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Post by oceanaussi on Nov 29, 2007 20:41:53 GMT 10
Hello there, like I've said in my introduction I just became the proud owner of 2 blue IRN. As I only have them since yesterday this probably will be my first of many questions ;D How do IRN sleep??? I know this sounds silly but other birds I've known sit on their perches, put their head in their feathers and sleep. But my IRN seem to sleep in a rather uncomfortable position. One of them sits on the fruit and veggie bowl, the other actually hangs on the side of the cage! First I thought he'll get settled and after a few hours I looked but he was still in the same position. I find this rather unusual and am wondering if they would need something like a nest? They're 8 weeks old. Any ideas??? A second question is regarding their diet: I read most of Robert's links and a lot of them said you should cook their veggies and some also mention to give them meet and carbohydrates. That confuses me. I would have given them raw veggies, is that wrong? Do you feed your IRN meat? What sort and how much/often? What about carbohydrates? I mean I cook for my dog but for the birds... ? I don't want to poison them so I like to be a bit more carefully and ask you guys first. Thanks in advance for your replies!
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Post by vankarhi on Nov 29, 2007 22:16:16 GMT 10
You can give your birds raw veges. Don't give them any avocado though it is toxic to birds. Lettuce is uselesst to them also it has nothing in it of any benefit.
I give my birds a cooked chicken bone every so often and my ekkie just adores them. Never give it to them raw. I also let mine have a t bone steak bone (when on the rare occassion we have them) or the other night we had a bit of a barby and I gave Takoda a small piece of steak to chew on...........he was itching to have what we were eating. You can also give them a cooked boiled egg ......... I give mine half each every so often too, with the shell still on it. It is good calcium for them too.
My birds love just about every thing from pasta and rice (preferably brown) to pizza (we don't have that often) to cracker biscuits, to vegemite on toast, to a small piece of cheese or some home made fruit salad with natural yogurt on top.......to home made cooked popcorn. (I cook mine in a paperbag in the microwave and let it cool down a bit then put the bag and all in the cage and once again my birds (especially Skye) love them.
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Post by maria on Nov 29, 2007 22:20:04 GMT 10
Birds normaly do sleep strange when you first get them. It's all new and they haven't found there place as yet.
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Post by vankarhi on Nov 29, 2007 22:31:04 GMT 10
Oh I forgot to answer that part of your question........... LOL
Yes birds can sleep in strange ways. Peppa (the baby budgie) used to sleep hanging onto the side of the cage with his beak, but seems to perch properly now and sleep with his head tucked under his wing now.
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Post by farseeker on Nov 30, 2007 6:58:12 GMT 10
Most of my birds sleep a little oddly - Anath clings to the corner of her cage with her tail sticking out through the bars, it looks like she's sitting on a little seat. Zillah used to sleep with her bum hanging over a food bowl, Squee used to sleep on a perch but leaning forward across a food bowl and Jedi used to tuck herself in under one of her toys and go to sleep that way. While sleeping on a perch with a leg pulled up and beak tucked away is the usual image, it's not that uncommon to find that they have other ways they prefer. When Squee was a baby I found him snoozing on his back on the bottom of the cage a couple of times - gave me quite a shock! He grew out of that one, thankfully, as it wasn't doing my heart any good.
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Post by gooka on Nov 30, 2007 10:20:24 GMT 10
Jack (my IRN) sleeps sitting on his perch but leaning up against the side of the cage. He used to sleep in his food dish when he was little though!! cheepy( My budgie) has a little snuggle that I made for him (kind of like a little tent thingy!) and he sleeps in that most of the time now, but he also sleeps on top of his swing (next to the bit where the swing hands frm the wire). there isnt much room there and he doesnt look even a little bit comftable but it works for him so it's all good i guess!
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Post by grego on Nov 30, 2007 14:17:36 GMT 10
Mylo has her favorite branch when she sleeps :)l used to mind a Green-cheek conure that slept on the side wall comfortable head tucked in.. Diet well my birds have fresh sliced of the cob Corn,Brocolli pieces,apple diced, pasta pieces and chopped carrot everyday...peanut for the hand tame birds and grapes once a week also
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Post by oceanaussi on Nov 30, 2007 14:48:22 GMT 10
Thanks for all your replies! I'm relieved that the IRN might find this comfortable to sleep. As for their diet: From now on I might have to share my food not just with the dogs but also with the birds. So far they had raw carrots which they loved, mangos which they put all over the cage und today I gave them a boiled egg they're staying clear off. But I guess I just have to offer these things again and again to get them used to it. What about capsicum and mushrooms?
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Post by gooka on Nov 30, 2007 15:09:51 GMT 10
My IRN's in the aviary love red capsicum (seeds and all) but Jack wont touch them I have never tried mushrooms so cant help on that one. Jack loves zuchinni and squash as well!! as for the boiled egg..I have been offering it to Jack since he was frst weaned (about 3 months ago) and he still wont accept it. i guess they are just like the kids, some eat some things and others eat different things. Its all just trial and error really, juts remember to avoid avacado!!
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Post by vankarhi on Nov 30, 2007 16:22:23 GMT 10
I can remember reading somwhere not feed them mushrooms. Not sure why but maybe because they are a "yeasty" fungus.
