Weaning delema

[JagsSon22]

Ok, my mom and I found a guy in Cali who has a blue IRN. He says that he is 7 weeks old and almost finnsht weaning him. My mom read somewhere that they cannnot be finnsht weaning untill they are 12 weeks old and they guy is trying to scam us. I think that it is possible and he is not scamming and I really want this bird. Any1 got any ideas?

[Jag]

Originally Posted by JagsSon22

Ok, my mom and I found a guy in Cali who has a blue IRN. He says that he is 7 weeks old and almost finished weaning him. My mom read somewhere that they cannnot be finished weaning untill they are 12 weeks old and the guy is trying to scam us. I think that it is possible and he is not scamming and I really want this bird. Any1 got any ideas?

We've also heard that females do not talk; is this true?


Jagswife & JagsSon22

[debbielabella]

Originally Posted by Jag

We've also heard that females do not talk; is this true?


Jagswife & JagsSon22

that myth is said about Alexandrines as well, and Sophie talks quite well. Best pronounciation of all my birds. She sounds like an older highly educated English woman.

[JagsSon22]

Thxs... That answers a Big question of mine... I really like ringnecks bc I read they are sweet and affectionate. I also like the talking capabilities. And I would hate to get a bird that talks so well and find out that I got a female and it can't talk. But I assure you, talking isn't the only reason I want one

[debbielabella]

weaning age seemed consistent on the net for IRNs - 10-12 weeks. you want a breeder who practices abundance weaning.

[Ringneckmom]

You do have to remember though that it is possible for some birds to wean earlier. Times given are just averages and some birds will wean faster than others. If he said almost then it could still be a little bit longer for him to be fully weaned. He could also be gauging it by the bird refusing to hand feed and starting to eat on his own.

Is this an aviary or a single person?

It could also depend on how he is handfeeding, I have heard that birds that are spoon fed may wean earlier due to tasting the formula and such.

Yes, females do talk as well - males probably talk better but it is all in the bird - there are some males that don't talk at all. I have some of both.
Sorbet and Indy very rarely talk in anything besides birdese and Kismet and Maverick chatter non stop. Kismet is one of the best talkers I have ever had, aside from one of my Tiels, Maverick is working on it. He is a Kismet wannabe () in more ways than one.
Last night when they were out I was talking to two of my other and Maverick came over so he and I were exchanging "kisses" on the cheek, doing the whole MWAH noise and then when he gave me a nice kiss (no biting) I said Good Bird. So during the whole thing he would do the kiss noise and then say Good Bird. It was so funny and cute that I wish I had a video of it.


Tip for a toy - they love the shredders and pinatas. Thin pieces of wood do best for them - they don't seem to care for large chunks of wood.

[Jag]

This is the website... www.indianringneck.net. I'm just a little worried about how young this one is. He said that it eats Roudybush, fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. I asked if it was truly weaned. He said that it will bob its head 'once in awhile' when his daughter walks by...his daughter was the one that did the hand feeding. He says it's eating well, but honestly because it's in CA and would have to be flown, there would be no way to interact with it, etc. prior to it getting here.

Also, I'm concerned about the 'bluffing' stage. How long does this go on and when does it start? I don't know if my son would *really* be able to handle a lot of hard bites every day for a period of time....but we are discussing it.

[Ringneckmom]

I can understand not being able to interact with it first - that is one of my things as well unless I have heard about the breeder.
In this case I don't know them. I did also put an answer in your other thread regarding these same questions.
I would put it here as well but about time to head home from work ....

If the bird has been handled well then you shouldn't receive too many if any hard bites though I can't say for sure. I have seen some birds that totally freak out from shipping that they just don't do well.

A little bobbing is not too bad since it is still a young bird - kind of similar to a macaw and their wing flip and honk. It can still happen to a weaned bird when they go to a new home regardless how how well they were eating at their other home.

If the baby does it then give mixed veggies, millet and other soft foods as well as making sure there is food all over the cage for him to constantly see.
You can also if you ever had to - use a spoon or syringe and see if the bird would take a little from you just until it settles in better. Not talking a major feed or anything just what is called a comfort feed that is normally a small amount.

You might also try talking to the breeder more and see if they can get video of the bird and pics so you can see how the bird reacts for them and even post here for opinions.