Hello to all

[Leandros]

Greetings,
I recently found a Quaker/Monk parrot along with its cage thrown in the trash on some road.
Of course, I took it in my home, cleaned the cage fully, and started researching about the animal.

I got a spray for parasites cause I was afraid it had some because it's feathers around the neck were spikey and the beak was a bit "eaten" on the upper keratin layer . But I don't think it does cause those are symptoms of molting as I found out.

The bird appears very energetic although it sleeps a lot and eats way way too much. The criminals who owned it fed it mixture of seeds where the sunflower seed was in abundance. And i found out that it is very bad for the bird so I threw it away and I feed it fresh vegetables every day with a little bit of fruit and I got it some high quality pellets with low fat percentage. Although it doesn't eat those pellets, I smashed them and sprinkled them on the vegetables that it clearly likes, maybe to get used to it and then eat them alone.

I got a wooden toy to bite and play and I got a cuttlefish bone cause I learnt they get bored easily and need to stimulate their brains.

I live with my wife, our 2 cats and our RES turtle. I'm away from home for 8 hours every day or so.

The issue I have is that it's very very afraid of me, more than the cats and my wife and it breaks my heart At the first day, I had to catch it with my hands to put some lotion on its feet cause the stupid pet store said it had beak and feet desease. It doesn't, now I know. The bird was frantic and but my finger. Maybe it will remember what I did to it and will never bond with me?,

I really want to do the right things to bond, but I think it will bond with my wife and be afraid of me....

Any suggestions? Thanks

P. S. I know I need to get it to the vet and we will. We have the bird for 4 days now.

 

[Laurasea]

Thank you for rescuing this most awesome parrot from the trash!!!! Welcome to the forum!!

I have three quakers, and I have to say they speak to my soul. You can click on my name, and go to my profile page, and look at my albums if you want.

I'm sure since the rescue, and scary stuff you did trying to help ( name?) He/she are a little spooked by you. With patience, and food bribes, and time sitting next to abd talking to ( name) will become your fast freind. Use seeds as treats.
I still offer about 25% seeds in quakers diet. During molts they need a little more protein to make those new feathers. I feed scrambled eggs, or boiled eggs, a little boiled or well cooked chicken, and walnut.

But Quakers are very prone to over preen and feather destruction. Because they are so very smart, very social, and very active, that they are more sensitive to those needs not being met.

Have you had parrots before? Nonstick cookware, and other toxins can kill a parrot in seconds, even behind doors and on a different floor of the house. I'm going to link some stuff for you. https://birdsupplies.com/pages/parrot-safety-10-household-dangers-that-kill-parrots
And a list ( still read the link above , covers so much more)
Common Household Products That Kill Parrots:

Aluminum cooking bags
Automatic dishwasher detergent
Avocado
Bleach
Carpet freshener
Cigarettes and cigarette smoke
Cleaning solutions
Coffee grounds
Chocolate candies
Epoxy glue
Essential oils
Ethylene glycol (antifreeze, film)
Flea collars and sprays
Furniture polish
Homemade play dough (toxic levels of salt)
Leather protecting sprays Linoleum (contains lead)
Matches
Mothballs
Medicines (both prescription and over the counter)
Oven cleaners
Personal care products
Pesticide strips, sprays, foggers
Pine oil cleaners
Plant spikes and all fertilizer
Plug-in air fresheners
Potpourri oils
Poisonous plants (inside and outside)
Spray starch
Tea tree oil (Melaleuca)
Teflon cooking pans
Thermometers (contain mercury)

Before I do that I wanted to encourage you to make and add lots and lots of stuff for your parrot to shred, chew. To help prevent feather pluckers from starting, or help limit it if he's already started. You can cut plane card board into stars or tempting shapes with lots of edges, in about cookies size, punch a hole through the pieces and use a zip tie to hang it some place he can reach and chomp. Cutting brown paper bags into Hulu type fringe, and stuff it into a klenix box, or bundle it and tie with a zip tie. Give old paperback books to shred and destroyed, buy that shredder roll for parrots and thread through the bars. This easy to tear up stuff, makes them more happy then many of the toys sold! Aim to have five to eight toys in the cage , and that many on top of the cage as well as several perch types in the cage and on top. Plan on rotating them with new ones monthly, then you rote the old ones back in , switch it up! Quakers usually like toys a lot, and aren't as fearful of new stuff .
This article starts out with basic bird behaviors, then ad you go down it progresses to problem behavior like biting, screaming, and more. Well worth the read!
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-behavior/

 

[dhraiden]

Welcome, Leandros, and thank you for taking the time to care for this bird.


Be very patient and keep your expectations reasonable - the bird has had a sudden and stressful change of environment (twice), and needs its own time to adjust to a new surrounding, at its own pace.


Read Laura's post carefully and please follow her advice. Please also follow-up here with the results of the vet check, once done.


Finally, please keep the cats you have separate from the Quaker, and ensure they never have access to it. Cats kill birds, period, by instinct, and for pleasure.


Thanks again for doing all you have done so far, and I hope you find your life enhanced by the new addition of this Quaker you've so kindly cared for.

 

[Leandros]

Thank you so much for helping me out and taking time of your life to answer me
I will try to do what you suggested and see what happens.
Thanks again <3

 

[Laurasea]

Everytime you can walk by the cage say hi ( name) and give him a seed treat. Do this bunches of times a day. He will soon be thrilled to see you!

