|
|
Post by kgreen2015 on Feb 9, 2016 16:41:48 GMT -5
Hello Everyove,
So im preparing myself and getting ready to bring my baby quaker home in a few weeks.
Im getting ready to order all the stuff i need for my new baby but i have a few questions.
Ive seen online that quakers love the little hanging tents to sleep in. Is this correct and should i get one for my new quaker?
Also any info on what to get to be prepared would be great as in toys, etc...
|
|
|
|
Post by wsteinhoff on Feb 9, 2016 16:59:54 GMT -5
I think the tents just depend on the bird. If he doesn't chew on things very much then it could be fine. My quaker Bishop came with one when he was adopted and it had to be removed because he would spend all day chewing it up. He never chews on anything but the tent was an exception. Some parrots have gotten injured or killed by them after chewing holes in them and getting stuck or from eating parts of it. You can get one, I've not had a bird that didn't like theirs, just watch closely to make sure it isn't being chewed on too much. As for other toys Bishop really likes bells. He can hang out by a bell all day ringing it and cuddling up to it. He also likes plastic chain and popsicle sticks.
|
|
|
|
Post by zim on Feb 9, 2016 18:28:34 GMT -5
I've got a tent for my little Yoshi. Now that he's figured out what it's for, he sleeps in it most of the time. Tho 1-2 nights a week he prefers to sleep cuddled up with his bird warmer. He doesnt seem to chew on it, but he does randomly viciously attack it, tho he doesn't do any damage to it at all. I've seen others here say their Quakers do this as well. Watching him do it, you'd think he is destroying it...but after he's finished there's literally no damage at all done to it. I'm not sure what it's all about. Also, when he's ready for bed, he will make 2-3 trips completely through the tent, from one end to the other, and peck at the outside of it a few times. I assume he's making sure it's "secure" enough to sleep in for the night, lol.
One thing I would recommend is a (somewhat) thin perch. When I brought Yoshi home, I had only purchased "normal" sized perches for his cage. Since he was a baby his feet were small, and he had a very hard time gripping them. He fell down a few times.
|
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Feb 9, 2016 18:43:26 GMT -5
You're not likely to run into this while you're little one is a baby, but tents and other small, dark spaces can pose a problem when they get to breeding age. It simulates a nest, and can contribute to raging hormones, which you'll want to avoid. It doesn't happen this way with all birds. I would probably go ahead and get one for the little one, but be aware of any potential problems down the road. Peppy loves his plastic chains, and he has come to enjoy a mirrored toy with buttons that say things like hello bird and I love you when pressed. He was pretty startled the first time he hit a button, but now he likes it. If you buy a lot of elaborate, expensive toys, they will probably be more for you than for your bird. Like small kids they more often than not wind up playing with the boxes that the toys come in.  |
|
|
|
Post by siobhan on Feb 9, 2016 18:48:20 GMT -5
Both my Quakers have one and both sleep in theirs. Jade does chew hers up, but she doesn't eat it, she just destroys it. When it gets beat up enough, I buy her a new one and she lets it alone, sometimes for months and months, and then one day starts destroying it again. Clyde doesn't chew or destroy or anything. He doesn't even poop in his. A tent isn't necessary, I suppose, and a lot depends on the individual bird. I have two tiels, a budgie, a cockatoo and a starling and none of the others has any interest in a tent, just the Quakers.
