New Quaker parrent!

[locoparrot]

Hey all,

Happy to join you here. I am a new parrot owner, and after meeting several parrots at the parrot farm and explaining my situation to the breeder (work long hours, but still want a companion), I went home with a new buddy.

Don't know if it's a he or she though

I wanted any ideas and advice on how to make his new cage a happy place to be when I'm at work.
He's currently in the small cage we brought him with.



And this is his happy home in progress (missing the bottom and top, I washed it). please feel free to give any advice.



Also any other tips and stuff is welcome!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Congrats on your bew baby ...I cant see him so good but I do have a quick comment about the cage he is in...the new cage looks good but the present cage appears to have doors that slide up and down and although I know this cage is only temporary until you get the larger cage set up I would secure those sliding doors because quakers are very good at figuring out how things work and they experiment with them and before long your quaker will have learned to let himself in and out of that blue and white cage...the danger is that one of those sliding doors coulđ catch his neck as he tries to get in or out of the cage when you are not around. How old is he ? Do you have to tame him or is he hand reared ? You have picked one of the most wonderful companions that anyone could have...you are going to have lots of fun with your quaker...they can be a little noisy at least some people say they can but my Quaker girl gas never been noisy. He will flock call you and I have always answered my girls flock call and after a couple of calls and a couple of answers she stops calling mainly morning and evening . For the larger cage I would say get lots of toys of different textures aswell as the lovely one you hsve hanging there...personally I woukd place the rope perch lower than the wooden one. Im guessing the water and food bowls are being washed too ...some people give a quaker a little hide away but I think they can be dangerous so I dont give my girl one instead I arrange it so she can perch under a preening toy also get a little cat ball with a bell in it my girl speds ages on the floor of her cage playing ball and putting it into little cups and boxes. Also you could add in a cement perch which helps to keep nails and beak trimmed. Quakers love toys but be careful of any toys that they might get their heads stuck in as if they get their heads caught in something they could injure themselves or even break their necks trying to get free...Enjoy him and have fun and Huge Congratulations does he have a name yet

 

[locoparrot]

Hey!

Thanks for the lovely post.
My answers (i'll refer to it as him for now):

* He is hand reared. When I met him at the parrot farm he spent quite a while on my hand and even let me feed him an apple. But when we got home he spent most of the hours screaming and doing strange noises at me. So I left him alone. It looked like I stressed him out. I hope tomorrow maybe he'll allow me to handle him more. I so new to this, so not sure how far should I pursue him.

* I will definitely make sure the sliding doors are secure! While he is in this temp cage, do you suggest more toys there?

* what are flock calls? how should I respond?

* Does he need a bath?

* He doesn't have a name yet. I'm trying to think of something that would fit both a male and a female. So far I thought about "beenie", "oatmeal" and "floof".

 

[Allee]

Hi there! I'm glad you joined us! Congratulations on your choice of a quaker companion!

Quakers are one of my favorite species. Quaker personalities can vary greatly but they do have species specific traits. They are scary smart and for small birds, they can present some challenges. The noise and slightly spread wings you mentioned in your other thread, if accompanied by head movement is called quaking, some quakers do this well into adulthood. Since your quaker is only three months old and recently weaned, he or she could be begging for food. A warm spoonful of cooked sweet potato, brown rice or oatmeal in the morning and again in the evening would probably be appreciated. As Mark/Birdman mentioned in a previous thread, don't serve hot foods, just a little warmer than room temperature is best.

Quakers learn fast and most respond well to training. Quakers tend to be defensive around their cages, in the right situation they can deliver a very nasty bite. If you allow them to bite at a young age, the behavior can get out of hand before you know it. In my experience, a time out perch on the front of your quaker's cage is the quickest and most reliable way to train a quaker. Consistency is the key, calmly return the bird to the perch for five minutes each and every time he or she bites, quakers love drama, if you reward them with drama they will repeat the behavior to get the same reaction. Three time outs is my daily limit, after three offenses in the same day, they go into their cage with the door closed.

Your cage is a great size for a quaker as long as the bar spacing is no bigger than 3/4 inch, that's the max for a quaker and I would be cautious about 3/4" with a young quaker, they are, as Birdigirl mentioned, notorious escape artists, if you forget to latch, clip or engage a lock on their cage, they will notice and be out and about without permission.

