Quaker Mating!!! Help

[polly_birb]

Hello! This is my first post, so I have a 1 year old quaker who’s name is polly. He has recently started “mating” with his toy and we thought it be best if we got him a female quaker. They told us that she had also started plucking her feathers in order to create a nest. They don’t seem to be getting along to well so far she keeps biting him and he refuses to get anywhere near her. When she’s with me she’s a sweetheart but when polly comes around she’ll start getting away. I need some help and advice how to get them to get along and possibly mate!!! Thank you in advance

 

[Tazlima]

I'm afraid you're getting waaay ahead of yourself here. A one-year-old quaker really isn't old enough to be breeding. Yes, he's masturbating, but it's the equivalent of an 10-year-old human masturbating... playing around with the equipment is a far cry from being ready for marriage and parenthood. Quakers don't reach sexual maturity until between 2-4 years of age.

As far as the two of them getting along, the best thing you can do is not force them to interact. Birds, like people, have their preferences, and putting two birds together is like arranging a playdate for two random children. They may become best buddies, or they may hate the sight of each other, and it's nigh impossible to predict which way those scales will tip. Only thing you know for sure is that trying to force things will make them both uncomfortable and make it less likely they'll get along.

Your best bet is to let them be around each other, but don't force them close together. Keep their cages at opposite ends of the same room, so they can see and hear each other. When they're loose, make sure they both have an escape route if the other tries to approach. With time, they may develop a friendship... or not. Whenever you have multiple birds, you have to plan for the worst case scenario. If they decide they hate each other, you'll need to be sure they're housed separately and given the space they need to stay safe.

They're still very young, so you have all the time in the world.

One other concern - I see you have them outdoors without a cage or harness. Please, PLEASE be careful doing that. Hawks have been known to snatch birds right off their owner's hand or shoulder.

 

[polly_birb]

I'm afraid you're getting waaay ahead of yourself here. A one-year-old quaker really isn't old enough to be breeding. Yes, he's masturbating, but it's the equivalent of an 10-year-old human masturbating... playing around with the equipment is a far cry from being ready for marriage and parenthood. Quakers don't reach sexual maturity until between 2-4 years of age.

As far as the two of them getting along, the best thing you can do is not force them to interact. Birds, like people, have their preferences, and putting two birds together is like arranging a playdate for two random children. They may become best buddies, or they may hate the sight of each other, and it's nigh impossible to predict which way those scales will tip. Only thing you know for sure is that trying to force things will make them both uncomfortable and make it less likely they'll get along.

Your best bet is to let them be around each other, but don't force them close together. Keep their cages at opposite ends of the same room, so they can see and hear each other. When they're loose, make sure they both have an escape route if the other tries to approach. With time, they may develop a friendship... or not. Whenever you have multiple birds, you have to plan for the worst case scenario. If they decide they hate each other, you'll need to be sure they're housed separately and given the space they need to stay safe.

They're still very young, so you have all the time in the world.

One other concern - I see you have them outdoors without a cage or harness. Please, PLEASE be careful doing that. Hawks have been known to snatch birds right off their owner's hand or shoulder.

• #3

Ahh thank you so much! I had a feeling it was too soon but my mom insisted we find him a partner. I will definitely keep that in mind now. As of them getting along they have been making some progress but not enough to get close i have their cages separated so they can see each other. Also my female quaker was only fed seeds and I know that isn’t the best diet. My vet recommended the zupreem smart select but I haven’t heard good things about that brand is there any you recommend? Also, polly hates harnesses so i just keep a really close eye on him!! Thanks for your advice!

 

[MR. Mango]

It’s best to take Polly in a small travel cage then, roudybush, Harrison’s, and lafebers are good pellets but it might take sometime to transition her

 

[polly_birb]

It’s best to take Polly in a small travel cage then, roudybush, Harrison’s, and lafebers are good pellets but it might take sometime to transition her

We do have a travel cage but it’s really hot here and he gets hot very easily in it since it’s plastic. I will try mixing some of those pellets with the food she’s eating now!! Thanks!

