New Quaker parrot owner 🥰

[ozziesowner20]

Hi everyone , I’m a new owner and I’m having a few teething problems. Ozzie is 4 months and male ( so previous owner said ) and I’ve had Ozzie 3 days. He’s very tame in the sense of will come to you , sit on you and give you kisses and proon you etc but the minute you try to touch him he backs away and flies off BUT will nibble your hand and take food off you.

Secondly he’s got a massive fear of his cage , he refuses to go back in when you try to put him back I’ve tried distraction , saying bobos and sleep time and he just gets worked up and flies away. Once he’s in he’s fine.

Can anyone advise me and help me on where I am going wrong and how I can gain trust and help him

To add I have managed step up with my hand covered over but he won’t do it on skin unless he’s nibbling me or sat on my mobile phone again trying to eat it

Thank you in advance Kim xxx

 

[noodles123]

If you can do so safely, allow him to come in and out of his cage as he pleases when you are home (consider blocking off any dangerous portions of the house, or those with high ledges that could be unreachable)---tension rods/sheets/ closed windows with blinds down etc can help. Chasing/toweling birds early on is a great way to destroy trust, so avoid that if at all possible.
Birds move very slowly in terms of bonding, so your is actually doing quite well.
Take time to allow him to adjust and don't put yourself in a position where the bird feels stressed/threatened if you can help it (running away/biting/lunging/shaking can all be indicators of this).

Try to talk quietly near the cage (consider reading from a book etc) and narrate your routine as you go about doing things within the house (e.g., "I am emptying the dishwasher", "taking out the trash", "changing your food" etc etc). This helps foster predictability and familiarity with common vocab. Do not try to rush physical contact-- most birds will let you know when they are ready.

Try to associate yourself only with positives--- if the bird hesitates to eat from your hand, just pairing yourself with placing special treats in the bowl can be enough to gradually inspire interest.

Also, consider the fact that if you have a bunch of unfamiliar toys in there, that could be freaking him out. Never shove a new toy in before first allowing your bird plenty of time to adjust to it from afar----some birds are very easy-going in this department, but most are not. The same could be said of unfamiliar perches.

 

[Laurasea]

Congratulations on your new Quaker!! welcomed to the forums!

He is doing wonderful for three days! It will take more time to trust you fully. But what you have do far shows he will be a great freind in time!

As for the cage. You will need to feed treats put him in give more treats take him back out. Do it bunches and bunches if times during the day. I like safflower seeds, as they are quick and we'll liked for treats. But you can try other things. Set a piece of apple or something super yummy just inside the cage before you go and get him to out him in. Hopefully you have lots of perches attached to the outside top of cage. That way sometimes when you go and get him put him on top of if the cage instead of inside. My quakers also like millet spray a lot as a treat, so you can have that in the cage too. When you can out him and take him back out quickly, start leaving him in for a few minutes before taking him back out. Lots if treats and lots of praise. Lots if the best ever treats offered o my in the cage. You can hang those treat stick in the cage too. Make the cage a pleasent place. Teach him heceint always beovjed up when he goes there.

I posted do much info for another Quaker owner, with links to good stuff. I'm going to link his thread here, and I hope you give it a read, and follow the links.
http://www.parrotforums.com/quakers/83780-help-needed-new-quaker.html

 

[Scott]

Re: New Quaker parrot owner ��

Welcome Kim and Ozzie! You are doing well considering Ozzie is so young and new to your home. Please know the bonding and acclimation process is slow with unsteady progress, occasional regression.

Very helpful to have Ozzie view his cage as refuge, safety, and fun. Provided it is a generous size, you can experiment with an array of toys and determine preferred style(s). Food is a powerful motivator, ensure his meals and even treats (for now) are exclusive to the cage.

A favorite thread discussing bonding/trust techniques: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html