Hi from Oklahoma!

[CMcDade]

Hello! My name is Crissa and I'm getting a 2 year old Blue Quaker male this weekend! I've had a cockatiel and parakeets before, plus growing up my Aunt had several different birds, including quakers. Unfortunately my Aunt passed away several years ago so I don't have her to ask questions of anymore. So here I am to learn!

This boy, currently his name is Petey, is being rehomed do to aggression with his current owners which seems to be due to them hardly being home. I could be wrong but that's what it sounds like to me from what they've told me. I need advice on several things, I've been researching but I really love to hear from several different people. One, when I pick him up should I leave him alone to get used to seeing and hearing us for a few days? Or should I go ahead and start working with him? What kind of space heater can I get? I have an older home and I want to keep him as comfortable as possible. I currently have a quartz heater from walmart. My home is heated by natural gas and my stove uses natural gas as well, is that dangerous other than the obvious open flame of the stove? Any and all advice and ideas are welcome! lol

 

[saxguy64]

Welcome Crissa and Petey! You've come to the right place, and we're happy you're researching and asking questions. I'll offer this thread as far as bonding and trust building with him:

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

Parrots rarely bite each other, because they convey their feelings beforehand or fly off to avoid physical contact. If it feels cornered and frighten then need to bite will be from the natural instinct of self -preservation. The cage is the Parrot safe haven and any attempt to enter, add or...

www.parrotforums.com

When it comes to what to start doing with him when, basic rule of thumb is PATIENCE. Everything at his pace, not your own expectations. Some are happy to be handled or worked with right away, while others can take months... or even years. Everything comes down to trust.

Another suggestion, in the Amazons sub forum, there's a couple stickies at the top with TONS of great information for all parrots, not just amazons. Yes, some of it is more zon specific, but much of it is pretty universal and extremely helpful. We often recommend sitting at a comfortable (for the bird) distance from your bird's cage and reading aloud to them. If you read the information from there, you're helping them get familiar and comfortable with you and your voice, and gaining some great wisdom at the same time. Win-win!