G'day! New happy Quaker buddy here

[OzBlue]

Hi all, first time posting here. I've been reading up on quite a few articles as well as reading some of the posts made here about quakers. Sounds like every Quaker is so very different!

Our green Quaker named Blue (we're just weird, also love her blue highlights) came home with us a week and a half ago. She's about 7 months old and very energetic. I'm trying to get my head around the do's and dont's for Quakers. Had a couple of questions around food and training.

The unknown for me is fresh veggies, and what ratio of veggie seeds and pellets i should be using to keep her happy and healthy. I've read 20% fresh veggies, 70% pellet and 10% seeds? the other unknown is which veggies, i've seen asparagus listed as a no no and other articles saying yes. She loves carrots though, so i've been using that to build trust.

Re training, due to the pandemic i'm working from home and have had time to do training sessions with her. Normally i have the cage door open and built a few custom perches out of some paperbark tree branches which i've cleaned up.

The furthest i've gotten with her is to get her to step up (one time) with 2 feet on my finger in the cage. Now she is more interested in biting my finger when she cant reach the treat on the otherside of it. I let her bite my finger and don't pull away but she just seems annoyed and will pace back and forth between where my finger is (and the treat) and the cage wall, or she'll position herself to leave the the cage as she seems happiest when she gets a couple flights in. We let her fly around the office which is pretty decently sized and we can also get her to take treats from us then too. I'm not sure how lenient i need to be with her as far as when she gets treats. I'll feed her through the cage sometimes or from outside of the cage by hand but as soon as i get too close she just flies to a nearby perch or my desk. Am i confusing her? Also, is letting her out when she's not finger tame a good idea? She does thankfully return on her own when she's thirsty/hungry or wants to sleep on her swing.

I'd love to share photos here of her and our training/setup to get feedback but unsure how to do that here on the forums!

Thanks for reading this! Promise my questions will be shorter in the future

 

[OzBlue]

 

[Laurasea]

YI pretty much have all foods available at all times .

I feed a ton of veggies and they seem to live there all. Romaine, fresh uncooked green beans, I usually thaw and serve peas ( a favorite) , hot red chilli peppers I give whole or chopped minimum. Peppers of all typesThey got beaks they like to tear stuff up, so they can tear into their veggies! Mine like zucchini, cucumber, radish, celery, cooked butternut squash, squash seeds of all types fresh and dried, fresh corn on the cob, lettaces if all types except iceburg, . On fruit occasionally apple, fresh cherries, blackberries, blue berries, plums, pomegranate, papaya, all the squashes, carrots, cauliflowers. You Quaker will want some very small amount of meat, I used boiled chicken, irvwell cooked chicken. Scrambled eggs or boiled eggs

On the no no no list no onion, no garlic, no avacado, no mushrooms. I'm a no on citrus fruits, the citric acid can disruption gi, the citric acid is linked with iron storage disease. Citrus is Asian, most parrots didn't evolve to eat these citrus fruits.

I serve veggies in a casserole dish, spread out so they can see, the dish is sturdy enough they can pet h on edges, abd big enough they can climb in and be one with the veggies ! Birds don't like to stick their heads in dark tight dishes. Veggies seem to be best when they can explore them. I also make a point to offer little tidbits of different stuff throughout the day by hand. I think k hand feeding helps with bond.

I usually only offer seeds in the cage, a healthy seed mix, no peanut. They probably eat 35% seed. I have lots of different pellet types. The favorite are oven baked bites, mazzuri, zoo preen, and tops.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I only have time for a quick "HI" right now, but... welcome! You're already getting good advice, and I'm sure more is in store.

 

[OzBlue]

YI pretty much have all foods available at all times .

I feed a ton of veggies and they seem to live there all. Romaine, fresh uncooked green beans, I usually thaw and serve peas ( a favorite) , hot red chilli peppers I give whole or chopped minimum. Peppers of all typesThey got beaks they like to tear stuff up, so they can tear into their veggies! Mine like zucchini, cucumber, radish, celery, cooked butternut squash, squash seeds of all types fresh and dried, fresh corn on the cob, lettaces if all types except iceburg, . On fruit occasionally apple, fresh cherries, blackberries, blue berries, plums, pomegranate, papaya, all the squashes, carrots, cauliflowers. You Quaker will want some very small amount of meat, I used boiled chicken, irvwell cooked chicken. Scrambled eggs or boiled eggs

On the no no no list no onion, no garlic, no avacado, no mushrooms. I'm a no on citrus fruits, the citric acid can disruption gi, the citric acid is linked with iron storage disease. Citrus is Asian, most parrots didn't evolve to eat these citrus fruits.

I serve veggies in a casserole dish, spread out so they can see, the dish is sturdy enough they can pet h on edges, abd big enough they can climb in and be one with the veggies ! Birds don't like to stick their heads in dark tight dishes. Veggies seem to be best when they can explore them. I also make a point to offer little tidbits of different stuff throughout the day by hand. I think k hand feeding helps with bond.

I usually only offer seeds in the cage, a healthy seed mix, no peanut. They probably eat 35% seed. I have lots of different pellet types. The favorite are oven baked bites, mazzuri, zoo preen, and tops.

Thank you! Great advice So far she's been loving any dark leafy greens and carrots, lots of them. I like the green bean ideas and frozen peas, wasn't sure about frozen peas. When you say small amount of meat, are we talking thumbnail size portion? Or is that too much ? Thanks again Laura

 

[Laurasea]

You got it! Thumbnail is about what I serve.
Once Neptune swooped in and stole a cube if steak! Flew off and enjoy it, bratt.

I'm having to feed more thawed veggies, now. Never feed canned tho.

Dried chili peppers retain the vitamin A so good to feed. I ordered a bag from Amazon.

They also sell summer and serve stuff for parrots, has dried veg, lentils, rice, ECT, mine like it ok, not the favorite, but they eat it. Some parrots like a lot.

 

[NewQuakerMom]

Hi, new Quaker buddy here too, lol
Mine LOVES scrambled egg. I just stir up an egg, throw a splash of it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, and wait for it to cool. He'd eat his weight in scrambled egg if I let him, haah. But I just give him a small piece (also thumbnail sized) every day.

 

[Bentlegs]

Welcome to the Quaker / Parrot family!! My Blu (a Blue Quaker) also loves peas, baby corn, zuchini and brocolli. He is still relatively new - have had him for a couple months and he is now about 8/9 months. We are still experimenting on veggies to see what he likes - but I like Laurasea's idea of the casserole dish so he can pick and choose. With respect to fruit he likes apple, pear and grapes. Grapes were like a drug for him when he first ate them, so much so that he doesnt want them anymore LOL.

He has also started speaking really nicely - he says "Clever Boy, Good Boy, Hello, What you doing" so am trying to spend more time with new phrases.

My little Blu is a true clown and is highly energetic but he has a large play gym area which he loves. I also put a bath down once a day and he splashes around which he loves.

Enjoy your Blue - they are the most gorgeous birds and the most amazing friend!

 

[OzBlue]

Hi Bentlegs. Thanks for the welcome, yeah it's been a lot of fun, challenging and such a life saver when i'm stuck in our home office for the foreseable future. Good to meet someone with a quaker around the same age of ours. Did you have to convert yours to pellets? Any tips? Also with the bath, i've tried to put a bowl down a few times but she doesn't seem interested and i don't want to put the bowl in her cage because it will make the litter tray disgusting. Is it just a matter of being consistent with where it's located and when?