 

[Shezbug]

Please listen to the members raising concern about your bird being outside unrestrained on your hand- it is very very dangerous no matter how much you might be watching your bird. We have new members join here pretty much every week to share that their clipped non flighted bird met its demise while outside just like your birds. Other people’s pets, wild animals, fright turns to flight etc.
You will end up loosing your bird and it will likely die quite horribly. Please use a harness or travel cage for your birds safety. Clipped wings are not going to stop your bird flying away nor are they healthy for our birds who rely on flight to keep healthy.
Breeding should only be done by those who know exactly what they’re doing and are prepared and experienced enough to handraise babies if needed as there are way too many things that can and do go wrong and this means death of innocent creatures when inexperienced unprepared people allow birds to breed.

I say all of this awful honest stuff in the hopes you’ll understand that we honestly care for the well-being of your birds and are trying to give you the knowledge and tools to ensure a very long healthy life together for you and your birds.

 

[polly_birb]

Please listen to the members raising concern about your bird being outside unrestrained on your hand- it is very very dangerous no matter how much you might be watching your bird. We have new members join here pretty much every week to share that their clipped non flighted bird met its demise while outside just like your birds. Other people’s pets, wild animals, fright turns to flight etc.
You will end up loosing your bird and it will likely die quite horribly. Please use a harness or travel cage for your birds safety. Clipped wings are not going to stop your bird flying away nor are they healthy for our birds who rely on flight to keep healthy.
Breeding should only be done by those who know exactly what they’re doing and are prepared and experienced enough to handraise babies if needed as there are way too many things that can and do go wrong and this means death of innocent creatures when inexperienced unprepared people allow birds to breed.

I say all of this awful honest stuff in the hopes you’ll understand that we honestly care for the well-being of your birds and are trying to give you the knowledge and tools to ensure a very long healthy life together for you and your birds.

Yes I am aware of their concern and I appreciate their advice. I will definitely be taking these into consideration!! I would hate for anything to happen to him so I will start taking him out in his travel cage only if it’s necessary. We will for sure start to learn more about breeding because I know it’s something not to take lightly. We did sadly have to clip his wings because polly ended up hurting himself really bad when he was little and learning to fly our vet said it was best if we clipped them. But we will start getting him more comfortable with harnesses because it’s better to be safe than sorry. Thank you for your advice!!!

 

[BirdG1rl]

Roudybush is the pellets I use! There are different sizes (nibbles, mini, medium) so make sure you choose the right one. Your Quakers are so cute!

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the Avenue

he gets hot very easily in it since it’s plastic.

Is there any chance of buying a normal cage to take them out? You can ususally find something decent at markets and second hand shops/sites. Just give it a good scrub down and disinfect thoroughly.

We did sadly have to clip his wings because polly ended up hurting himself really bad when he was little and learning to fly our vet said it was best if we clipped them.

Just so you know, serious breeders will keep their birds flighted as it gives the birds the best chance possible to be in their best health when laying and raising young.

 

[Mizzely]

Learning to fly with clipped wings is like learning to run with your shoes tied together. But yes, clipped birds can and do fly away all the time.

Smart Selects has too much seed for a Quaker, especially a clipped one, in my opinion. Quakers are prone to fatty liver disease, which is encouraged by a fatty diet and low exercise. I didn't allow my quaker more than 1/2 tsp of seed a day, and only in foraging toys.

There are plenty of pellets available:

Pellets for Parrots

Click the links below to be taken to that section. All Living Things | Caitec | FM Brown's | Goldenfeast | Hagen/Hari | Harrison's | Higgin's | Kaytee | Lafeber | Mazuri | Pretty Bird | Psittacus | Roudybush | Scenic | TOP's Parrot Food | Versele-Laga | Vetafarm | Zupreem I have gone through a...

www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

Before breeding your birds need to be on a healthy diet for at least 6 months, and really should be at least 2 years old and unclipped. Flying actually strengthens the muscles needed for egg laying, so a bird that is clipped and on a poor diet (especially those low in Vitamin A, D3, and calcium, which seed heavy diets are) is at serious risk for egg binding.

The younger the birds, the higher the risk for complications and chick abandonment as well. Even then, some birds make terrible parents and you'll have to intervene regardless.

This all assumes they even want to breed. My male quaker lives with my mother in law with a female Quaker. She lays eggs, and he masturbates, but they do not have a pair bond and do not mate with each other, and if they were housed together, they would hurt each other.

