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Post by stevend on Sept 14, 2020 7:50:38 GMT -5
Hi all,
I've purchased my first quaker parrot a three months ago.
I've got some experience with parrots and I was hoping that taming a quaker would be a breeze because of their social behaviour.
He's a beautiful yellow and was purchased from a reputable pet store. He's in perfect health, typical quaker personality but I'm struggling to tame him.
He's in a large cage with plenty of space to roam about. He recognises me and feels comfortable when I'm around but sometimes he gets scared (ie. when I stand up from a chair, when I go close to the cage the first time etc.).
I've got him to a point where he eats from my hand but only when he's in the cage. Any out of cage time has been impossible. His cage has got a massive door and has been left open for hours but he feels more comfortable in the cage and won't venture out. Either when it's quiet or with the family around, he still prefers to not venture out.
Food bribing doesn't help either. I've also made him a perch which has been next to his cage for weeks in order to get him on and take him out, but that doesn't work either.
I'm not aware of the bird's past and obviously it wasn't hand reared, but he seems to not trust me enough and that's been a barrier to get him further trained.
On that note, he doesn't seem to like any of the toys I put into his cage and I've cycled a few through with no success.
When I'm around he will try to get my attention and likes me being around but that's it. If he sees me with a treat in my hand, he will cautiously come and get it but will move away.
Any advise will be appreciated as to how I can get him to gain more trust and get him out of the cage with no dramas.
Steve
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Post by Caseysmom on Sept 14, 2020 8:57:09 GMT -5
Hi Steve and welcome to the forum. It really sounds like you are trying hard to make friends with your quaker. You are doing everything right, these things can take time Casey does have toy preferences, he does not like toys with sisal and really likes toys with wood and leather. It might be hard but if you can get him to a small safe room away from his cage and sit and work with him. He will come to you for security but will not have his cage to retreat to. Gradually he will get used to coming to you. Short periods away from his cage might help with the bonding Others will be by with more ideas for you. Hope it all works out.
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Post by stevend on Sept 14, 2020 10:06:48 GMT -5
Very glad to be here and thanks for the welcome  That's some interesting advise. How do I remove him though from his cage without scaring him? Apparently I'll have to force him out. Also I'm aware that too much out of cage time might spoil him, how long should I keep him out of the cage? Other option would be to keep a distance. I've let him alone for periods of time to let him get used to me with the daily routine of adding food to his bowl, water etc. Another thing that he likes a lot is a good old shower. Sometimes when it's warm he will shout to get one. Keeps the cage clean and makes him happy to be drenched in water, but with the summer coming soon to an end, I won't have other means to clean his cage unless if I take him out and that's one thing I'm concerned about. Cheers, Steve |
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 14, 2020 21:00:58 GMT -5
Welcome to the Forum! Forcing your QP to come out of his cage is more likely to set things back in your efforts to bond with your parrot. Parrots resent being forced to do anything. If you must bring your QP out to sevice the cage or for other necessary reasons, try reaching in slowly and cupping him gently in your hand as you might hold a baseball. He may not like it, but it's a better approach than reaching in and forcefully grabbing him. You could try offering a spare perch for him to step on if he's reluctant to step on your hand or arm. Something I always recommend is attaching a hanging perch to the outside of the cage, just below the cage door, so your parrot will have a place to stand when he chooses to come out. It gives the parrot a chance to come out but still be at the cage where he feels safe, and he can sit on the outside perch and study his surroundings. That can help get the parrot used to the environment he can see from the cage and he might soon be inspired to explore farther. Something that's very helpful in building a bond with a parrot, especially one that's only recently arrived, is to sit calmly near the parrot's cage and talk softly to him. That helps the parrot get used to the sound of your voice and your body language. Move slowly when you're near the cage and the parrot will be less likely to be startled when you rise from a chair or move around close to the cage. Parrots don't instinctively know how to play with parrot toys, so it can help if you play with them while the parrot watches. Show him what to do with them, and act like you're having lots of fun. He may decide to get in on the fun. You'll find more suggestions if you read through the posts on the Forum. A good book on Quaker parrots might be helpful too. I always recommend Mattie Sue Athan's Guide to the Quaker Parrot.Good luck to you and your feathered friend. |
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Post by Caseysmom on Sept 15, 2020 8:22:07 GMT -5
Casey’s door is open when we are home and not going in and out. He makes the choice to hang out on top or head back inside. He has never been a fan of flying off exploring and only flies if startled or if he thinks I missed sharing some food with him. Casey gets a tiny bird portion of dinner placed on the top of his cage each evening, he is always anxious to run up top to eat dinner Some of his favourite dinners include broccoli, the inside of a red pepper( he loves the seeds) chicken, salmon, rice, sweet potatoes, eggs. Casey has a flat perch in the corner of his cage Maybe dinner could be served on something like that and gradually moved up and out to the top. His favourite treat is raw pumpkin seeds maybe your Quaker would gradually come to you to get yummy treats
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Post by stevend on Sept 19, 2020 5:59:44 GMT -5
Wow, awesome tips there guys. Apparently the generic stuff we know about parrots don't always apply for all. Instinctively though I've tried the chair trick to get him to hand feed, but from the protection of the cage only. I think there's a battle within his brain now, between getting used to me/looking for me and having the fear instinct to not engage. We are still trying to narrow down the treats he likes. We've found that he enjoys some dried fruits but not all of them. He's weird also on diversifying foods but we are trying to get him on a diet that covers a wider spectrum. He seems very healthy though, feathers look healthy too and he likes to groom ever so often to keep his feathers in a tip top condition. Thanks also for the book tip, wasn't aware there was a book specifically on Quakers, I've found it on Amazon already I'll let you know how we get along. Thanks guys!! |
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 19, 2020 20:36:54 GMT -5
Parrots are notoriously fussy about food (with some exceptions). There's a lot of trial and error involved in introducing new foods, and lots of wasted food too. My QP Ralph's favorite food is fresh green peas and his favorite treat is popcorn-- plain air-popped popcorn (not butter, salt or oil). Both Ralph and my Grey Scooter prefer dried fruit to fresh, but they both enjoy a variety of vegetables. As with teaching a parrot to play with toys, sometimes it can help to "teach" them to eat new foods too, by eating some in front of the parrot and making a fuss about how delicious the food is. Parrots usually want to share foods their human friends like.
Please do keep us informed about your progress.
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