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Post by amande on Dec 10, 2017 14:43:19 GMT -5
Hi there I have never used a forum before so not 100% how this works. I bought a quaker parrot just over 9 weeks ago and she was a wild aviary bird. I have done so well with her already that I can get her on a perch and she jumps onto my shoulder and even took food off me today. I got my first bite this morning which was good as I was waiting on that happening lol! The problem I have is that when she is out of the cage she seems to just want to go back in. She jumps on my shoulder and then goes straight to the cage. I want to keep taking her out so I can continue to tame her but I don't want to make her unhappy if she doesn't enjoy being out. Other than this she is absolutely fine. Goes down and eats and preens etc. The only thing that has changed is that I clipped her wings and she used to squawk like crazy and now she barely makes any noise. Is it normal for them to want back in the cage so much as when I had it in the first cage she didn't want to go near it. Any advice here would be amazing. I'm so new to this and hopefully I'm not doing anything wrong. Thank you Amande Read more: quakerparrotforum.net/thread/1883/parrot-wanting-back-cage#ixzz50tAiFGUz |
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Post by easttex on Dec 10, 2017 20:25:49 GMT -5
It sounds like you're doing quite well with her, considering her history. It's not surprising that she would feel a little insecure outside of her cage. Was the previous cage something she was in for quite a while, or just a transitory thing between the aviary and your home? She might have had bad associations with the old one and is now settling in.
If I were you, I would keep taking her out and giving her a special treat (ideally something she loves that you don't give at any other time) while she's out, but letting her return when she wants. As she learns to expect the treat, you can gradually extend the time before she gets it.
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Post by cnyguy on Dec 10, 2017 20:56:01 GMT -5
Welcome!  Easttex has given you some good advice. Your parrot feels safe and comfortable in her cage, and wants to be reassured that she can go back whenever she wants. You might try putting a perch on the outside of her cage-- just below the cage door is the best place for one. Then leave the door open and give your QP a chance to decide when she wants to come out and sit on that perch. You can sit near her cage and talk to her, and offer favorite treats now and then. Eventually, she'll probably be ready to spend more time away from her cage. I have an African Grey parrot that I adopted about a year and a half ago, and she still isn't ready to explore beyond her cage-- so, as you can see, more than a little patience is needed. Let your QP set her own pace, and in time, you should be rewarded. |
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Post by amande on Dec 11, 2017 1:30:25 GMT -5
It sounds like you're doing quite well with her, considering her history. It's not surprising that she would feel a little insecure outside of her cage. Was the previous cage something she was in for quite a while, or just a transitory thing between the aviary and your home? She might have had bad associations with the old one and is now settling in. If I were you, I would keep taking her out and giving her a special treat (ideally something she loves that you don't give at any other time) while she's out, but letting her return when she wants. As she learns to expect the treat, you can gradually extend the time before she gets it. Hiya! Thanks very much for your reply. I'm amazed with how far she's come so far that I think I'm just expecting everything else to happen just as fast but I can see from being on here that a lot of patience is required so I think I'll just need to take my time more with her. The cage she was in before was smaller. It was apparently the right size for her but I just felt it looked too small so I bought a cage a LOT bigger which she settled into right away! She didn't want to go back into the smaller cage and now I think she's just very comfortable in this new cage. I will try giving her a treat that she loves (I'm still learning this). Any ideas what she may enjoy as a treat? Thank you |
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Post by amande on Dec 11, 2017 1:33:14 GMT -5
