Post by codyquaker on Oct 4, 2014 6:13:36 GMT -5
Hi There
We have just got our first Quaker Parrot. He is a blue male and 4 months old. He is tame but not hand reared and he came to us two days ago.
He will happily sit next to us in his cage and will take sunflower seeds from our hands. He has started to step up but seems to step over the stick and try and bite it more than step up onto it. He doesnt like being touched when he is in his cage (I understand they are quite territorial about their homes so we havent done this) but he also shies away when he is on the step up stick. We have opened the cage and let him out and he has come out himself and will sit on the top of his cage next to us. He has had some feathers clipped but can still fly and he flies on to the top of the cupboards and will then squwk really loudly. Is this stress? We have tried getting him down with the step up stick but then he just backs off or steps over it and squawks so we are now just leaving him to come down of his own accord. Is this the best thing to do? We have gone around the entire room checking for dangers and hazards so he cant come to harm but Im just worried I essentially need to get him to be hand tamed and Im not sure I'm going the best way? We are talking to him all the time very softly and gently and he seems happy to be near us but backs off as soon as we go near him. Is this just a time issue? Its no problem if it is I guess we just need reassurance we are doing this right? I want him to be able to have exercise and I work from home so eventually I would like him to be out of his cage and on a perch most of the day not locked up
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Chloe
We have just got our first Quaker Parrot. He is a blue male and 4 months old. He is tame but not hand reared and he came to us two days ago.
He will happily sit next to us in his cage and will take sunflower seeds from our hands. He has started to step up but seems to step over the stick and try and bite it more than step up onto it. He doesnt like being touched when he is in his cage (I understand they are quite territorial about their homes so we havent done this) but he also shies away when he is on the step up stick. We have opened the cage and let him out and he has come out himself and will sit on the top of his cage next to us. He has had some feathers clipped but can still fly and he flies on to the top of the cupboards and will then squwk really loudly. Is this stress? We have tried getting him down with the step up stick but then he just backs off or steps over it and squawks so we are now just leaving him to come down of his own accord. Is this the best thing to do? We have gone around the entire room checking for dangers and hazards so he cant come to harm but Im just worried I essentially need to get him to be hand tamed and Im not sure I'm going the best way? We are talking to him all the time very softly and gently and he seems happy to be near us but backs off as soon as we go near him. Is this just a time issue? Its no problem if it is I guess we just need reassurance we are doing this right? I want him to be able to have exercise and I work from home so eventually I would like him to be out of his cage and on a perch most of the day not locked up
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Chloe
. Two days is not long for getting used to a totally new environment. I wouldn't worry too much about training the step up at this point and would give Cody more time to settle in. This is my personal opinion, and others may differ, but I wouldn't even let him out of his cage for now. Give him a few days of watching everyone and learning the routine. What you're doing with talking softly and keeping him company is good. Keep offering treats through the cage bars, even if he doesn't take them for a while. Woo him gradually. 
