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Post by Gigi01 on Jan 8, 2016 13:31:38 GMT -5
Happy new year! My Quaker is 13 weeks old. I have him since he was 4th weeks. He was a very sweet baby. But lately he is changing his behavior. He is biting and screaming, he step up in my hand but keep moving up to my shoulder or fly away every time he wants. He step in my daughter's head and if she tries to step him down he bites her very hard. He don't like anyone except me. But when he is in his cage he is very sweet, he let me touch him, kiss him and rub his belly. But outside his cage he is very different. I can walk him in my hand through the house but he always tried to fly up to my head, but I put my hand between him and my head so he step in my hand instead of my head. He weaned two weeks ago. When he was smaller I used to carry him in a towel but now he don't like to be wrap, not even with a towel. So I don't know how I will clip his wings. Please help!!!!
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Post by julianna on Jan 8, 2016 14:21:50 GMT -5
Your Quaker is very young and has a long way to go. The higher they perch... the more control they feel they have that is why he always wants to be on the head. Gently remove him every time and put him down or even put him back in the cage for a few minutes so that he will understand that .... the behaviour is not wanted. Most Quakers love to sit on the shoulder and will preen the face next to him. Remember though that a shoulder ride is a privilege and the Quaker must get to understand this.
Biting is something that Quakers do much through life ... as it is their only means of defense. If the Quaker has bonded with you then all other people (for the time being) are a threat to him. It will take a long time to train the QP to accept many others. Since you are the bonded one, you should take the Quaker and place it on your daughters hand... speaking softly to the QP all the time... and praising your daughter as well. Hopefully there should be no bites.
The towel may have worked well when he was younger but now he can fly so save the towel wrapping for necessary times only. I know a few Quakers who love to tear up towels... so be careful with this.
You may not have to clip his wings but just limit his flying time and try to give him your attention while he is in the cage. Softly talking or singing to him. Then maybe when he comes out he will like to sit with you and just watch TV?
Many others on here have flighted QP's so I am sure they will add some advice.
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Post by easttex on Jan 8, 2016 18:42:30 GMT -5
I would make sure he is allowed to develop his flight skills before you clip him. I think what you're probably seeing is a bird who is going from being a baby to one who is trying to achieve some independence.
My advice is to not force him into anything. Give him choices, and try to make what you want him to do the more attractive option. You can do that by rewarding him for his good behavior, with treats or praise or scratches or a special toy. Reward, reward, reward when he does well, even if it is only a tiny step in the right direction. Try your best to ignore the behavior you don't want. Be very patient, and don't let any of the people in his life react dramatically to his misbehavior. You've had him from a very early age, and you have to teach him gently how to live in your world. If you haven't already taught him to step up, that is a good start to gaining hand control..
I am one who believes that the urge to be higher means safety to a bird, rather than dominance. If he's feeling insecure, he will naturally climb higher, just as they do in the wild.
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Post by aaron on Jan 10, 2016 0:46:23 GMT -5
Greetings! I agree with Easttex that it is important that he develop his flight skills before you clip him. It's worth noting that this sort of change in behavior is fairly common throughout the initial years of a parrot's life, so you'll want to get used to the practice of working with him to modify his behavior over time. As Easttex mentions, the general rule of thumb is to reward the good behavior and ignore behavior you don't want. It can take quite a while to get a QP to accept all members of a family, but it can be done. You will almost always go through an initial period of aggression in which the QP chooses one individual as their favorite. At first, our QP Cupcake did this with me, and was defensive against the others in the house, but she is now very sweet to all of us and there is virtually no aggression. It can take many months (almost a year for us), and one-on-one time with all individuals in the house that will be handling the bird is important. Make sure that the people that you want the bird to accept are giving him treats periodically. If he is even remotely friendly to them, praise him. In time, he will come around, but you need to be persistent and patient. Try not to get frustrated with them, even though they can definitely be quite frustrating at times  Cupcake is also flighted, and when they are really young, this can be a real challenge. But eventually, if you are clear about where they are allowed to be and where they are not, they will eventually start cooperating. At this point (we have had her for almost 4 years and her improvement has happened gradually), Cupcake stays in her designated areas 90% of the time, I would say. But at first, she was all over the place. It sometimes seems like they will never start to figure it out... and then they do. Patience is key. Good luck, let us know how things go! |
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