Post by nonnie on Jun 3, 2016 14:51:26 GMT -5
Hi Everybody!
I am new to this forum.
I have had 2 Quakers for over 9 years that were rescues and came from different locations. I have no clue how old either of these birds are. I suspect both are males. Putting them together was a slow process - I placed the most timid in the new BIG cage for a week alone to get familiar with the space before introducing the next - after they had been living side by side in separate cages for years.
The cage is large enough for 5 obese adult humans to stand in and nobody touching each other nor the walls/corners/roof. Yes, it dominates my dining room!
My Quakers were mistreated before I adopted them, so are generally not friendly, although getting better, very slowly! One came from inside a dark closet of a bedroom that had a huge fish tank.... When I met him, I think he was on the verge of literally going insane... constantly saying "blubblubblubblub" as in mimicking the fish tank bubbler, the only stimulus he was allowed in that dark closet. They'd open the closet every other day and give him fresh seed and water & bang about the cage in doing so - then close up the dark closet again. So, mostly he does not like people - especially men! Thus, he is also MEAN. He will attack and bite for BLOOD & then laugh if anybody says ouch or jerks back their hand or jerks their head away after their ear is bloody. The other is quite timid but sweet ~ most of the time ~ but has one foot because he had been attacked by a cat in his prior home. They get fresh veggies/fruits daily and each have their own preferences. One likes bananas, the other does not... Both like zucchini and neither like yellow squash. One prefers white potatoes cooked, the other raw - opposite concerning broccoli. One likes crackers the other chips... One particularly LOVES spaghetti and licks the sauce off by drawing it through his beak with his foot before eating the pasta... (They do not get pasta nor crackers/chips often.) I keep their goodies rotating. They will let me know in moments if they have had ENOUGH of say zucchini, carrots, peas or what ever for a while.... They'll keep screeching after veggies & fruit are served & will throw out the thing they do not want today (literally out of the cage and onto the floor!)
In any event, while they have various stuff: toys, bells, chains, keys, chewie toys (commercially purchased) and each their own snuggle tunnel for night time, I wonder about supplying fresh or dried sweet corn husks or other matter to chew/play with or rest upon. What's recommended? I say this primarily for the one with only one foot. At night time he goes into his tunnel for sleeping but during the day, when resting, he's trying to get comfortable in the 5" diameter food bowl (not used for food) at the back of the cage. I am thinking something like corn husks (however concerned about pesticides/molds on those) would raise the center of the bowl to a more comfortable daytime resting spot. Or would a particular wad of leafs from trees in Indiana work better/be healthier? If so, which species should I avoid?? If none of the above, I suspect I will have to get a bunch of glass marbles or something to "fill up" the bowl to a higher level - something such as that could be washed/sterilized from time to time & could be moved about some for more comfort...
I'd like your input on this!
Thank You!
I am new to this forum.
I have had 2 Quakers for over 9 years that were rescues and came from different locations. I have no clue how old either of these birds are. I suspect both are males. Putting them together was a slow process - I placed the most timid in the new BIG cage for a week alone to get familiar with the space before introducing the next - after they had been living side by side in separate cages for years.
The cage is large enough for 5 obese adult humans to stand in and nobody touching each other nor the walls/corners/roof. Yes, it dominates my dining room!
My Quakers were mistreated before I adopted them, so are generally not friendly, although getting better, very slowly! One came from inside a dark closet of a bedroom that had a huge fish tank.... When I met him, I think he was on the verge of literally going insane... constantly saying "blubblubblubblub" as in mimicking the fish tank bubbler, the only stimulus he was allowed in that dark closet. They'd open the closet every other day and give him fresh seed and water & bang about the cage in doing so - then close up the dark closet again. So, mostly he does not like people - especially men! Thus, he is also MEAN. He will attack and bite for BLOOD & then laugh if anybody says ouch or jerks back their hand or jerks their head away after their ear is bloody. The other is quite timid but sweet ~ most of the time ~ but has one foot because he had been attacked by a cat in his prior home. They get fresh veggies/fruits daily and each have their own preferences. One likes bananas, the other does not... Both like zucchini and neither like yellow squash. One prefers white potatoes cooked, the other raw - opposite concerning broccoli. One likes crackers the other chips... One particularly LOVES spaghetti and licks the sauce off by drawing it through his beak with his foot before eating the pasta... (They do not get pasta nor crackers/chips often.) I keep their goodies rotating. They will let me know in moments if they have had ENOUGH of say zucchini, carrots, peas or what ever for a while.... They'll keep screeching after veggies & fruit are served & will throw out the thing they do not want today (literally out of the cage and onto the floor!)
In any event, while they have various stuff: toys, bells, chains, keys, chewie toys (commercially purchased) and each their own snuggle tunnel for night time, I wonder about supplying fresh or dried sweet corn husks or other matter to chew/play with or rest upon. What's recommended? I say this primarily for the one with only one foot. At night time he goes into his tunnel for sleeping but during the day, when resting, he's trying to get comfortable in the 5" diameter food bowl (not used for food) at the back of the cage. I am thinking something like corn husks (however concerned about pesticides/molds on those) would raise the center of the bowl to a more comfortable daytime resting spot. Or would a particular wad of leafs from trees in Indiana work better/be healthier? If so, which species should I avoid?? If none of the above, I suspect I will have to get a bunch of glass marbles or something to "fill up" the bowl to a higher level - something such as that could be washed/sterilized from time to time & could be moved about some for more comfort...
I'd like your input on this!
Thank You!
