need some tips and basic care info....

[mummybird]

hey i just got this new bird from my partners boss who didnt have time to look after him .... anyways he is 7 months old and WAS handraised but they didnt have the time and lost all his taming now. anyways i never had one before and usually i would do my reasearch first but this bird WASNT my idea and now we have him so we need to know how to care for him the best way ! he is so pretty his name is rocko !
any tips and ideas woujld be great !!!!
so far i know he LOVES fruit and is on a TRILL diet for small parrots but there isnt a picture on the front of him there is a sun concur and some other birds but thats the food they gave me.
how about some training tips too they would be good
and i was told he LOVES women and hates men...lol smart bird j.k

[kim1]

Rocko is a ringneck, and yes they love fruit and vegies, but never give him advocado (or her as ringnecks can only be sexed via DNA uner 1-2 years old) They can be hard to train once they lose their tameness but it can be done, the important thing is to gain his trust by going slow and offering treats and talking to him, if you grab a ringie they can bite pretty hard so wrap him in a towel or something if you have to hold him. You'll get lots of advice here, so ask lots of questions.

[mummybird]

ok so im not to worried about training right now doesnt matter if he is never trained again i like birds just being birds...

so how about the diet... is this TRILL ok or what should i be using and that beak looks deadly what can i use to keep it nicely blunt . how about toys and how much room he needs for a cage... the one he came in looks a little to small but i get an aviary in 3-4 weeks so he/she can have the budgie cage which is much much bigger because they are going into the aviary....

and how about will he get along with other birds when he has free fly time in the house... because my budgies and teil play happily together would be good if he could play too (supervised of course / the budgies like to bully sometimes)

ummm what else....

ohh what colour would he/she be called.....

i think thats about all i can think of for now to ask... im sure i will have many many more questions.

[lovemytiels]

Hi mummybird, your new ringneck is a blue. Until Rocko has settled in to his new home and feels comfortable with his new surroundings, it would be a good idea to keep his out time to just him. Ringnecks can be very cranky around other birds and will bite toes and you don't want any of your other birds with missing toes. The one good thing about ringnecks though is that they will eat just about anything healthy so just try lots of different things and see what he will eat. It will just take lots of patience and time to retain him but it can be done. As for his seeds, I don't buy any pre packaged stuff I buy all my seeds from a grain and fodder place because I know what goes into it. Some of the pre package stuff contains way too much sunflower seeds and ringies will go for them first, well mine do anyway. I have one female blue here that if you put your hand into her cage she will bite the crap out of you but if you offer a rolled down sleeve she is fine, so you could try that but just do it very slowly. If you have any more questions just ask away and I am sure somebody here will be able to help you. Cheers Anna

[mummybird]

i pull all the sunflower seeds out . i do it with my cockatiel and used them only as treats when he is out playing so the same will apply for rocko.

I dont like buying seeds from the big supply stores it is always full of bugs and dust. unless i am buying a un open 20 kilo bag but 20 kilos of seed with go stale for one bird....

he is getting moved to a bigger cage today... do you think i should let him settle in before putting him in a new cage because he has been in that small cage all his life. but i would really like to give him some more room to get around .

[lovemytiels]

Hi Mummybird, nps about the seeds then if you take most of the sunflower seeds away. I can understand that buying a 20kg bag would be a waste for you then. The only advise I have about moving Rocko to his bigger cage is try to put his toys in the same place in his new cage so that he is not too disorientated. He might be a bit shell shocked for a day going into his new cage but he will thank you later for the more room he has. I have found that ringnecks are very active birds and need lots of room to explore their cages and basically just luv having fun with their toys. Hope all goes well for you. Cheers Anna

[mummybird]

ohh he is in his new cage now.... and i didnt get to read that about the toys before it was done... ohh well.....

it was good the instant he was in his new cage he was vocal climbing around LOVING it because he got all these new toys for the first time in his life and i coverd the bottom with nuts and bottle brush and he obviously loved all the treats ! he is a heaps more active happy bird and alot more calm now.... i was moving a new toy and he has his back to me and i pet him and he kind of relaxed till he realised i was still "the stranger" then tryed to bite me but luckily for me missed...lol
and he also lets me feed him now through the bars and doesnt go crazy when im changing his food or getting the old ones out or putting new ones in because now is he isnt confortable with the hand being in the cage he can move to higher places away from my hand... he didnt have this luxury in his old cage ,so freaked out alot before..
and he LOVED the new branches... he only had this half chewed skinng dowel perch and a twig in his last cage ! now he has fat skinny and medium branched the he LOVEs and specially LOVES his new swing !!!!

