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Post by sammy on Nov 2, 2014 14:21:47 GMT -5
We have a 5 yo quaker named Sammy. She is a female. We have been thinking about bringing in another quaker. Can I get some ideas on exactly how to do this? We want it to be a smooth transition for both. We will be going back to the same breeder that we got her from. She's a gem. She will bite me but I just deal with it. She loves me, but she just has her moods when she doesn't want me to mess with her and I try to respect that. I have always been worried about her not being as "bonded" to us if we get another one, but I also am feeling like she may be lonesome for another one of "her kind". Our thought is to get another cage, let them see each other from there and watch for "like" actions going on, then maybe open the doors and let them "visit". Would they eventually be ok in the same cage? Sammy is free flight and cage is open during the day when we are home. She won't fly off of her cage unless she gets spooked, then it's usually a flight around the kitchen and right back. She's quite the home body. She adores my 76 yo mother who lives with us. She's a good girl overall. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
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Post by cnyguy on Nov 2, 2014 21:10:34 GMT -5
The usual advice is to get a second parrot only because you want one, and not because you think the parrot you already have needs a friend. So, that's the first question you need to answer-- do you really want a second parrot? If you do, and you can adequately provide for the needs of two parrots, then go ahead and get one.
When you bring the new parrot home, you'll need to observe a 30 day quarantine period when the two parrots will be kept as far apart as your home will allow. After that, you can move the new parrot into the same room as your first one. Let them get used to each other and see how they react to one another before attempting to bring them out of their cages at the same time. It could be love at first sight, or they may take an instant dislike to each other-- how any two parrots will react to each other is impossible to predict.
Keeping separate cages is a good idea, even if it turns out that your two Quakers become best friends. Parrots appreciate having their own space. The only exceptions I'd make would be for an already bonded pair or a breeding pair.
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Post by siobhan on Nov 3, 2014 11:56:58 GMT -5
Be prepared for them to hate each other. Sammy has been the Queen Bee all this time and might resent another bird. You'll have to remember that Sammy is the Queen Bee and greet her first, let her out first, give her treats first, and put her to bed last, befitting her station. A second bird will respect that because it's the natural order of things. When we brought Jade home, she tried to make friends with Clyde and has tried periodically to make friends ever since and he won't have anything to do with her. But she acknowledges his position as Chief Bird in Charge and is okay with that. She bosses everybody ELSE around, but not Clyde. And if I spend too long talking to Jade or sometimes if I talk to her at all, Clyde gets very annoyed with me.
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Post by sammy on Nov 3, 2014 19:05:01 GMT -5
Thank you so much for the responses! Very helpful. We have a lot to think about. I think the biggest thing here is my husband feeling guilty for not being able to spend as much time with her as he used to. She still gets plenty of attention, but daddy is the one who has heart.  |
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Post by siobhan on Nov 4, 2014 13:54:08 GMT -5
They might surprise you and become best buddies, too. I have three tiels. I had Freddie first. Then a friend was moving out of state and asked if I could take her bird, now renamed Johnny. Freddie, who was the baby of the family and got picked on by all the others (even Benjy the budgie) was ecstatic to have a bird his size and species to play with. He immediately fastened onto Johnny like a long-lost relative. Johnny had been an only bird all his life (he was 7 at the time) and was a little overwhelmed by all the love Freddie poured out, but once he adjusted to the idea, the two of them became the Two Musketeers and you almost never see one without the other. They eat together, play together, get into trouble together, destroy things together ... and then I got Greta, whose human had died and left her with a roommate who wasn't a bird person. The roommate and I have a mutual friend who asked me if I could take Greta. The roommate wasn't mean to her, but she didn't want her and she had a grandchild living with her who poked things through the bars at her. So of course I said yes and when I brought Greta home, expecting Freddie and Johnny to welcome her into their tiel club, I was in for a surprise. They want nothing to do with her. They ignore her most of the time and chase her off her favorite perches and out of her OWN cage. Nobody else wants to be her friend, either, so she's entirely dependent on me for companionship.
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