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Post by quakeradventurer02 on Jul 11, 2016 15:40:40 GMT -5
Hi my name is austin and I have been researching Quakers for a year and a half now nonstop because I will be getting one as soon as I get home from summer now I already have a cage and have decided to have my parrot on a pellet diet and its name will be shu-shu wether it's a boy or a girl and I have a book on them and have gone on many many websites and forums for advice and knowledge but because I have never actually owned a quaker or any type of bird before I would like some extra suggestions if you could give me ideas for toys and how to make them, the best treats to give, and how to make its transition to my house as smooth as possible and any recommended breeders in the dfw texas area (I will be getting a 3-5 week old just weaned) or any other advice or ideas you happen to have to give to me would be amazing thank you
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Post by easttex on Jul 11, 2016 17:32:23 GMT -5
Hi, and welcome to the wonderful world of parrots! They're like nothing else. All of my birds have come as adults, so I will leave the "how to adjust to a new home" discussion to those who have had babies. I think it is quite different with adults. By the way, I hope your new buddy will be at least around the 8 week mark, because 3 to 5 weeks is not a weaned baby. And hand feeding is not for the inexperienced or uninitiated. As for toys, it's hard to predict what an individual bird is going to love. It's a matter of trial and error. You can spend a fortune on toys, only to find they prefer the boxes they came in.  If you're making them, you don't want to use any zinc, pesticide-treated wood, easily destroyed plastic, anything toes or beaks in can be caught in, and the list can go on and on. You can use vegetable dyes, blocks of clean wood, paper and cardboard (just try to ensure it's not being ingested), strips of leather, tamale wrappers, and, again, the list can go on and on. My Quaker loved thick plastic chain. It was about the only toy he really loved. That and one that spoke to him when he pressed buttons. It's the same with treats - trial and error. Limit the sunflower seeds, especially the black oil kind. Don't give a whole lot of fruit, but if you can, convince him that veggies are a good thing. It may help if he sees you eating them with gusto. Salty and/or sugary snacks - my favorites - should not be given. Just remember that he or she was taken from his parents at a very early age and he will look to you for guidance on what to eat, how to play, how to behave, etc. You're in for a treat! |
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Post by cnyguy on Jul 11, 2016 19:51:04 GMT -5
Welcome! A favorite treat of both my QP Ralph and my Grey, Scooter, is popcorn. Air-popped is best, served plain (no butter, salt or oil). A good toy to try for a young Quaker is one actually meant for human babies-- a small plastic key. They usually come in a set of different colored keys, which helps if your parrot has color preferences (many do). My QP Ralph likes to untie strings attached to his cage (bird-safe cotton or sisal, and vegetable-tanned leather laces). He also enjoys chewing up plastic drinking straws and wooden popsicle sticks; these can easily be used in homemade parrot toys. As easttex said, you'll need to experiment by trying different kinds of toys. |
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Post by Caseysmom on Jul 11, 2016 20:04:30 GMT -5
Welcome, I would say Caseys favourite treat would be a raw pumpkin seed, and her favourite toy would be hard wood to chew hanging on leather to chew too,,, she always was afraid to touch sisal and I had to take rope perches out as she made herself sick ingesting the string. Every bird has their own preferences, over time you will see what they like to play with.
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Post by biteybird on Jul 13, 2016 3:55:34 GMT -5
Hi Austin, I replied to your post under the 'Diet & Health' section, before I saw it here.
I echo Easttex's comments about the age at which you should bring your baby home - definitely shouldn't be less than 8 weeks old.
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Post by julianna on Jul 13, 2016 14:00:28 GMT -5
Hi Austin... and welcome to this forum. This is a great place to tell us about your experiences... ask questions... or just report on how your shu-shu is doing. We all own Quakers and have had them from young to old. You are about to become a slave. lol... I say this because I can tell you have a good heart (by doing all the research to be sure it is right) and when your shu-shu starts calling you.. I am sure you are going to do your best to find out what he/she wants.
Do your best to listen carefully to their various calls. Some are for danger... some for fun... some for attention. To assist you in helping them learn to talk, simply repeat words over and over with excitement ... and they will eventually try to copy you. Don't expect miracles though as some quakers do not want to talk... and others will only talk when they think you aren't listening.
Since your quaker is young, be sure to serve soft foods as well... such as a little cooked macaroni or green peas.. or even a little boiled egg or small piece of whole wheat bread. These are not necessarily daily foods but a little here and there are ok.... except veggies are good any time.
Good luck and I hope we hear more from you.
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Post by beccilouise on Jul 13, 2016 15:40:26 GMT -5
Hello and welcome! I brought my Maya home as a baby (4 months) in November. The others are completely right, if a breeder sells you the bird before it is weaned, that is very irresponsible, so make sure you don't bring the birdie home before it can feed itself.
For the first two weeks, you should keep the baby on the same diet it was on at the breeder's facility. Changing the diet and environment at the same time can be very stressful. When the birdie first comes home, put him/her in the cage where he (for convenience I'll say he) can see you and leave him for at least 24 hours to adjust, making sure he gets a good twelve hours of darkness. You can talk to him or read to him but try not to handle too much in this period. On day two, you can try opening the cage and seeing if birdie will come out on his own. This helps establish the importance of choice with the baby and also shows him you are not a threat.
To change baby's diet, mix half old diet and half new diet for a week or so before gradually increasing the new diet and decreasing the old. It should take about three weeks to wean onto pellets. Maya took ages to accept hers and, once, I had to leave her with just pellets in the cage so she ate them when she got hungry!
Remember variety in the diet is very important too. I offer Maya her Kaytee pellet mix, a range of nutriberry flavours, birdie bread (from bird cafe), Millet (as a treat) sunflower seeds (as a treat) and vegetables. The occasional human snack like bits of bread or pasta are fine, and most things in extremely small doses is ok, but Do not feed: avocado (POISONOUS TO PARROTS!) mushrooms, cabbage, alcohol, chocolate or anything to which you have added extra salt. Too much salt can be lethal to birds and for this reason, I don't feed Maya crisps (although she is partial to the odd crumb of prawn cracker, which is not too salty).
Toys-wise, Maya took a while to decide what she likes. The key is regular change. Maya has lots of toys which I rotate on a monthly basis to keep her interested. She likes plastic toys but goes through phases where she wants to chew paper toys or coconut, or wood, or play with bells, so variety is also helpful here. Many of the others are much more experienced than me and may be able to offer more thorough advice, but I wish you the best of luck. I would also advise getting birdie registered with a certified avian vet asap if you can find one. Mine has been invaluable and I always know Maya will be in safe hands whenever I worry that she is sick!
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Post by quakeradventurer02 on Jul 22, 2016 19:57:54 GMT -5
Thank you soo much everyone is all helped a lot. I will e sure to get a bird closer to 8 weeks after all the advice to do so. I loved the ideas for toys snacks and the list of what not to give them. I want to make sure I know as much as possible and my bird has the best life I can give them so any info you have on anything about them will still be greatly appreciated. Again thanks to all!
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If you're making them, you don't want to use any zinc, pesticide-treated wood, easily destroyed plastic, anything toes or beaks in can be caught in, and the list can go on and on. You can use vegetable dyes, blocks of clean wood, paper and cardboard (just try to ensure it's not being ingested), strips of leather, tamale wrappers, and, again, the list can go on and on. My Quaker loved thick plastic chain. It was about the only toy he really loved. That and one that spoke to him when he pressed buttons.