I have lots of good articles to link, but don't want to overwhelm you and I want you to give the link at the bottom of my first text a good read before I add more

Oh crikey! I almost forgot, Quakers are notoriously cage agressive, protective. If your bird is not right now, in the next few days, weeks, months he probably will become so. I just let mine out before I do any cage stuff, and the door has a perch so when I swing the door open they can be on the perch. Then they are their normal lovey, snuggle self. You can not train the cage protection out of them, just respect that is their home space, no humans allowed!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and your Quaker! Deep respect for rescuing and assuming a lifelong responsibility for a beautiful parrot.

Your bird is overwhelmed and needs time to adapt to your kindness and security. As others have stated, please carefully safeguard against the cats. Our Bereavement Forum is filled with sadness from accidents and too much trust. It is possible to safely co-exist with great caution and well-thought procedures.

There are many techniques to build trust and enhance bonding. This is a favorite thread: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Helpful food tips: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

Conversion to pellets requires strategy and patience. It is helpful to not mix foods at the same time. If you wish to give pellets another chance, consider this protocol from Harrison's. https://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/using-our-foods/large-bird-conversion/ Doesn't matter the brand you use, principle applies.

 

[Leandros]

Thanks again for the answer. I'm afraid to let it out of cage because I never had any parrots. I'm very afraid it will fly away. Is there a possibility it will do that?

I use "it" cause I don't know the sex.

Thanks again, much appreciated <3

 

[Squeekmouse]

Welcome welcome!! Thank you for rescuing the little guy!!! Even when I keep my expectations low regarding people, I am still stunned when I hear the awful things people do to animals, especially poor, misunderstood and deeply under-appreciated birds.

I can't say more than the others who have already said all that I would have said above. Patience, persistence, treats, gentleness, treats, move slow, talk softly, more treats, plenty of toys, plenty of treats and lots of love, and I'm sure you will earn the little guy's trust and love. Safflower seeds are a wonderful treat, my boys love them and they're much more healthy than peanuts and sunflower seeds. Almond slivers are also much loved by my boys.

Good luck!!

 

[Laurasea]

There is no way to tell sex of a bird, unless you do a DNA test, but you should wait down the road to do that. You can even time is right order it online , print a piece of paper, clip just the bare tip of the toe nail to get a drop of bood to out on the paper. Then hold flour on the nail tip and wait till bleeding stops. But it can be upsetting to the bird. So you want to wait.

Wait to let him out until he always comes and takes treats by hand, and is calm. Hopefully just a few days. Then make sure all the other pets are locked up, shut the blinds, close doors to all other rooms, make sure no ceiling fan is on. Set up rope perche's on top of cage , and a short perch on the outside of the cage right next to the door. Have your treats ready, and a hand held perch ready. Plan when you have time to go slow and not rush. Set yourself up with a chair next to the cage. Then talk calm to him give him a few treats and open the door. Let him come out on his own, and praise and give treats. If he spooks and flies around the house, wait till he lands, then walk up calmly and offer your hand for a step up, or use your hand held perch. Most birds once they calm down are very happy to be rescued! If when you go to him he flys off, wait till he lands again, and try again. They tire very fast if they haven't been getting out and flying. Never chase him, never use a towel to trap him, he will calm down, and he will step up to something. If all goes well hat happened I would take him and put him on top of the cage at the perches you set up there and give him a treat. Hang out a bit and then show him you are putting yummy food in his cage , sit in your chair abdvwsut for him to go back. When he does say good bird and give treats.

If he comes to you and bows head you can lightly pet his head or neck , face, sides of beak. Don't pet any other part of the body. Many birds will try and bite you if you touch their wings or back.

 

[Leandros]

Thank you for the awesome help guys. Your suggestions will help me greatly <3

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I can't add anything else here..You have gotten great advice from fellow members. I will say WELCOME and Thank you for rescuing this poor guy!

Jim

 

[LaManuka]

Welcome again and thank you again for coming to this little one’s rescue!

Crushing up the pellets and sprinkling them over his food is a great way to get him used to the taste and get him ingesting at least some healthier food whether he realises it or not, I’ve used this method myself with a stubborn cockatiel and it worked a treat!

The only things I’d add is that you cannot be too careful with cats around. Cats harbour bacteria in their claws and teeth which can make the merest scratch lethal.

For this little guy to have ended up being literally thrown out with the trash you can only imagine what his former life was like. Yet despite what his previous circumstances were, it was the only life he knew and the people in his life were his flock (even though they may have been pretty feral!) Keep this in mind when you’re interacting with him because old habits die hard with parrots so earning his trust may take time. Doubtless he is in for a much better life going forward and we are happy to have you aboard!

 

[Leandros]

We decided to name him/her Trico. Since we don't know the sex and Trico sounds male and female. Also, I loved the Last Guardian

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. Thank you for rescuing this guy, people can be so callus sometimes, throwing this life away in the trash, makes me boil. You are getting such good advice here, I hope it works out for you and the new addition.

Trust - its what makes or breaks a human/parrot relationship. I would avoid taking him out until he accepts treats from your hand, because chasing a parrot around and toweling them is a for sure trust buster.

Good luck!

 

[Flboy]

Wow! The right place at the right time! Where is home?

 

[Leandros]

Wow! The right place at the right time! Where is home?

Its in Greece

I made an appointment to an avian vet at Thursday!! And tomorrow we ll sprinkle some water so he/she can bathe. Can I add apple vinegar? And how much per ml of water?

 

[Laurasea]

Don't add anything to the water, there is no need. Vinegar can be irritating.

 

[Leandros]

We got Trico to the vet today and he is healthy and the vet said the missing feathers he has around his eyes and head is because of poor diet and molting at the same time.
He will regain his feathers with the diet we give him now
Also, HE LET ME RUB HIS FEATHERS TODAY. He wasn't flying around when I put my hand in the cage ))))