They love capsicums and chillies. Mine just love chillies........the small really hot ones too, they are good for them too.
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Post by oceanaussi on Dec 1, 2007 9:58:07 GMT 10
Chillies hm??? Ok, I'll try. I will leave the mushrooms out. Today they have banana as I backed a banana cake I sure wont give them avacado as I don't like them myself - so that's easy!
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Post by AussieBirds on Dec 1, 2007 13:28:09 GMT 10
Your birds will eat just about anything you will oceanaussie, with the exception of of the nasty's like Avocado, chocolate and as Tracey said Lettuce with the exception of endive or the darker coloured lettuce is useless, too much water content, the leafy parts of celery is also OK for them but the storks are of no nutritional value at all. Chili and Capsicum are fine they love the seeds and as birds don't have saliva glands they don't find them hot to eat, but look out if you get a bite from one of them after they have eaten a chili :oOUCH. Good luck with you birds I think of the coloures of the IR I love the blue the most. John
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Post by oceanaussi on Dec 2, 2007 10:28:04 GMT 10
Thank you all! I will wait with the chillies until they stop biting But I think I found their favourite! Sunday morning my dog gets her dry food with a raw egg, yoghurt, honey and oats. So I thought I'll try this for the birds: yoghurt, honey, oats and macadamia nuts - they went berserk and eat in in no time! Then I started preparing lunch (going to have Quiche) and I gave them some diced bacon - that was gone in no time at all as well! Now I know what I can use as treat once I figure out how to train them but I'm going to open up a separate post on that.
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avril
Addicted Member
Posts: 141
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Post by avril on Dec 2, 2007 21:36:20 GMT 10
Get yourself a copy of this book it is the best. It is easy to understand for beginners and experience IRN owner. The Indian Ringneck Breeder's Handbook. Author Phil Robson.I got one off ebay for less than $40 it was brand new but any good book store world wide should have them. * Starting Out: Introduction, Housing, Acquiring Birds, Quarantine, Surgical Sexing, DNA Sexing * Accessories: Introduction, Nets, Brooders, Carrying box, Crop Needle, Torch, Feeders and Waterers * Feeding and Diet: Introduction, Seed Mixture, Fruit & Veg, Weeds, Protein, Pellets, Calcium & Grit, Water, Soaked and Sprouted Seeds * Health and Diseases: Introduction, Heavy Metal Poisoning, Psittacosis, Intestinal Worms, Aspergillosis, Bacterial Infections, Bite Wounds, Red Mite, Obesity * Breeding: Introduction, Courtship & Display, Nesting Receptacles, Nesting Materials, Laying, Eggs, Hatching & Development, Leg Rings, Handraising, Trouble-shooting during the Breeding Season * Genetics and Breeding, covering 20 colour mutations and over 140 breeding combinations: Recessive, Sex-linked, Dominant, Reading the Breeding Combination Tables * Breeding Tables: Blue, Lutino, Albino, Grey-Green, Grey, Pastelblue, Creamino, Pastelgrey, Lacewing, Pastelblue Lacewing, Blue Lacewing, Grey Lacewing, Grey-Green Lacewing, Cinnamon, Golden Olive, Silver, Pastel Silver, Pastelblue Cinnamon, Skyblue, The Future! 110 pages packed full of colour photos. The Indian Ringneck Breeder's Handbook Author : Phil Robson ISBN 0-9579657-0-2 www.abundantlyours.com They are in Brisbane
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Post by apache on Dec 2, 2007 22:48:58 GMT 10
^ wow that book sounds great! my friend has a quaker parrot that would just about kill for a pork chop bone! hahaha its sooo funny to watch. i find my IRN's love apple the most...... they would eat it all day if i gave it to them.. hey does anyone know if they can eat too much sweet stuff like apples? should the sweet stuff be restricted to each other day??
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Post by oceanaussi on Dec 3, 2007 8:43:19 GMT 10
Thanks avril - I already ordered the book Hey apache: Did you get the 2 IRN together? Are they tame? May I ask where you've got them from and how much you paid? You can send me a message if you prefer. Thank you!
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Post by grego on Dec 3, 2007 9:55:17 GMT 10
Fruits will be fine as long as there is seed with there food other wise gives them runny poo's Sounds like a great book there Avril....welcome also
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Post by AussieBirds on Dec 3, 2007 11:04:24 GMT 10
Sounds like a great book Avril I think I might get one of them myself.....or at least ask Santa for one.
John ;D ;D ;D
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avril
Addicted Member
Posts: 141
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Post by avril on Dec 3, 2007 11:25:20 GMT 10
here is Phil's Website, what he doesn't know about IRN's is not worth knowing. I have just ordered 2 copies of his new book Asiatic Parrot Breeder's Handbook philrobsonringnecks.com/
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Post by apache on Dec 5, 2007 20:54:06 GMT 10
that does look like a great book and i too ordered one off ebay thanks! Oceanaussi : yes i did get my 2 babies together from a breeder up where i live on the sunshine coast in Queensland.... she charges $150 each regardless of what colour you get...... she had a lot of green/grey and some silver ones too...... anyway yes they are both tame and they are from different parents so they are different ages... they are about 2 weeks apart but were housed together for hand raising hopefully i will finally be able to get them sexed next week as they are both now over 12 weeks!
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