Newbie; getting a friend for my quaker

[Lisa lugan]

Hello,

I am a first time bird owner. I was reading that Quaker parrots do better in pairs. My new feather baby is 1.5 years old, previous owner said he’s a male. Should I get another male or should I get a female? I have no interest in breeding them.
Will 2 males fight? My Kiwi is a gentle quiet bird. I want to rescue rather than buy but I’m concerned about an adults personality (the other bird).
Any advice or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you, Lisa

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

Unless he’s been DNA sexed you do not know if he’s male or female I do not know if a male or female will be better

 

[Shezbug]

Welcome to the Avenue

There is no way to tell if a new bird will be a suitable friend for your current bird.... unfortunately it’s something that no one can predict for you.
It is always advised to quarantine and vet check new birds and also have separate cages incase they do not end up liking each other.
If your second bird does not get along with your little cutie will you be willing to keep them in separate cages for their safety?
These are just a few other things to consider as I would hate for you to end up with two birds who don’t get along stuck in the same cage.

 

[Lisa lugan]

Thank you for your reply. I just got him a week ago so I think I should let him get adjusted first. Yes, it’s a concern of mine that they might not get along. He seems pretty happy by himself so far so I guess I’ll wait a bit.

 

[Shezbug]

I’m guessing you plan on spending a fair bit of time with this little sweetie???

If you are planning on spending as much time as possible with him and giving him plenty of toys and foraging activities for when you’re not with him then I’d personally give it enough time for you to build a good relationship with this bird and take it from there.

I hope you enjoy being a member here

 

[Lisa lugan]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I’m always talking to him and bopping around to reggae, he loves it! He’s a sweetie and he stole my heart already. He’s all stocked up on toys. His previous owner had one measly useless toy the poor thing couldn’t even reach so I’m spoiling him now!

 

[Hjarta5]

I think its great to wait and see how it goes with Kiwi I agree with Shezbug in just having some time for you and him to build a relationship, get to know his likes and dislikes, etc, before considering whether to get a second feathered companion. I have a quaker girl, Wally, who loves being Queen Bee -- however, we call her our "Jealous Lemon" because she will let no one and no other bird interact with me if she can help it! (So playtime with our sennie, Luna, is always surpervised and I know its bedtime for Wally when she gets super cranky with Luna.)

Welcome to the Avenue -- Im looking forward to hearing more about Kiwi

 

[Monica]

Agree with the others that there's no way to predict how another bird will change things. Also not a bad idea to give him time to settle in and learn about caring for him before getting another. I'm not against having multiple birds, but if he's your first bird, best to figure him out first!


If that's his current cage, might I recommend a cage upgrade? A 32x12 HQ/A&E flight cage would give him plenty of room for when you aren't home! (if you don't work from home or often run errands). A larger cage will mean that you'll be able to spoil him more and he'll be able to flap around better in a bigger space!

 

[Lisa lugan]

I think its great to wait and see how it goes with Kiwi I agree with Shezbug in just having some time for you and him to build a relationship, get to know his likes and dislikes, etc, before considering whether to get a second feathered companion. I have a quaker girl, Wally, who loves being Queen Bee -- however, we call her our "Jealous Lemon" because she will let no one and no other bird interact with me if she can help it! (So playtime with our sennie, Luna, is always surpervised and I know its bedtime for Wally when she gets super cranky with Luna.)

Welcome to the Avenue -- Im looking forward to hearing more about Kiwi

Thank you for the wonderful advice