|
|
|
|
Post by kgreen2015 on Feb 9, 2016 20:33:49 GMT -5
I've got a tent for my little Yoshi. Now that he's figured out what it's for, he sleeps in it most of the time. Tho 1-2 nights a week he prefers to sleep cuddled up with his bird warmer. He doesnt seem to chew on it, but he does randomly viciously attack it, tho he doesn't do any damage to it at all. I've seen others here say their Quakers do this as well. Watching him do it, you'd think he is destroying it...but after he's finished there's literally no damage at all done to it. I'm not sure what it's all about. Also, when he's ready for bed, he will make 2-3 trips completely through the tent, from one end to the other, and peck at the outside of it a few times. I assume he's making sure it's "secure" enough to sleep in for the night, lol. One thing I would recommend is a (somewhat) thin perch. When I brought Yoshi home, I had only purchased "normal" sized perches for his cage. Since he was a baby his feet were small, and he had a very hard time gripping them. He fell down a few times. What is a bird warmer? Would u recommend me get one? |
|
|
|
Post by Caseysmom on Feb 9, 2016 21:00:41 GMT -5
Casey just sleeps on a perch at the back of her cage, she does lean against one of her wood and leather toys sometimes. Like Easttex said they can pose problems when they mature .... my friend who runs the rescue we got Casey from, made me promise years ago never to use one, as defending nests like that and becoming territorial are reasons some birds end up in her care. I do cover her cage at night, so she does feel a bit cozy I guess.
Each bird has their own favourite things they like to chew on, for Casey it is leather and wood, sisal is scary to her and to be avoided. While other parrots might love sisal on toys. Buy a variety of toys and like zim said a variety of perch sizes. Caseys for the most part are all different types of wood and shapes. She even has a nice flat one. Which reminds me I haven't rotated that in in a while. That might be tomorrow's job.
|
|
|
|
Post by zim on Feb 9, 2016 21:42:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Feb 10, 2016 4:38:36 GMT -5
Hello and welcome! I avoided a birdie tent for the hormone reason. Byron also selected a sleeping perch for himself and takes to that every night. Byron loves toys he can shred and preen. Anything he can chew to pieces he loves. Where in the world are you? Northern Parrots are a great uk based online store that sell all sorts of awesome toys. I get lots of the palm leaf ones for Byron and he thinks they're great good luck! |
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Feb 10, 2016 13:26:43 GMT -5
I would recommend that you have a few perches and that one of them should be the "sand paper" type so your QP can rub his bill on it. It will help keep it smooth and shiny. Also... don't buy too small of a perch. When they sit on the perch their feet should not wrap all the way around.
The best toys for my Oscar is the household items like a piece of cardboard or Kleenex or a pen to chew on.. or me to chew on.lol
|
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Feb 11, 2016 1:03:53 GMT -5
Hahaha, Julianna, that's so true! Byron plucks by eyebrows for me! I'm sure you already know this and are careful, because you'd had Oscar far longer than I've had Byron, but I've been warned against letting them chew bic and biro pens as the ink is poisonous. I was also wondering what views were on his little birdie snuggler to put by Byron's sleeping perch? I've been looking for decent heaters that I can buy in the UK but a lot of them are very expensive and it looks like the cheaper ones might be a little bit dangerous. I'm reluctant to buy him a tent that I may then end up taking away if he becomes aggressive around it and was wondering if this was a good medium solution? www.northernparrots.com/cosy-corner-fleece-bird-blanket-medium-prod373233/ |
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Feb 11, 2016 1:56:27 GMT -5
Bonnie loves her happy hut, but I only have it in her 'sleeping' cage, not in the day cage (to avoid overly 'nesty' behaviour). Re chewing pens/biros, Bonnie loves these. I just make sure they're the retractable type so she can't get to the ink. Her other chewing preferences are the TV remotes and any computer/laptop keyboard.  |
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Feb 11, 2016 6:42:42 GMT -5
I have a couple of these for Peppy, and he likes them. He does seem to prefer the green over the yellow, though. |
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Feb 11, 2016 8:17:29 GMT -5
Hahaha, I'm not sure I'll be able to choose the colour but it's worth seeing if he likes them! Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by aaron on Feb 11, 2016 10:30:11 GMT -5
Cupcake does not have any hut, or hut-like things for hormone reasons. She can get very nesty very easily, though. Any little nook will turn her into nest mode, so once we figured this out we eliminated all access to locations of this nature. As others have noted, it's unlikely you'll run into these problems while you still have a baby, so for now it's probably okay. But especially if your little one is a girl, you won't want to have a hut of any sort once she reaches egg-laying age.
|
|