Welcome! Easttex has given you some good advice. Your parrot feels safe and comfortable in her cage, and wants to be reassured that she can go back whenever she wants. You might try putting a perch on the outside of her cage-- just below the cage door is the best place for one. Then leave the door open and give your QP a chance to decide when she wants to come out and sit on that perch. You can sit near her cage and talk to her, and offer favorite treats now and then. Eventually, she'll probably be ready to spend more time away from her cage. I have an African Grey parrot that I adopted about a year and a half ago, and she still isn't ready to explore beyond her cage-- so, as you can see, more than a little patience is needed. Let your QP set her own pace, and in time, you should be rewarded. Hiya. Thank you very much for replying. I will definitely try both pieces of advice and try the perch on the door. Someone else said that to me also so I will definitely try this and hopefully it will help her come out when she is ready. Thank you |
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Post by easttex on Dec 11, 2017 3:32:22 GMT -5
After I posted my reply, I realized I shouldn't have said "take her out." I assumed she was already willing to come out but wanted to go right back in. If she's not, you don't want to force her. cnyguy gave you the better advice. Finding the right treat can be a challenge. Lots of birds enjoy pumpkin seeds, popcorn, bits of bread or toast, scrambled egg, grapes, sunflower seeds (which should be given in moderation due to the fat content, especially the black oil type), carrots. There are a number of treat options made by bird food makers. Lafeber and their line of Nutri Berries comes to mind. Experiment, but stay away from salty, highly sugared or fatty stuff, as well as avocado, chocolate, and caffeine. It can take multiple attempts before a parrot will try a new food, and she may initially refuse something that she eventually loves. Others here will probably have more suggestions for you based on their experience. |
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Post by alliebirdmom on Dec 13, 2017 12:04:06 GMT -5
Hi Amande,
First, I have to say that your new bird is so lucky to have you! It sounds like you have done your research and are providing your feather baby with a safe and caring home.
I have a Quaker and a Green Cheek Conure. The conure is a rescue and when I heard your story I thought it might be helpful to share my experience. My conure behaved very similarly to what you described when I first brought her home. Initially she did not like her new cage, and then later she decided she didn’t want to come out. I believe as she became more comfortable she felt the cage was a “safe place” and was less willing to venture out to other scary places in my house. For me, the solution was pure bribery (as others have mentioned). She had pellets and veggies in her cage but any high value “treats” (millet, Nutriberries, Avicakes, etc.) were only available if she came out and spent time with me. I didn’t force her; I just showed her the treat was available and let her make the decision. It took patience, but she caught on quick. Hope this is helpful!
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Post by amande on Dec 13, 2017 14:43:53 GMT -5
Hi Amande, First, I have to say that your new bird is so lucky to have you! It sounds like you have done your research and are providing your feather baby with a safe and caring home. I have a Quaker and a Green Cheek Conure. The conure is a rescue and when I heard your story I thought it might be helpful to share my experience. My conure behaved very similarly to what you described when I first brought her home. Initially she did not like her new cage, and then later she decided she didn’t want to come out. I believe as she became more comfortable she felt the cage was a “safe place” and was less willing to venture out to other scary places in my house. For me, the solution was pure bribery (as others have mentioned). She had pellets and veggies in her cage but any high value “treats” (millet, Nutriberries, Avicakes, etc.) were only available if she came out and spent time with me. I didn’t force her; I just showed her the treat was available and let her make the decision. It took patience, but she caught on quick. Hope this is helpful! Hiya! Thank you so much for your reply and your comments were lovely 😊 hopefully she is happy enough but I would just love her to come out and want to spend time with me outside her cage. I will absolutely try bribing her with treats and hopefully she will catch on with that one! Where would I be able to buy the treats you have mentioned? Pet shop or online? I guess it's just trial and error to see what she likes but it would be good to see her wanting to come and get a treat from me and enjoying that! I will keep you all posted on how I get on with her x |
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Post by amande on Dec 13, 2017 15:07:20 GMT -5
