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Post by ockoo on Jul 26, 2017 1:39:34 GMT -5
How likely is it that these two would get along? The quaker in question is hand-reared and appears very calm, asking to be petted through the bars and not attacking another bird in the cage (plum head, I think). Yet, I've read that they undergo a significant change during puberty, and can turn very mean, including permanently hurting other birds (up to and including ripping off toes). As much as the tiel could enjoy company, I'm not sure if it's advisable risking its health, or having to relocate or even get rid of the quaker once the cute phase ends. Searching the Internet, it seems that the worry that a usually-peaceful cockatiel would be dominated and possibly hurt by a bigger, stronger, more territorial quaker is quite common.
Does anyone have any experience with this or other species and how they get along with quakers?
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Post by biteybird on Jul 26, 2017 4:45:38 GMT -5
Hi ockoo, I have both a quaker and a cockatiel and they are in separate cages. Personally, I wouldn't risk putting them in one cage together as quakers are very cage territorial and some have been known to kill cockatiels. The quaker is most definitely the dominant bird. I also used to have plum-headed parrots and to be honest, if I were in your position, I would consider removing your plum head from the quaker's cage (just to be on the safe side). A quaker really needs a cage to itself, particularly when they go through hormone changes and into maturity. I tried keeping my plum-headed parrots with my cockatiel, but they picked on him, so they all ended up with their own cages. I know it is a pain, but better than having dead bird/s.... Just my opinion, anyway....and welcome to the Forum!  |
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Post by easttex on Jul 26, 2017 9:43:19 GMT -5
Please don't get the Quaker if you think you might have to get rid of it. Even if you do decide to see if they'll get along, if you can't provide a separate cage in case things don't work out, it's better not to try. Serial rehoming of a parrot can be very hard on them.
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Post by ockoo on Jul 26, 2017 11:42:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the information. I do have a separate cage, but I'm afraid of how complex everything would get once the quaker decides it wants to kill everything. I know this might not happen, but if it did, it would probably tax both people in the household, since now we would have to keep an eye on the quaker when it's out of the cage (after all, it can bit the cockatiel through the bars of its cage), and then trying to make the quaker's preferable schedule agree with that of the cockatiel's. That plus the moodiness of quakers doesn't spell anything good for people who don't have most of the day available to keep an eye on the two, I think. It sucks for the quaker, but I think it's better for it to stay in the store, rather than (possibly) terrorize the tiel.
Would a hand-reared cockatiel be a better choice?
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Post by easttex on Jul 26, 2017 12:45:59 GMT -5
There's always the chance that any two birds might not get along, but you'd probably be safer with another cockatiel. It's not likely that a Quaker is going to actually terrorize another bird, though. They can be very territorial, but they're not berserk. In the wild, they often create large colonial nests, with each pair having its own private suite of "rooms", and they can be touchy about their space, especially when hormonal. The problem usually arises when another bird lands on its cage. As a rule, they don't go about on a rampage, looking for something to attack. |
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Post by ockoo on Jul 26, 2017 18:48:07 GMT -5
That's good to know, the descriptions I've read online made them seem really borderline murderous. Still, the cockatiel is used to sitting on the other cage (we had another parrot before), so letting it out without constant supervision seems like playing with fire. I think my main concern is along the lines of "it could all go well, but if it doesn't, how will we manage these two?" Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I'd rather not end up in a situation where one parrot feels betrayed (because it doesn't get to go out when it wants) and the other gets hurt (because it was badly bitten), and both end up feeling worse (on top becoming an attention-balancing nightmare).
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Post by zim on Jul 27, 2017 2:49:01 GMT -5
I've never had a tiel, but after almost a year my Quaker has finally (mostly) accepted my Sun Conure into the flock. He still doesn't particularly like her, but he tolerates her. Unless there is food, of course, then he thinks it's all his and will chase her if he finishes his before her.
He's surprisingly tolerant of her being on his cage. His cage is right by my computer, where I spend a lot of time when I'm at home, so she flies over to his cage to be near me. 95% of the time he lets her be, as long as she keeps her distance from him. If she gets too close to him, however, he chases her off.
I would suggest keeping their cages apart, and maybe consider clipping the Quaker (remember, this isn't permanent) so that he/she can't fly to your tiels cage.
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Post by biteybird on Jul 27, 2017 4:19:16 GMT -5
OK, I didn't realise that you don't actually have the quaker yet & it's still in a store.
I think it really depends on how much time you have to interact with your birds and that will potentially increase if they don't get along with each other.
Also, remember that barring illness quakers can live for over 30 years, so it is quite a large commitment.