Your little guy are girl at this age will probably be curious enough to try just about any toy you offer. Paper shreddables, soft wood, straws, sticks, foot toys are all popular. Knotted strips of leather make good quaker toys, most quakers will make a game of untying the knots.

Not all quakers talk, those that do, speak clearly and mimic every noise they hear. If you have sensitive guests, you may want to sensor language used around your quaker, they have a real knack for picking up words you or your friends and family may not want to hear.

Enjoy the journey and please share your adventure.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Hey!

Thanks for the lovely post.
My answers (i'll refer to it as him for now):

* He is hand reared. When I met him at the parrot farm he spent quite a while on my hand and even let me feed him an apple. But when we got home he spent most of the hours screaming and doing strange noises at me. So I left him alone. It looked like I stressed him out. I hope tomorrow maybe he'll allow me to handle him more. I so new to this, so not sure how far should I pursue him.

* I will definitely make sure the sliding doors are secure! While he is in this temp cage, do you suggest more toys there?

* what are flock calls? how should I respond?

* Does he need a bath?

* He doesn't have a name yet. I'm trying to think of something that would fit both a male and a female. So far I thought about "beenie", "oatmeal" and "floof".

Allee has also given you some great advice.
If you are looking for more ideas about names you could look at a couple of the threads where people asked for suggestions for names for their parrots or you could start your own thread looking for name sugestions...the name that you pick in the end should be the name that you think fits best..i wouldnt give him a bath I would just give him time to settle in and just let him get used of his surroundings and watch you do your thing from his perch in the cage for now. For the moment just let him settle. Your home now his home too is all new territory to him and he needs a little time to take it all in.
Flock calls are when he squawks at you mostly you will find he does this morning and evening though he may also do it a few times throughout the day and you can answer him back with a word or his name or "hello Beenie" (or whatever name you decide to call him) while feeding him apple or other fruits make sure not to let him eat the seeds of the fruit as some of those seeds can be very toxic to your quaker ...check foods and fruits and veg that are safe for him to eat and foods that are not .
Quakers are territorial so that nay be why he is kicking up a storm when you try to feed him in his cage. A perch might be handy to use when tomorrow you take him out of his cage for a little while to offer him trats and give him some out of cage time. Putting your hand in there near his beak is not a good idea as they do defend their territory. Make sure to cover his cage at night and try and ensure he gets 12 hours of undisturbed sleep. They get grumpy if they dont get their sleep. You will grow to love your quaker they are Amazing buddies to have

 

[locoparrot]

Awesome advice!

Unfortunately the oatmeal attempt this morning did not work, since he got spooked by the spoon. So I'll try that when he feels more secure maybe.
I opened the window behind his cage so he can listen to the chirping birds outside (I live in the city, but lucky for us, my back window is looking to a garden and not the street). I will close it later when I try to let him out again.

Apparently he is a picky eater! what he doesn't like in the mix, the little bugger throws out or spits. lol

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Its normal for him to throw out and spit out food...be careful of the window that he is not in a draft and dont forget to close it fully before you let him out...dont worry about trying to feed him with the spoon if it has spooked him just put a tiny little cup or bowl in his cage and see if he eats the oatmeal...remove it a little later if he doesnt touch it...you can also offer him fresh veg and fruit in the same manner and take away what he doesnt eat about 20 mins to a half hour later...he will enjoy the chirping birds and before long will pick up their sounds too and sing for you Enjoy your new buddy you are doing a great job

 

[locoparrot]

Thank you birdgirl!

Today was a challenging day. I got myself some nasty bites, but eventually I learned how to handle him. I let him come out to me, and then he will agree to step up and we have yummies. I don't step away from the cage and hops back when he wants (he will only poop inside, which is very nice of him).

I still can't decide on a name lol. But I am happy I got him!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Thank you birdgirl!

Today was a challenging day. I got myself some nasty bites, but eventually I learned how to handle him. I let him come out to me, and then he will agree to step up and we have yummies. I don't step away from the cage and hops back when he wants (he will only poop inside, which is very nice of him).

I still can't decide on a name lol. But I am happy I got him!

Sounds like you are both doing very well. You will know when you find the right name as it will just fit him perfectly Hope you will be able to get some pics of him soon so we can get a good look at this boy/girl that has won your heart