IRN terrified of everything

[Oana]

Hello, I am Oana and I'm from Bucharest, Romania. I bought an grey IRN for my 6 year old son from a breeder. I am not sure about his age, probably between 6 and 8 months I think...He said it is tamed and hand feed but I've discovered that it is not true because he is really scared of people. I've had him from 19 of December, and still is not used with us at all.

In the last two days I've read all I could find about taming him (breeder told me that is almost sure that it's a boy), I decided to try patience and reward but my question is how am I going to give him a reward if he is totally freaked out if I am closer than 1m from his cage? And also I want to know if it will work better if I don't let him out of the cage...He knows to get out and also he is getting in when he want to eat but he is rushing out if he sees or hear me, so he likes to be free although free means stand him standing on a stick on a side of his cage.

He likes apple and red paprika and most of all sunflower seeds which I found out that should be given rarely only for reward.

Thanks and as I've said in my introduction thread, I am not a native English speaker so please understand my writing errors...

 

[sunnysmom]

3 weeks or so really isn't that long. He's in a new place, with new people. You just need to try to take things at his pace. Try just sitting near him and talking to him or even reading to him. I used to read magazine articles to my cockatiel when we first got him. Where is his cage located? Is the room quiet or is he with people? I would continue to let him out if he does okay with getting out.

@cassiesdad ?

 

[cassiesdad]

Your new boy has been with just a short period of time. The key here is patience, patience, patience! Move slowly around him and his cage...talk to him in a calm voice. He's already doing well just coming out of his cage..fantastic! If he wants to come out, by all means, let him...he's actually looking for companionship...but at his pace.

Keep trying other edibles as treats and rewards...see if there will be other things that can be used as treats...although there's nothing wrong with what you're offering....yes sunflower seeds should be given sparingly..as they are high fat content.

And again...don't worry about your English...it's fine!

 

[MommyBird]

Birds are prey animals, not predators like cats and dogs.
You must earn their trust.
You want to show them that you do not wish to scare them, and only proceed at THEIR pace.... this lesson will explain how:
HOW TO TAME A SCARED BIRD — ANNE SMERDON

 

[janicedyh]

Don't try to force it. He/she will come around when she feels comfortable and learns to trust. I have my IRNs cage where she can observe everything. When I brought her home I left her cage door open and she came out on her own, played on her play area on top and claimed her space. IRNs are not typically "cuddly" birds and like their space. When they want you they will let you know, not the reverse. Also, most are alarmed by loud noises. Kiwi gets really scared when my grandchildren run through the house. your guy will probably bond to you if you are the main caretaker, they usually bond to one person and tolerate everyone else. If you want him bonded to your 6 year old, your child needs to be active in caring for him and not just holding him when he wants to hold him. If your bird is 8 months old he may already have been bonded to an adult. Don't give up if it takes time. They are great birds. A little warning....they are loud : )

 

[Oana]

Thanks for all your advices, I will be patient, I thought maybe I am doing something wrong because I've been reading only stories about IRN tamed in few day or few weeks, but of course every living being is different, I try to teach my son that every day....My son follows my actions so I am sure they will bond, but probably as you said he will attach to me first, I am main caretaker and apparently he is more calm when I am around. Only one question: he obviously like to stay outside the cage, as I told you, he goes in to eat but only when we are nor around and when we are, he is very nervous, and always prepared to step out of the cage. Yesterday I've put fresh vegetables and he screamed very loud only trying to reach them without getting inside the cage. His fear is that I will close the door. He is more rapid that I am, therefore he stayed out for the night and we left this morning letting him out of the cage. I have no problem with that, I am only afraid it can hurt himself....But if I force him or trick him to get into in the cage when obviously he wants to be free wont help me at all with developing trust....So I should let him stay free?

P.S. - sunnysmom the cage is near a wall and close to the couch where we stay when we came home. So we stay close to him, maybe half a meter away watching TV or talking with each other and always with him. I am always telling him what I am going to do, Blue I will change your water now, or Blue, you are my lovely boy, or stuff like that.

 

[Oana]

So, can I left him out if he prefers so although I am not at home to watch him? Or try to trick him to enter in the cage although it is quite clear to me that he wants to stay outside? It is to dangerous for him to stay alone? I don't think I have a dangerous home but I am not a parrot. Last time he fly away in the kitchen and didn't know how to get back in the living room where the food was. He screamed and get agitated but under no circumstances didn't get anything from me....Finally, after some failure flights he managed somehow to find the way to the cage and he eat and eat ) ....

 

[Clueless]

Parrots are like toddlers. They can get into trouble.

For instance, he can nibble at something that can hurt him if he's free to roam. Sadly, he can even fall into the toilet and drown.

My birds don't fly so I have no idea how people handle that issue. I wonder....have you discovered what his favorite food is? If so, maybe only give him that when he goes into his cage? Or, only his food when he goes into cage?

 

[Oana]

I did that, this is how I usually get him into cage, but yesterday it is more than clear that he didn't want to get in, he eaten his favorite treat with one leg out of the cage and one in....and when we move or talk, he instantly goes out preferring not to eat...I will try harder tonight...

 

[janicedyh]

Don't leave him out when you are not around

 

[Oana]

well I've trick him to get into his cage last night and it broke my heart...He screamed and screamed and was touring the cage trying to get out. I don't think he did something while he was alone, I found him in his cage sleeping....and when he saw me he rushed out in an instant....

Also I don't understand why is he so static, I mean he does nothing but staying on a stick outside the cage. Not screaming, not flying, not being interested in anything....He just stay there...

 

[Jas]

These are some friendly suggestions, I'm not being mean or trying to be rude.