[ozquaker]

Hi mummybird,

I'm really glad that rocko has ended up in a good home where someone is willing to put the time, thought, love and finance into his well being. I think rocko will have a great life with you and your other feathered and non-feathered family members. rocko certainly looks a pretty bird.

It was also sad reading about the fact that rocko was bought quite likely as an 'ornament' and left to him/herself in a smallish cage without much room at all for a wing stretch. I guess the previous owners did the right thing by recognising that they couldn't spend the time with the parrot and passed it onto someone who could, but it does show that all too often parrots are acquired without much prior thought as to their needs.

My only experience with ringnecks is observing them in the wild when I lived overseas. They are forest birds and as Kim indicated, love fruit and vegies.

Good on you for giving rocko a chance at a better life.

Giovanni

[kim1]

I had to laugh when I read Anna's comment about her blue hen biteing the crap out of her unless her hand is covered in a sleeve, I have one very simular, she used to bite all the time so I would pick her up in a blue towel, now I have to show her the towel than put the towel on the chair next to me so she can see it than she will step up on my bare hand and not bite and be the most adorable bird, but if I don't show her the towel she will screech and run around the cage like an idiot and if I catch her she becomes carniverous, so I just have to keep a blue towel around at all times.9or be willing to sacrifice flesh) they are very intelligent and I guess she knows she can't beat the towel so just puts on her best manners when she sees it.

[mummybird]

lol thats so funny about the blue towel...

ok so what about some tips on what they LOVE to eat .... i have found out so far he likes.......

peanuts in the shells
carrots
apples
brocoli
grapes
bottle brush flowers
peas
beans
peanut butter on toast (only gave him a tiny bit because he kept looking at me and squarking till i gave him some)
corn kernals

and he doesnt like lettus he hasnt touched it...

thats all i have tryed so far but im going to the fruit market for our weekly vegies tomorrow and would like to get some stuff specially for him...

what do your birds like i can try on mine...??

[lovemytiels]

Hi mummybird, I am so glad that he loves his new cage and also that he now has someone to care and give him the attention that they so luv.
My ringnecks really are eatus anythingus. They enjoy cucumber, chinese bean sprouts, celery leaves, bok choy, spinach, capsicum but prefer the red ones, sweet potatoe, pumpkin but prefer it slighty cooked snow peas when I can afford them LOL and all the ones you have mentioned. They also love air dryed popcorn, pasta and grainy bread. As for fruits I think their favorite would have to passion fruit followed by a fruit called pomegranate, but they are hard to get and very expensive. They also like mandarin, and pear. Mine don't like rockmelon, banana or strawberries much but you could try yours on that. Just try him on different things and see what he likes and doesn't like. Cheers Anna

[mummybird]

ohh awsome so it isnt to different from what i am already feeding my birds... i pretty much give all of those to my cockatiel and budgies too. and the scraps to the ducks...lol

as for pomegranate we get them alot from a friend who owns a fruit and veg market.... lucky us.... i love them too !!!

and rockmelon, banana or strawberries are pretty messy so i dont care if he doesnt grow a liking to them...

with the pashion fruit do you need to cut it open or do they like doing that themselves....

and nuts i know he loves peanuts but what other nuts are suitable and can he have all the nuts in those christmas mixed bags in shells you buy this time of the year ??

