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Well, I took the plunge!

Vmax

Jogging around the block
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Waco, Texas
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Vanessa
I adopted a Quaker parrot from my local bird rescue. My spousal unit is constructing this little bird a nice sized cage. S/he will come home this Friday. I already have two little conures that I’m mad for. I’m a little nervous about everyone getting settled in after quarantine and hoping to keep everybirdy safe.
The Quaker was found and brought to the shelter, so there’s very little history on the bird other than the routine tests they have done.
I read the good bad and ugly post, but I would love to hear about anyone’s experience bringing home a new bird or anything about Quakers in general.
Thanks!
 

JewellBird

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Miranda
Congratulations on your new flock member!
 

BirdG1rl

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Mara M.M
:congrats:
 

Oscarbird

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:starshower1: Congratulations!:starshower1:
 

expressmailtome

Ripping up the road
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Congratulations!
 

fashionfobie

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Congratulations on your new bean birdo!

Change will be change, but going through quarantine and taking it one step at a time will only help.

I can't wait to see their picture!


:needpics:
 

April

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Congratulations! I love Quakers,can't wait to see pics of your little one.
 

fidsmom

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Congratulations on your new flock member, I love Quakers, I have 7 of them, They mostly all get along with each other, 6 of the 7 talk and sing, Many of them are cuddle bugs as well, They do have their moments when they will scream, as they seem to know when it's time for playtime, and for me to greet them, when I come home from work., I have lite timers, for their lites, so if I go out their lites will go off at a certain time,,They are pretty good, , they rarely bite me They love attention They love to to take a bath, Mine prefer warm water, I use a big stainless steel dog dish
 

FeatheredM

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Monique
Congratulations, don't forget to take pictures! @CrazyBirdChick could maybe help
 

Farlie

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Central Arkansas
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I got mine as a baby and it took to me right a way and turned into a Velcro bird. It was very loving and even started talking. It was warm, loving and a little stinker at times. I've been calling it. It, cuz I thought it was a boy then one day it layed an egg! It was a girl all along. LOL
Don't force it to love you, let it come to you on it's own terms. I've been told that Quakers will bond with the opposite human sex. (Males to female humans and visa versa. It actually turned and attacked my girlfriend who hand feed it till weened.)
Enjoy. They are a great pet companion.
 

ems08

Walking the driveway
Joined
8/6/21
Messages
204
Location
NC, USA
Congrats on the new flock member! I have an almost 5 month old Quaker so we're still learning the Quaker traits, but he's the light of my life.

He's scary smart sometimes-- he figured out how to pull a string of beads out of a toy from the top that I didn't even consider he could do that. He's very accomplished at undoing knots, he learned how to spin in a circle to get a treat with just 2 training sessions! His vocabulary is already quite large-- out, step up, and good boy are most used, but he also says whatcha doing?, peekaboo, popcorn, hello, and yesterday said apple for the first time.

I don't have any issues with his noise level-- he flock calls when I leave the room but will settle down after a few minutes. We also have a routine where I put him (his cage) in the window of a particular room with the tv on when he's going to be alone for a few hours and he never complains while he's in there because he knows not to expect me to come back immediately. And he gets to watch Nick Jr, which I swear helped his vocabulary. He'll sit in there and just talk to the TV. He loves paw patrol!

In the last few days his preening of me is getting a little too bitey so we're working on that. It started when I got sick and couldn't talk at the start of this week and also was wearing a mask to keep my mom from getting it (just a cold but a wicked one). He was not a fan of my silence or my mask!

Another thing we're working on is that it's 50/50 on if he'll fly back to his cage to poop. He gets lots of praise when he does poop on his cage but no scolding or anything when he doesn't go in the right place. And he has the ability to get himself to his cage at any time, so we're taking care to avoid the issues with poop training where he would decide he couldn't go unless it was by command. I'm pretty good about recognizing his signs and getting him to his cage or at least getting a hand under his butt, but my mom isn't so quick so he's had a few accidents on the furniture. I roll my eyes as I type this because to bird people that's nothing but it's very upsetting to my mom, so we're working on *her* training on that too. :lol:

You've probably read this but Quakers are especially prone to atherosclerosis so a pellet diet and seeds as treats only are a must for long term health. I've read they don't like change but my boy gets bored easily so his toys get rotated every few days and almost daily I'll make a chain that has lots of fun stuff tied to it to destroy to keep him busy for a few hours. He always wants something in his beak to chew on so I give him an abundance of appropriate things to help keep him away from the forbidden things (clothes, hands, glasses, walls, etc).

He loves having head scratches but only on his terms when he wants them. So I ask "do you want head scratches?" so he knows my intent when I reach for himand he gets to decide always. I respect when he backs away and isn't interested-- he's not a snuggler at this point, but it's because he's just too busy chewing, exploring, and playing, not because he isn't affectionate.

I can't wait to see pics of your new baby :) do you have a name picked out?
 

