Adopting a 10 year old quaker

[brittani299]

Hello,
I am going to be adopting a 10 year old quaker parrot on Sunday. How do I get him to bond with me? He will be leaving his home of 10 years and I am just scared he will get sad. Someone is at my house almost every hour so should we just all spend time with him? I also have a green cheek who is bonded with me. Will she get upset if I am spending time with another bird? How do I introduce them to each other? They WILL NOT be housed together. They have their own cages. Also the quaker was born with all of his nails missing. Is there special care for that?
Thanks

 

[QuakerMom]

Quakers are quite the characters but like any breed, they all have their own personalities.
I'd give him a week to settle in. My Quaker was hatched in 2007 and I just got her a few months ago. She settled right in. She was a biting fool and was terrified of hands but we overcame those issues in very little time. Quakers are very resilient in general.

Your Conure may be a bit jealous. Or extremely jealous if she has chosen you as her mate. Only time will tell. If she is in fact extremely jealous, you might keep each bird in their own rooms so she won't see you "cheating on her" with the Quaker LOL.

If the nails were missing from day one, it's probably genetic. If it's genetic there is NOTHING you can do about it. Just be mindful that his grip won't be a good as if he had nails. And be happy you won't have to worry about trimming them or getting scratched.. I dunno what else to say but look on the positive side when you can't change something. Maybe try different sized perches and see which he prefers? Odds are he's quite used to not having nails and it doesn't affect him much.

Congrats on your new Quaker!! Enjoy

 

[cnyguy]

You'll need to observe "first bird" protcol with your Conure-- she must be the first to be greeted in the morning, the first to be fed and get treats, the first to get out-of-cage playtime, but the last to go to bed at night. Be sure to spend plenty of time with her and remind her how much she's loved.

In the beginning, sit near your new Quaker's cage and talk softly to him. Tell him how happy you are that he's joined your flock and that you want him to be happy too. Read to him too, to help him get used to you and the sound of your voice. Everyone who will be around the Quaker can do that. If you know what treats he really likes, offer him some; that's always a good way to win a parrot's heart.

If the Quaker was hatched without toenails, after ten years, he has certainly adapted to it. As with any parrot, provide a variety of perches. Some softer, braided fabric perches (like the Booda Comfy-perch) are one type that I'd suggest.

 

[brittani299]

Thanks everyone

 

[Blueridge]

Quakers are amazing and funny little birds. They are known as the clowns of the bird world. You will love him so much. Congrats and good luck with him!

 

[Nathan1]

Hello,
I am going to be adopting a 10 year old quaker parrot on Sunday. How do I get him to bond with me? He will be leaving his home of 10 years and I am just scared he will get sad. Someone is at my house almost every hour so should we just all spend time with him? I also have a green cheek who is bonded with me. Will she get upset if I am spending time with another bird? How do I introduce them to each other? They WILL NOT be housed together. They have their own cages. Also the quaker was born with all of his nails missing. Is there special care for that?
Thanks

That re-home will be really tough on him. I'd recommend giving him at least 3 days before trying to bond with him. In the mean time you can speak to him, sing to him, read to him whatever you want to get him use to your voice.

I have a GCC and a Quaker as well, they don't really get along the greatest. For the most part they avoid each other, but I can have them both on each of my shoulders without issues. They've only been coming out together for the last few months, so their attitude towards each other could change. I find that my Quaker tends to be more jealous than my GCC.

Introduction of 2 birds should be taken slowly, at first I would recommend keeping the Quaker away from your other bird's cage to avoid stress. Once the Quaker starts to become accustom to you and the environment then you can put the cages next to each other with some space(Maybe a foot). Overtime they will hopefully become accustom to the presence of each other, then you can begin introducing them outside of the cage. However, if you notice any aggressive behavior or threats between the two birds, you may want to separate them and introduce them slower(Keep them in the same room maybe). When you feel they're ready to come out together, keep a towel handy as a safety precaution to stop a fight.

As far as I'm aware, there is no special care for the missing toe nails.