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Post by agapito10 on Jun 4, 2016 20:12:17 GMT -5
My best friend passed away suddenly and I inherited his quaker parrrot, Erika. I want to keep her as a connection to my friend but I know practically nothing on Quaker parrots. I have read some stuff on the internet as to what to feed them, etc. She was used to sleeping in her cage before I got her and she would always "step up" on my friend's finger so he could place her inside the cage or wherever. She will not step up with me and refuses to go into her cage preferring to sleep on top of the cage. I have been letting her sleep on top of the cage ( is that bad?). How do I get her to step up on my finger so I can place her in the cage so she can sleep there? She will not bite me at all, even when I put my finger in front of her beak and tell her to step up - no luck yet.
As for feeding her: Do I let her graze all day with food that I place in a dish on top of the cage? Or do I feed her two or three times each day. She loves to be hand fed - should I be doing this?
She loves to be petted a lot. Should I be petting her?
The first few days were rough but she has slowly become friendly with me - I think we are making some kind of progress.
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 4, 2016 21:52:53 GMT -5
Welcome to you and Erika. Sorry about your friend's passing. It was nice of you to provide Erika with a good home. The companion site quakerparrots.com has lots of information that you may find helpful, like this article about step-up training. Some parrots do like to sleep on top of their cages; if it isn't a problem for you, then you can go ahead and let Erika keep on sleeping up there. Most parrots enjoy "scritches," or being petted (just not on the back or wings, which can stimulate mating behaviors). Fresh or cooked foods shouldn't be left in a food dish for too long to avoid bacterial growth. Dry food can be left for hours. My two parrots have dry food available at all times, replenished twice a day (sometimes more). They get a selection of fresh vegetables and a little fruit twice a day. You might want to read a good book about QPs; there's one by Shelly Lane available on the companion site, and another good choice is Mattie Sue Athan's Guide to the Quaker Parrot. Read through the posts here on the Forum, where there's a wealth of information-- and don't hesitate to ask questions. |
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Post by biteybird on Jun 5, 2016 1:03:35 GMT -5
Welcome, Agapito10 and Erika.  Sorry about the circumstances in which you acquired Erika… Do you know how old she is? I don't see any problem with putting food on the top of the cage - if that's where she's most comfortable at present, then that might make her feel more at ease (short-term, at least). For the step-up, when you hold your finger in front of Erika, make sure it's not too high (you mentioned your finger was in front of her beak). I think it would work best if you hold your finger horizontally just in front of her body where her legs join on. Having said that, it could be that she's just not ready to step up for you yet. Check out the list of toxic foods - see Diet and Health section - so you know what she can't have (main ones are avocado and chocolate - big NO-NOs for parrots). Let us know how you go. |
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jun 5, 2016 16:22:35 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. I don't want to add anything further to what has been written above except to say give Erika some time to settle. She would be agitated at the change in her situation and could very well be grieving for the loss of your friend. Kindness and lots of patience will pay off in the end. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you have on Erika - we will all do our very best to answer them.
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Post by aaron on Jun 6, 2016 12:44:12 GMT -5
Welcome! I'm very sorry about your friend.  You're doing a very nice thing for Erika, as it is commonly situations like this where beloved birds suddenly end up in unwanted situations that can be very psychologically hard for them. Thank you for helping to prevent that. Like Jan said, she's probably going to need time to adjust to the new situation. These birds are complicated creatures. Very smart, very sensitive. In general, patience is going to be something you need in order to cultivate a relationship with a re-homed and potentially grieving parrot. They can be very set in their ways even in the best of circumstances, and it can take a lot of time and care to help them work through the changes they need to make. In these sorts of situations, they greatly benefit from having a gentle, understanding caretaker who will be able to take their challenges in stride and will be patient with them as they adjust. Honestly, if you are making progress in a matter of days, you are doing quite well. It sounds like you have a very sweet bird on your hands. If she doesn't want to do something, don't try to make her do it unless it's a matter of safety. She will eventually come around and take interest in you and her new surroundings, and in the long term, there's a very good chance you will end up forging a bond with this bird of a strength you probably could never have imagined  Hand feeding treats is a good way to gain the bird's trust-- things like unsalted pumpkin seeds or very small bits of unsalted nuts, or dried fruit are good options. As far as her health goes, it's very important for there to be veggies in her diet, and grains and fruits to a somewhat lesser extent. Just pellets isn't enough for long term health, but you can let her graze on those whenever she wants... We also put out a "salad" plate for Cupcake, who eats cucumber and lentil sprouts every day at the very least, and will also get sweet potatoes, zucchini, peas, corn, broccoli, beans, rice/quinoa, tofu, and lots of others when available. When we leave the house I stick the salad plate in the fridge to keep it fresh and put it back out when we return home. Good luck! As the others have said, we are more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Keep us posted on how things are going! |
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Post by julianna on Jun 6, 2016 13:08:43 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. As the others said it is wonderful that Erika has found a good home. She will definitely need time to adjust which could be anywhere from weeks to months. Please be sure to spend time close to her and talk to her or even sing her a song. They love interaction with humans.
Personally I would not want my quaker to be sleeping on top of his cage. He gets too easily distracted and will not get the proper down time that he needs. Quakers should have anywhere between 10-12 hours of night time.
If you Quaker will not step up when you have your finger in front of her... try putting it behind her and touching her slightly. When my Oscar decides not to come to me.. this always works.
Also... I would recommend to cover Erika for the evenings. It will make her realize that it is bed time and be sure to try and keep a nice schedule. These little guys do not take well to changes... they like things nice and simple and on time. (yes they can tell time) lol
Best of Luck
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Post by bruce on Jun 18, 2016 13:51:20 GMT -5
Hello. Sorry to hear about your loss and thanks from another person who inherited a QP. It took a while for Chuckie to decide I was "OK". He still at times "declares war" against either my left or right hand, depending on his mood. At least most of the time he will "step up" and "go in his house" with a little prompting. As others have suggested, covering a QP in a cage at night helps establish a routine and insure good sleep for Erika. I have gone so far as to locate Chuckie's "sleep condo" in a quiet room so he isn't disturbed by the TV late at night. I hope you and Erika bond and thank you for taking on the job of caring for her.
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Sorry about the circumstances in which you acquired Erika…
You're doing a very nice thing for Erika, as it is commonly situations like this where beloved birds suddenly end up in unwanted situations that can be very psychologically hard for them. Thank you for helping to prevent that.