Vmax

Jogging around the block
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Waco, Texas
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Vanessa
Thanks @ems08 I just finished setting up his new quarters. He’s been at the rescue since July so he hasn’t much to play with. I thought I’d take it easy on cage additions as we all get to know one another. My spousal unit constructed this cage out of two unused cages we were going to donate. We will be heading out to pick him up shortly. :birdance::hla: I’ll try to control my anxious enthusiasm!!
. D0ADC8C6-8F88-406F-A4F5-52BCC80B8E6A.jpeg C9DB5055-6C31-4CD0-BB6C-A3852741F059.jpeg
 

FeatheredM

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Thanks @ems08 I just finished setting up his new quarters. He’s been at the rescue since July so he hasn’t much to play with. I thought I’d take it easy on cage additions as we all get to know one another. My spousal unit constructed this cage out of two unused cages we were going to donate. We will be heading out to pick him up shortly. :birdance::hla: I’ll try to control my anxious enthusiasm!!
. View attachment 397301 View attachment 397302
I just think I should mention this, because I see alot of people post threads on behavioral issues caused by those hut things. I could be wrong you don't have one in there, but if you do, I recommend you take it out. I just see so many problems that come out of this thing, I want to let you know before it could possibly become a problem :) . But you really do have a really nice cage set-up! I really like all the colorful and nice perches!
 

ems08

Walking the driveway
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204
Location
NC, USA
Thanks @ems08 I just finished setting up his new quarters. He’s been at the rescue since July so he hasn’t much to play with. I thought I’d take it easy on cage additions as we all get to know one another. My spousal unit constructed this cage out of two unused cages we were going to donate. We will be heading out to pick him up shortly. :birdance::hla: I’ll try to control my anxious enthusiasm!!
That cage looks epic!! That's going to be a great home for your baby.
I will echo what FeatheredM said as well about the happy hut, since it looks like you may have one. No judgement whatsover because my lovebird got a happy hut when she was 6 months old as a gift from my step mom and she slept in that thing every night (it got replaced many times when it got too dirty to wash clean) for all of her 19 years with us. There weren't, or I didn't have access to, the resources there are now to know the risks associated with them and by the time I did I couldn't justify taking it from her. My lovie wasn't a chewer AT ALL so she never did any damage to the huts but I've read horrible stories of birds being killed from ingesting fibers or getting tangled in loose threads on their huts. I would never give Riley one for that reason alone, because he will chew and shred everything he gets his beak on.

But even if you avoid the worst case scenario, the dark enclosed space will make your bird more hormonal and want to nest (and quakers are especially nesty) and behavior issues always get worse when hormones are high so it's not great for either of you.

Either a platform perch or a seagrass mat hung to make a platform make great alternative sleeping spots that satisfy our needs to give them a cozy "bed" where they don't have to perch without being a dark enclosed nesting spot or the other dangerous risks. I chose a seagrass mat because with the holes in it, the poop mostly falls through to the cage floor rather than sitting on top. Riley has no concept of not pooping in his bed lol.

Pluto the quaker on Youtube has a Jolly ball with a hole cut in it which seems like a cozy bed and without the risks of the fabric-- his mom has mentioned how he goes through hormonal periods though and will pluck his chest feathers, so I have to think that "nest" contributes.

How did it go bringing him home? Pics?:cantwait::qppg::quaker::qpb::quakerb:
 

Vmax

Jogging around the block
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Waco, Texas
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Vanessa
Hi @FeatheredM . Yeah, and I think s/he is afraid of it. I didn't see your comment until after Hiccup went to bed.
My conures have loved theirs. I wash them and brush the knots out of the insides, but you are correct. I need to find a better "sleeping" arrangement for my fiddos!
 

Vmax

Jogging around the block
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@ems08 The grass mats are a great idea. I think I know what I'll be doing tomorrow for sure. I sat with her/him until the cage wasn't terribly scary tonight. I'll have to post some pics soon!
 

Vmax

Jogging around the block
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The bird rescue owner checked in on us today. Hiccup and I hung out together for about an hour or so. I let him/her come out of the cage and sit wherever. Hiccup flew back and forth between me and the cage top. We chatted and I offered some water from my cup. I got nipped b/c I wasn’t paying attention...my fault. I think I might be falling in love. I have drunk the kool-aid:xflove::batonthehead:
 

ems08

Walking the driveway
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Hi Hiccup!! :starshower1:

I'm so glad he's settling in well. It sounds like he's already bonding with you which is amazing. Such a cutie!
 

Vmax

Jogging around the block
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Location
Waco, Texas
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Vanessa
Hiccup took a bath and let me clean his cage today. I added some toys and moved some of the perches around. We were doing well until my spousal unit came in to say hi and Hiccup attacked him. At first neither of us new what was going on, but he flew at Jeff again and clamped onto his arm. We’re going to have to figure out a new strategy. I’d prefer Hiccup not be a one person bird.:(
 
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