Parrot Forums - TalkParrots banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Quakers

2K views 16 replies 3 participants last post by  catalinadee 
#1 ·
Anyone have a Quaker? My quaker's name is Ollie (he's 6 & I adopted him a few days ago)
What are some treats?
What food do you recommend?
How do I work on taming him? (I can pet him)
 
#3 ·
Birds are usually very territorial in their cages because its their safe zone. If he lunged at you he might have thought you were too close and he didn't want to be touched or picked up or he didn't like the idea of you removing his water/seed dish.

Don't move too fast around him in his cage as they get spooked easily, try moving slower and talking to him addressing him by his name often, he probably recognizes his name. A little vocal
distraction can help when you need to change dishes in his cage.
 
#4 ·
I used to have a breeding pair but I also worked with one for about a year

The best treat I have found for similar sized birds is hemp seeds. Better for them than sunflowers and they seem to do anything for them. They're large enough to be rewarding but fast enough to eat to make a training session faster

Food-wise I would look into feeding chop as the main component of his diet as quakers are prone to obesity. Cooked foods (grains, legumes etc.), fruits and portions of seeds can be fed on the side. Here's some information on making chop ~ Parrot Chop | Parrot Nation

As for building a relationship with him, the absolute best way is to train them tricks. That might sound a bit odd, but by working on tricks together your bird can learn that you're not so bad after all and you can establish a mutual respect for one another

Here's a video on clicker training ~ [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCXrlJeubXU[/ame]

And here's one following it on target training ~ [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqtptXFyb2c&nohtml5=False[/ame]

By clicker and target training you can achieve almost anything you're aiming to do. I personally don't bother so much with tricks like waving or spinning but I use it to teach birds how to step up comfortably. The bird does it by choice and no force is used so they don't feel threatened
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr Peepers
#5 ·
As for putting your hand in the cage, quakers are one of the most territorial species I know. Do you have external swing feeders or are they in the cage? I would personally let him come out of the cage beforehand and then do your duties. If you follow the instructions for clicker and target you can guide him to leave the cage
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr Peepers
#7 ·
Ollie is no longer showing aggressive territorial behaviour instead he cowers in a corner whenever I open the door to change his food and water. And when I change the paper he does circles around the cage where he holds onto the bars and flaps his wings. Is there anyway I can make him more comfortable?
 
#9 ·
Move slowly, very slowly when you are in and around his cage.

We are huge objects in a little birds eyes so when we are standing at their cage and moving dishes and moving paper around we do it at what we consider is a regular pace. This can be really fast and can upset and make a small bird nervous, remember this is little bird in a new cage and environment and any activity in his cage makes him think you are invading his home.

This bird has been rehomed and in a shelter so he's not sure about you at all. Who knows where or what his life has been like before you brought him home. A relationship with him will take time and patience, you need to be patient with him and getting to know him.


He also isn't playing with his toys (a bell in a ball & a wrapped paper piece) but he is instead tearing up his perch and every once in a while he lifts up his water dish and bangs it against the bars...

If the bell and paper is new he may be nervous of it, any time I put a new toy in SPX's cage he hangs out somewhere far away from the new toy for days before he will walk near it. Most birds fear anything new in their cage.

What type of perch is he tearing up? Birds do destroy perches, usually they are hens who are in breeding condition.

Banging the water dish is something he likes to do let him do it. :biggrin5: :lol:

It might be noisy and annoying to you but he might be doing it to communicate to you getting your attention.

If you've been going to the cage and telling him to behave and stop making noise then he's gotten your attention and that's what the noise is all about.

If you want to get him to respond to you more and relax getting use to you, I'd sit beside the cage and read a book out loud to him. It doesn't matter what the book is about its the sound of your voice that will lull him and he'll relax more.
 
#11 ·
Is it new? Did he have one in his cage at the shelter?

The fabric from these twisty perches can cause impacted crop problems for birds if he swallows the fibers. I'd remove it and put some different type of perch in the cage.

He seems to be in a destructive mood so give him something to destroy, take some clean white computer paper and fold it up small and thinner. Place the paper between the bars of the cage somewhere but don't put it where he usually sits most of the time. (as I mentioned anything new can upset your bird)

Place it where he can get to it and tear and rip the paper if he feels like it. Its a cheap way to entertain him.
 
#13 ·
You've got a ways to go with getting to know him.

If you lived somewhere for 6 years and all of a sudden you ended up in a shelter with strangers and strange noises and animals around you wouldn't you be freaked out? Then he comes to your home last week and is in a new place with new people new sounds and a few other budgies so he's even more confused and freaked out.

He needs time. Any bird that's gone through what he has needs time.

Sit quietly beside his cage and read outloud to him. Don't stare at him because that freaks all birds out they think you are prey and looking at them like they are lunch.

Talk to him softly don't move around him fast, let him get to know you slowly. It's going to take time... lots and lots of time. :)
 
#14 ·
He did have one in the shelter but he was only there for a few hours when My mom adopted him. The shelter wouldn't disclose any information of his old home other than:
He has destructive behaviour
He needs lots of attention
He needed a home without children, with people who have experience with birds.
 
#15 ·
Like I said, twisty fabric perches can be a problem and can mess up the birds crop if he swallows any fibers. So I'd remove that perch.

Destructive is a behavior many birds have, maybe with this birds its
because he wants and needed attention in his old environment?

You sound like you want to give him a ton of attention and love but seriously this type of relationship just doesn't happen over night with any bird that's been re-homed.

It all takes time, be patient. :)
 
#17 ·
Was he rubbing his face on them? He could have been cleaning his face :) As for the toys, I would take out the bell in the ball if it's the cat ball type. I've seen birds die after getting caught in them and I had a bird break a leg from holding one. Offer him a wide range of foraging/shredding toys. Quakers are somewhat destructive. They also build enormous communal nests :lol: The rope perches are nice but they can be lethal too. Try offering him some natural ones if you can!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top