 

[polly_birb]

Roudybush is the pellets I use! There are different sizes (nibbles, mini, medium) so make sure you choose the right one. Your Quakers are so cute!

I’ll make sure to take a look at those and see if they like it & thank you so much

 

[polly_birb]

Welcome to the Avenue


Is there any chance of buying a normal cage to take them out? You can ususally find something decent at markets and second hand shops/sites. Just give it a good scrub down and disinfect thoroughly.


Just so you know, serious breeders will keep their birds flighted as it gives the birds the best chance possible to be in their best health when laying and raising young.

We’ve been looking for some decent cages to travel in but we haven’t found some at the moment. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for one tho. We will not be clipping our female quaker’s wings but i’ll be sure to be extra careful with her!! Thank you!!

 

[polly_birb]

Learning to fly with clipped wings is like learning to run with your shoes tied together. But yes, clipped birds can and do fly away all the time.

Smart Selects has too much seed for a Quaker, especially a clipped one, in my opinion. Quakers are prone to fatty liver disease, which is encouraged by a fatty diet and low exercise. I didn't allow my quaker more than 1/2 tsp of seed a day, and only in foraging toys.

There are plenty of pellets available:

Pellets for Parrots

Click the links below to be taken to that section. All Living Things | Caitec | FM Brown's | Goldenfeast | Hagen/Hari | Harrison's | Higgin's | Kaytee | Lafeber | Mazuri | Pretty Bird | Psittacus | Roudybush | Scenic | TOP's Parrot Food | Versele-Laga | Vetafarm | Zupreem I have gone through a...

www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

Before breeding your birds need to be on a healthy diet for at least 6 months, and really should be at least 2 years old and unclipped. Flying actually strengthens the muscles needed for egg laying, so a bird that is clipped and on a poor diet (especially those low in Vitamin A, D3, and calcium, which seed heavy diets are) is at serious risk for egg binding.

The younger the birds, the higher the risk for complications and chick abandonment as well. Even then, some birds make terrible parents and you'll have to intervene regardless.

This all assumes they even want to breed. My male quaker lives with my mother in law with a female Quaker. She lays eggs, and he masturbates, but they do not have a pair bond and do not mate with each other, and if they were housed together, they would hurt each other.

Yess I was against the whole wing clipping but he did end up hurting himslef, we did end up getting the nutri-berries pellets instead because I didn’t trust zupreem as much. They do each have a cuttlebone in their cage and they eat some of it throughout the day. But for now we will focus on them getting along and if they don’t then that’s fine but we’re not sure about them breeding now as it is a big compromise!!! Thank You for your advice I will take a look at the thread you said!

 

[tka]

The calcium in cuttlebone is not in a form that their bodies can make use of easily. Cuttlebone helps with beak trimming and is fun to chew, but is not an adequate source of calcium.

Bear in mind that breeding can be an expensive endeavour and a lot of things can go wrong. The parents may kill, injure or abandon their young. The chicks may be injured in the nest. The chicks may not be fed properly - too much or too little. Chicks can easily develop bacterial or yeast infections in their crops. They can get too cold and die, or too hot and die. The parents may not be good parents. Any of these means that you have to rush a bird in for emergency vet care, and you may need to handrear the young - a difficult process for a beginner. Have a quick look at the emergency forums on this site and look how many young chicks die at the hands of inexperienced owners.

If you want to breed your birds, you have to be willing to buy specialist equipment like a brooder and heatpads, learn specialist skills like proper handfeeding technique (preferably in person from someone else), and have a good amount of savings in case any of your birds get sick. The parents should be in supremely healthy condition - incubating eggs and raising chicks is incredibly hard on them nad their bodies.

If all this sounds like a lot (and it is!) then you have the option of replacing the eggs with dummy eggs or boiling the eggs they've laid. The embryo doesn't start growing until the hen starts incubating the eggs, and she won't start this until she's laid a full clutch to ensure that the chicks all hatch around the same time. If you observe her carefully, you can pull the eggs at the right time and either replace them with dummies or boil and cool them. She will sit on them until she realises that they won't hatch and then she'll lose interest. This is much, much preferable to raising chicks that you're not prepared for.