After I posted my reply, I realized I shouldn't have said "take her out." I assumed she was already willing to come out but wanted to go right back in. If she's not, you don't want to force her. cnyguy gave you the better advice. Finding the right treat can be a challenge. Lots of birds enjoy pumpkin seeds, popcorn, bits of bread or toast, scrambled egg, grapes, sunflower seeds (which should be given in moderation due to the fat content, especially the black oil type), carrots. There are a number of treat options made by bird food makers. Lafeber and their line of Nutri Berries comes to mind. Experiment, but stay away from salty, highly sugared or fatty stuff, as well as avocado, chocolate, and caffeine. It can take multiple attempts before a parrot will try a new food, and she may initially refuse something that she eventually loves. Others here will probably have more suggestions for you based on their experience. I realised what you meant. I was actually taking her out previously but it got to the stage where she was actually stepping OVER the perch rather than on it lol. So I realised I might have been rushing her. I will definitely try the perch on the door and the treats to see if she will start to come out on her own and hopefully she will start to enjoy it in time 😊 |
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Post by alliebirdmom on Dec 13, 2017 15:26:42 GMT -5
Hi Amande, I regularly order my bird supplies including treats from Foster & Smith online (website is . I’m not sure where you’re located (I know this forum includes members from all around the world), but they deliver anywhere in the US. I find the best “treats” that my birds enjoy are all made by Lafaber (the Avicakes and Nutriberries are great). This is their website: lafeber.com/pet-birds/shop/. Because my birds only get one (or two) a day, they are always super excited when I offer them. :-) Another good treat is millet. Millet is a long strand of seeds that you can find at most pet stores. I cut them up into more manageable pieces, but my birds have a great time picking out all the little seeds. Again, only as a special treat once in a while since I want them to eat their pellets and veggies as their main food. If your bird has never seen these treats before, you may have to offer one in the cage first. Once your birdy realizes how wonderful they are, you can offer them only outside the cage so she has to come to you to get the treat. For my conure, I also found that if I sat nearby and sang and talked to her, she seemed to really enjoy my visits even if she didn’t come out of her cage every time. I wanted her to get used to me being nearby and realize we’re part of the same flock. So between the visits and bribery, she slowly warmed up. The first time she came over and cuddle in my hand, my heart melted. |
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Post by amande on Dec 13, 2017 15:54:16 GMT -5
Hi Amande, I regularly order my bird supplies including treats from Foster & Smith online (website is . I’m not sure where you’re located (I know this forum includes members from all around the world), but they deliver anywhere in the US. I find the best “treats” that my birds enjoy are all made by Lafaber (the Avicakes and Nutriberries are great). This is their website: lafeber.com/pet-birds/shop/. Because my birds only get one (or two) a day, they are always super excited when I offer them. :-) Another good treat is millet. Millet is a long strand of seeds that you can find at most pet stores. I cut them up into more manageable pieces, but my birds have a great time picking out all the little seeds. Again, only as a special treat once in a while since I want them to eat their pellets and veggies as their main food. If your bird has never seen these treats before, you may have to offer one in the cage first. Once your birdy realizes how wonderful they are, you can offer them only outside the cage so she has to come to you to get the treat. For my conure, I also found that if I sat nearby and sang and talked to her, she seemed to really enjoy my visits even if she didn’t come out of her cage every time. I wanted her to get used to me being nearby and realize we’re part of the same flock. So between the visits and bribery, she slowly warmed up. The first time she came over and cuddle in my hand, my heart melted. Hiya I am in Scotland but I had a little Google after you posted and I found the lafaber stuff and it looks fab! I will definitely order some stuff from then. I saw the stuff you were talking about and loads of other so I will have a little try and see what she likes the best 😊 It's all very new so I'm just asking as much advice as I can get and everything is so helpful. People on the forum have been really friendly and informative so I'm sure I'm going to learn so much on here from you all! |
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Post by amande on Dec 22, 2017 18:08:50 GMT -5