That is a rather small cage for an irn. He has no where to move, flying is out of the question, there is no space for toys unless You make it crowded. It is rather boring for him. I would strongly suggest getting him a bigger cage. The bigger the better! Just make sure that the bar sizing is appropriate so he can't get his head stuck. (sure someone will know on here what is appropriate). You want a long cage, not a tall one. Birds do not fly up, they fly across.

Those perches look like dowels. They are so bad for bird's feet, they can get pressure sores and develop bumble foot (a bacterial infection). Replace them with some natural perches with varying texture and diameter, amazon sell loads. If you can, make your own by finding bird safe woods away for roads and that haven't been sprayed with chemicals.

Toys are so important not only to keep your birds beak trim but also provide a sense of enrichment and entertainment. Wood like pine and balsa are great for chewing. Balsa is super soft so it shreads and pine can come in different thicknesses so it can be tougher to chew. toys make of paper are always fun to rip up. If you can't find a good selection make your own. Find some untreated pine at lumber yard and cut the sizes appropriately, drill holes in wood and use some vegetable tanned leather, pauline rope, untreated sisal or paper rope (I wouldn't suggest cotton as it can become dangerous with loose strands). Use straws, paper plates (unwaxed), cardboard boxes for food and toilet and kitchen roll tubes (as long as the glue is vegetable based, I know in the UK it is),plastic beads, pine lollypop sticks, paper cups, cupcake papers (make sure they're all unwaxed) and shredded paper. You can make your own if you are struggling to find any or can't afford them. That's what I do and the birds aren't bothered, they like it when I hide treats in them.

Training is a good way to bond and will help you get him back in his cage. Clicker training means he will know that when you make a click sound with a clicker that he gets a treat. Which means he's done something right. Sit next to his cage click give treat and repeat. Until he gets the idea that click means treat. Next target training, something long like a ruler or pen with a lid on it will work. Hold stick in front of him say target and when he touches it with his beak, click, treat, repeat. When he gets the hang of it move target further away. Continue to do this until he will move around most places by targeting. Do this in the cage at first though and once he understands, you can move him to his cage without creating negative experiences.

 

[cassiesdad]

Remember, he's been with you less than a month. The big world outside his cage is still relatively new (and scary) to him. He's going to take some time to observe what's going on in the world.

That is a rather small cage for an irn.

..agreed. You might want to start to look into getting a bigger cage for him...he'll appreciate your efforts as he matures. IRNs are usually very concerned about their magnificent tails...even to the point of vanity! That doesn't mean they'll damage them as they move about their cages, though. Titan had a huge cage with us, but still banged his tail against the bars of the cage all the time.

@Jas has an excellent post...with many great suggestions...

 

[Oana]

Jasmine I really appreciate your suggestions and time you spend writing everything for me, no way to consider them rude or mean!!!!

For the moment I don't have finance or space to take him another cage, so we will have to deal with that for the moment. There is a plan of our balcony to be closed this year and perhaps I could prepare a space only for him. But I started to find ideas for toys and I will prepare some for him this weekend, no way to let him be depressed or bored. I also find a local producer for some extraordinary toys for parrots, nothing like toys on the market. In Romania the market for parrots is really small, there are quite few people who raise exotic birds so I will have to make thinks for him mostly at home. Also, I will try to make the room where he stand quite safe so I can let him free much of the time. I think we will get along much better with him being free.

I still can't understand how to use reward and clicking if is so fearful, I mean I've tried to put small treats in his bowl when I do thinks around his cage but I am not sure if he will understand that is a reward from me because he is so agitated when I drop reward in the cage...He goes to see what I've put there after I live the room, so it is clear that he is afraid of me...

I'll ask again to be patient with me, I don't speak English very good and is extremely hard for me to explain the situations...It takes a lot of time for me to write a post, I can't find my words that easily....

P.S. - Jasmine, I don't know what kind of tree is balsa, but I am sure that I will find pine at the mountains, next week for sure I will go there and have some branches I can use for toys. But thanks again for good advice!

 

[Jas]

Toy making is fun, my birdies love to 'help'. Making some toys for him in the same room is a good way to spend some time together and he can see what you're doing so it won't be as scary. Some places outside his cage where he can hang would be much appreciated and means he won't panic as he has somewhere to go.

It will take a while for him to settle in a few weeks to a couple months, maybe a year. He will be nervous when you first do it but realise that when you open the cage he gets a treat and will start to become excited. Birds are smart, my conures know which bag has their treats in and only get excited when I open that bag, the rest they aren't bothered about . You could Sing to him, read a book to him, talk to him, do some work in his room to get him used to you. You also want him to understand that you're not a threat, once he's realised that he'll calm down. Don't be discouraged or upset that he's afraid of you, birds are prey animals which means they are nervous animals, it's in their nature. Hell come around it just takes time and effort to build trust.

Its okay no need to rush, if you don't understand something that was said just ask them to explain a little more clearly. Or if you don't know how to say something just do your best. No worries. Your English is excellent!

Balsa is used for modelling planes and stuff, its a super soft wood like yucca. I can only find it in the UK from one specialist bird store, we dont have very many stores like them in the UK. Good that you have a great source of pine near you, most of the trees near me are next to roads or are in parks.

 

[MommyBird]

I still can't understand how to use reward and clicking if is so fearful, I mean I've tried to put small treats in his bowl when I do thinks around his cage but I am not sure if he will understand that is a reward from me because he is so agitated when I drop reward in the cage...He goes to see what I've put there after I live the room, so it is clear that he is afraid of me...

see the link I gave in post #4. This is giving rewards for being calm. The reward is he is calm and you don't come closer and/or you go away. Now,you just keep pushing and scaring him repeatedly. You need to follow this method and back off, slow down and go at his pace.