I must agree with Easttex, in that a cockatiel would be a safer option.
If you get a hand-reared one and spend time talking to it, the chances are good that it will interact well and may talk. My father-in-law bought a hand-reared cockatiel at 8 weeks old & it said its first words less than 2 weeks later.
Good luck with your decision!
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Post by ockoo on Jul 27, 2017 6:54:15 GMT -5
I'm actually fine with having only one parrot, but my mother thought that we could get the tiel a companion for those parts of the day when no one can spend time with it. I think her biggest complaint with all the parrots we've had thus far is that they didn't really allow anyone to pet them (they weren't hand-reared, I think), or get too close (stepping up and eating a seed held in the fingers seems to be the limit) so the quaker seems very attractive. Of course, I realize that the quaker might decide it doesn't like being touched either when it matures, and I've been telling her about this and other difficulties (noise, mood swings, aggression, mess). We will see about the decision, but she'd rather have a low-maintenance parrot than a constant troublemaker. I think that description better describes hand-reared cockatiels, but I don't have any personal experience with them. Do you think it would likely be less problematic in these regards, biteybird?
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Post by biteybird on Jul 27, 2017 9:09:21 GMT -5
I'd have to say that a cockatiel would definitely be a more 'low-maintenance' bird than a quaker. When we got Bonnie we had some experience with birds, but not parrots (just finches and canaries). If we'd known then what we were getting into we would have been scared and more prepared... Parrots are a whole different deal. They need lots of mental stimulation, at least one hour dedicated attention per day - by that I mean you can't be watching TV or on the computer while they are out of the cage, or you will have a very jealous and unhappy bird. Quakers really are 'high-maintenance'. Having said that, we love Bonnie dearly and don't regret getting her. Quakers are the equivalent (or more) than dogs in intelligence and can be wonderful life companions IF you are willing to put in the hours socialising/training them. If you get a quaker, be prepared for hormonal behaviour (=aggressiveness and biting) and behavioural changes, which seem to be the norm. It's like they are Jekyll & Hyde, the way they change from day to day. But they are also very affectionate and endearing. My feeling is that, in your and your mother's situation, a quaker may not be a good idea. If she really wants another bird I would go with the cockatiel. But...how any bird integrates into your/your mum's home also depends upon how it's been raised prior to living with you. A hand-raised bird is best in this regard, as it does not fear the human hand. But any hand-raised bird needs daily follow-up training/socialisation with human hands to maintain and strengthen its trust of humans. A quaker is not a low-maintenance bird... Hope this helps. Best wishes. |
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Post by ockoo on Jul 27, 2017 16:12:49 GMT -5
Thank you, that was a lot of useful information, I will relay all of it. Especially the amount maintenance and daily problems info should be useful.
One more thing: considering the jealousy and territorial nature they tend to have, would you say that a quaker is better for "one bird, one owner" types of households?
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Post by biteybird on Jul 27, 2017 19:03:43 GMT -5
Hi again! Reading back over my last post, it seems 'quaker-negative' in some ways, which wasn't my intention at all! I guess I was attempting to convey the amount of effort needed, which would be higher for a quaker than a cockatiel. I should also point out that I have only ever had the one quaker, so my comments are based purely on the way she is. Regarding your query: it's not necessarily the case that "one bird, one owner" is best. Many of the members on this forum have a quaker in their household that gets along OK with all the humans in the house. Quakers do often prefer one person over another, but if all members of the household are willing to put in a consistent effort with the bird the outcome is usually good. One caution though: allowing quakers around small children can be risky and result in some nasty bites. An example of behaviour: our Bonnie loves sitting on my husband's chest gazing into his face from just a few inches away, which she never does with me. She also bites my hubby hard sometimes (e.g., on the lip or ear, drawing blood!) which she has only ever done once to me. But whenever both of us are in the room she's far more interested in him than me. She's a complex little character. |
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Post by ockoo on Jul 28, 2017 1:02:43 GMT -5
Thanks again, biteybird. It looks like the verdict will probably be a "no" for us, even though the quaker is very coy now. It's a bit of a bummer - the thought that I'm somehow "leaving" the it in the store - but I think I'd rather save it the disappointment of not having someone for one hour of guaranteed exclusivity every day. I wouldn't want to risk the cockatiel getting hurt either.
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Post by biteybird on Jul 28, 2017 3:50:26 GMT -5
You are probably making the right decision, for both yourselves and the quaker & cockatiel. If your mum is set on getting another bird you can't really go wrong with getting another cockatiel. I know what you mean though, quakers are just SO COOL! All the best. |
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