am before you go to work, keeping the noise volume very low when they are sleeping, etc) but, if they have each other, a good fresh food diet and full spectrum light bulbs on timers, they will be fine. Consider it, it can work out.


First of, Thank you for your response.
Well, I wish that was so easy as it's being written. I can barely handle one parrot and two will just be impossible especially considering my very small apartment. I guess that lady didn't care much but for me that's to much of a burden.

With that, if I'm already able to get a parrot, I would prefer the get an Indian Ringneck and not any other, certainly not smaller birds.
I have heard that IRN's are much more independent then others.

Anyway, I'm not in a rush and I would like to get some more information from people with experience who work a full time job and are out of home for long periods of time.

Thanks again
Drara
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Alexandrine and Indian Ringneck
Flight: No

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