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Post by ksuyen on May 15, 2016 0:47:15 GMT -5
Hello all! Poki was half a year old a few weeks ago. He has been a very sweet and cuddly bird so far, am hoping this will continue, but one would never know once he hits puberty  So here he says hello, and I took some of his best photos today.   |
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Post by biteybird on May 15, 2016 1:02:21 GMT -5
They are great photos, ksuyen. Poki's a cutie!  Also I notice his wings have been clipped very neatly. Happy 'halfway to hatchday', Poki. |
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Post by zim on May 15, 2016 1:02:22 GMT -5
What a handsome little guy! Great pictures too, thanks for sharing them!
Is that a Jenday in your avatar picture? Do they get along very well?
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Post by ksuyen on May 15, 2016 1:11:22 GMT -5
Haha thank you, I will pass that to Poki. zim , she is actually a Sun. They got very well together! Obviously they still have to live in separate cage and sometimes the 'chatting' fest between them can be a little loud. |
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Post by Angela on May 15, 2016 2:22:36 GMT -5
Poki is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing |
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Post by Holly on May 15, 2016 3:07:40 GMT -5
Such a pretty birdie! They are great photos!
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Post by zim on May 15, 2016 7:10:15 GMT -5
Haha thank you, I will pass that to Poki. zim , she is actually a Sun. They got very well together! Obviously they still have to live in separate cage and sometimes the 'chatting' fest between them can be a little loud. Ah ok, wasn't sure if it was a Jenday or a young Sun. I can't tell the difference between them, until a Sun is old enough that it's wings start turning yellow/orange. How old were each of them when they were introduced together? And which did you have first, and for how long? Sorry for all the questions, I'm determined to get a Sun as well, and am just curious on how it might go! |
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Post by beccilouise on May 15, 2016 14:09:37 GMT -5
What a beautiful birdie Poki is! Maya got on rather well with a Sun conure while she was at the shop I got her from. I think, because they are similar sized birds, friendships between these two species are easier to foster. Not always the case though, is it? Here's to hoping Poki stays a lovely cuddly birdie, though puberty is bound to make a few small changes. Have you tried establishing a training routine? Maya and I have a training session every night. She is eleven months old now and starting to show a few signs of puberty already (a little territoriality around the cage that we hadn't experienced until very recently), but the training has gone a long way to keeping her obedient and affectionate. Obviously, full puberty is not in 'flow' yet, so I've no idea how effective it is likely to continue to be, but it's worked well for us with the few signs of puberty so far. |
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Post by Jan and Shah on May 15, 2016 19:16:36 GMT -5
Beautiful photos.
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Post by Caseysmom on May 15, 2016 19:36:31 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! Poki is one cute little guy! B
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Post by ksuyen on May 15, 2016 22:22:58 GMT -5
Hello again!
Poki is pretty much like a… baby. He is so affectionate, cuddly and a little angel. Yet I read the horror when a very sweet Quaker turned into hellions once he/she hit a puberty, when they started to communicate with their owner through the only ways they know: biting and screaming. Well, after reading that I want to avoid that to happen. The only training I have with him is basic target training, stepping up, which he has mastered, and a few words like hello, up-up, etc. He also knows how to lay on his back. Any suggestion for other tricks or training I should teach, such as so that Poki could ask for things, take orders or completing some tasks?
Thanks in advance!
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Post by biteybird on May 16, 2016 2:36:06 GMT -5
That's impressive that he knows how to lay on his back (he obviously trusts you). Some of the forum members teach their quakers little things like playing 'peekaboo' or turning around in a circle (check posts by Caseysmom and Zim). There are some good websites that show you how to train comprehensively if you have the time and inclination - books by Barbara Heinrich (I may have spelt this incorrectly) and www.birdtricks.com and I'm sure the other forum members will chime in with suggestions. And I think easttex and beccilouise have done target training with their birds, so they may have some advice for you. There are quite a few posts on this forum about this topic, so there is plenty to read if you have the time. |
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Post by Jan and Shah on May 16, 2016 3:10:28 GMT -5
Don't be alarmed - not all quakers turn into monsters.
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Post by easttex on May 16, 2016 5:56:45 GMT -5
My Quaker was a sweetheart in his twenties, so I agree with Jan.
Based on my own experience, I'd recommend training a couple of things that could come in handy in the future. Towel-training so that he can be gently restrained if necessary by a vet, and accepting the syringe in case you ever have to give him medications.
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Post by beccilouise on May 16, 2016 7:19:21 GMT -5
I agree, I think if you work hard to maintain a good relationship with the bird, the bird will stay sweet. It's like any child, if you are a patient, caring and proactive parent, the child will be good natured. Birds bite and scream when they are distressed, they are not naturally aggressive. it's just about understanding the cues. A bird will bite if: - he or she feels threatened or cornered - his or her territory is being invaded - he or she feels he is being forced to do something - he or she feels neglected or stressed. I have taught Maya to step up, to target, to hop onto my finger (prep for flight recall training) and to turn around on the spot. We are also harness training, which is taking some time as I messed up at the beginning and am now trying to slowly build up her trust of it. There are two great books, one called 'The Perfectly Trained Parrot' by Rebecca O'Connor, and one called 'The Parrot Wizard's Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot', by Michael Sazhin (the second book has a very stern section about clipping wings and how 'bad' the writer thinks it is. I choose to ignore this section. I am going to keep Maya flighted if I can, but I am a huge advocate for the owner choosing what is best based on the best interests of the bird. There are plenty of birds who display real happiness and contentment, despite their limited flight abilities, and I think the attentive parrot owner knows their bird best, so if you read this section, don't take it to heart!) Target and clicker training are a really good starting point and the basis for a great many tricks. Maya is starting to get a little more independent of us now. She still wants to be near us and to sit on our shoulders and cuddle occasionally, but she is a little less needy. She sometimes does not want to come up onto our hands and prefers to sit and eat and preen on her playstand. She nips a little when she feels she's being forced to do something and woe betide anyone who disturbs her foraging bucket! But I generally open her cage and let her come to me, ask her to step up and rarely force her (unless we're in a hurry and she has to go, but she is also grab trained so doesn't mind me picking her up by cupping my hands around her back and wings), and I pay very close attention to her vocalisations and her body language. Birds are flock animals and they want to be friends. I promise, read up as much as you can, but read FACTS from REPUTABLE BIRD TRAINERS and EXPERTS. Avoid the horror stories. Generally speaking, the real horror stories come from people who did not understand their bird, were not expecting the puberty change, and did not deal with it very well. You are prepared for a change in Poki's behaviour and so will be that much better equipped to help him through it and settle him down as a well trained, happy, healthy and autonomous little bird and member of your flock |
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Also I notice his wings have been clipped very neatly. Happy 'halfway to hatchday', Poki.