[lovemytiels]

You are so lucky to be able to get pomegranates. They are very hard to get here and I can't even find a place that sells the bush to grow one. I should have mentioned though that there cages look like a blood bath afterwords though LOL but they really get so excited when they see them in their treat bowl when I am able to buy them and they chew the skin up as well. I cut the passionfruit in half for mine and again can leave the cage very messy, but we give them to them a day before cage cleaning day. Can't see a problem with letting them have the Xmas nuts and it would keep them amused for a while LOL especially getting at brazil nuts, but like most things in moderation as even though nuts have the good oils in them, you don't want to give them too much as caged birds can tend to get overweight from being spoilt too much ;D. Oh the other thing they just love is sprouted seeds or just softened seeds, which is the sprout mix that has been mentioned here heaps of times. I cater for quite a few birds here so I have sprouted seeds on the go every day and the budgies, tiels, princess parrots, rosella's and ringnecks just hang off the wire waiting to do my rounds at feeding times. Even my baby tiels & ringneck bubs that I am h/rearing are weaned onto sprouted seeds as soon as they show signs of eating and they are sooo good for them and helps put the weight back on that they loose from slimming down to fly. Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with feeding and caring for your fids. Cheers Anna
PS I will have a crateful of pomegranates please ;D

[mummybird]

thats a good tip telling me that they are messy and should be given day of cleaning or before.... i never thought of even doing that with other birds and food and then i would complain of having to change the cages daily instead of every 2nd or 3rd day....

we got heaps of mangos lately im sure rocko will love them and it is even better if he doesnt cause then i will eat them!!!

thanx for all the ideas !!!

[ollie]

We have a pomegranite tree in the yard, Maybe I could send you some dried seed from it when it fruits and you could grow your own. Just a thought!!!!.

[kim1]

I was given some pomegranites recently, and never knew how messy they are, I gave it to my weaners and nearly had a heart attack when I looked at my little albino ringneck Bubbles he looked like he was covered in blood, so I quickly grabed him out cursing they poor little alexandrine that was in the cage with him, and it wasn't untill I counted all his toes and made sure his wings were still attached that I woke up to what it was. Bubbles had a rough start and I was mortified to think he had been savaged by the poor little alex (who really wouldn't hurt a fly) Sure wished someone had warned me.

[lovemytiels]

Oh thanks Bev, that would be so good you are a very nice person to offer. MMMMM don't know why I never thought of doing that but they are out of season here at the moment.I will have to do some reading up on how to grow them. We use to eat them as kids back in Scotland but not many people like them here but I luv them but at a $1.00 a pop the ringnecks and my spoilt princess parrot don't get them very often. Bugger I forgot about mangoes too, the ringies luv them as well. They eat such a big variety of fruit & veggies that I loose track. Don't know what the price of paw paws are like but they like them too, especially the seeds but they are expensive here too. I would have to say that ringies are just so easy to feed in regards to healthy food. Hubby has got to the stage where one of my ringies he can pat all over and give it cuddles and it demands lots of kisses from him. That has taken nearly 2 and half years but just goes to show with lots of patience and love it can be done. The female ringie was his favourite and demanded pats but for some unknown reason she bite him and nearly gave him a free nose piercing, so at the moment she is not allowed on his shoulder and has to spend her time on the table with her time out till her hormones have settled down. He was not impressed at all with this behavior but what can you do at breeding time but still luv em & care for them. Cheers Anna

[kim1]

ringnecks will eat everything you offer them usually. (don't give advocado though) mine eat everything frome potato and pumpkin to chillies and asperagrass( I know Wrong spelling), I can't get the kids to eat brussle sprouts etc but the ringnecks will.

[lovemytiels]

OMG they eat brussel sprouts, yuck. I guess I have never tried them as the birds basically get what we eat, veggie wise, well apart from some special treats that I buy just for them . The fruit shop people think I am nuts when I say this is for my birds. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Another thing my birds like Mummubird is rice cakes boring as they may be but they have no sugar, salt or fat in them and they are cheap to buy. Cheers Anna

[mummybird]

ohhhh i LOVE rice cakes too... i will have to buy some for me and my featherd friends too ~ havnt had them in years !