Hi there I have never used a forum before so not 100% how this works. I bought a quaker parrot just over 9 weeks ago and she was a wild aviary bird. I have done so well with her already that I can get her on a perch and she jumps onto my shoulder and even took food off me today. I got my first bite this morning which was good as I was waiting on that happening lol! The problem I have is that when she is out of the cage she seems to just want to go back in. She jumps on my shoulder and then goes straight to the cage. I want to keep taking her out so I can continue to tame her but I don't want to make her unhappy if she doesn't enjoy being out. Other than this she is absolutely fine. Goes down and eats and preens etc. The only thing that has changed is that I clipped her wings and she used to squawk like crazy and now she barely makes any noise. Is it normal for them to want back in the cage so much as when I had it in the first cage she didn't want to go near it. Any advice here would be amazing. I'm so new to this and hopefully I'm not doing anything wrong. Thank you Amande Read more: quakerparrotforum.net/thread/1883/parrot-wanting-back-cage#ixzz50tAiFGUzWelcome! Easttex has given you some good advice. Your parrot feels safe and comfortable in her cage, and wants to be reassured that she can go back whenever she wants. You might try putting a perch on the outside of her cage-- just below the cage door is the best place for one. Then leave the door open and give your QP a chance to decide when she wants to come out and sit on that perch. You can sit near her cage and talk to her, and offer favorite treats now and then. Eventually, she'll probably be ready to spend more time away from her cage. I have an African Grey parrot that I adopted about a year and a half ago, and she still isn't ready to explore beyond her cage-- so, as you can see, more than a little patience is needed. Let your QP set her own pace, and in time, you should be rewarded. Omg! I can't actually thank yo I enough for your advice! I got a little perch for on the door and she came out on her own! Only put it on the door today! I am so happy! I've only had her 11 weeks today and she was a wild aviary bird! She's come on so much!! Thank you again 😊 still haven't found a treat she likes enough yet but I'm sure I'll get there! Not sure how to add a picture to show you!! Xx |
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Post by cnyguy on Dec 22, 2017 20:58:52 GMT -5
You're welcome! Happy to hear that the outside perch worked for you and your QP. Keep experimenting with different treats; eventually, you'll find one that she likes. Plain popcorn is one treat both my parrots like a lot-- with no oil, salt or butter. I have a good air popper that I use and it doesn't take long for the popcorn to disappear.  Lots of parrots enjoy pumpkin seeds (my two are exceptions). One commercial treat they both like is egg biscuits for birds; a few different companies make them and I assume they're available in Scotland, or from someone who ships to Scotland. |
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Post by dinucci on Dec 22, 2017 21:02:53 GMT -5
Here's one thing that you can do is get her interested in something via distraction. She's used to the treat. Give it to her then play videos of birds talking and such..I have some I watch on you tube that buddy, aka Howie really likes..it's funny because he sits on my shoulder and lurches forward to "watch TV ".then he looks sideways at me as if to say " cool then looks back at the screen !
This will go on for 30 minutes or so till he loses interest. But one thing for sure..when I pickup my cell phone and sit at the table,he instantly flies over to me !give it a shot..good luck..sounds like you're having fun with her.
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Post by Thorolf on Dec 30, 2017 17:20:03 GMT -5
My quaker . Beowulf , loves apple pieces , and his ultimate treat is a small piece of boiled shrimp . For something really unusual you might try unsweetened fruit juice . Beowulf is partial to apple juice and mango juice. Any of these treats may tempt your quaker to come out. I hope this helps, as this is my first post here. Good luck !
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Easttex has given you some good advice. Your parrot feels safe and comfortable in her cage, and wants to be reassured that she can go back whenever she wants. You might try putting a perch on the outside of her cage-- just below the cage door is the best place for one. Then leave the door open and give your QP a chance to decide when she wants to come out and sit on that perch. You can sit near her cage and talk to her, and offer favorite treats now and then. Eventually, she'll probably be ready to spend more time away from her cage. I have an African Grey parrot that I adopted about a year and a half ago, and she still isn't ready to explore beyond her cage-- so, as you can see, more than a little patience is needed. Let your QP set her own pace, and in time, you should be rewarded. 
Lots of parrots enjoy pumpkin seeds (my two are exceptions). One commercial treat they both like is egg biscuits for birds; a few different companies make them and I assume they're available in Scotland, or from someone who ships to Scotland.