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Post by shanegm on Sept 10, 2021 14:34:38 GMT -5
Hey y’all, just joined the forum and first time posting. My wife and I have been wanting a Quaker for a while and have done a lot of research. We liked the local aviary Facebook page and I tagged her on a post regarding a QP. A woman messaged me stating she had one she wants to re home due to not having time for it. The woman said she has had this bird for a little over a year, but they keep him in the back room and nobody pays it much attention. It was hand fed by the local aviary according to the woman. So my wife and I went and checked out the bird, and decided this was our time to try and help this bird out. We got him/her home and yesterday and have been giving it time to “warm” up to its new home. We stay beside the cage and talk to it, our kids do the same. Anytime we put our hands in the cage he lunges at us and bites us if we are close enough. He seems to attack his own foot while he is perched on his favorite perch if we get too close to his cage. We can get to where we can pick him up, not by him stepping up, and he will cuddle on our chest, but once he walks up our chest onto our shoulder, he immediately flies off. He hates the outside of his cage and does anything and everything to get back in. I know it will take time, I just wonder if this seems to be normal behavior and will the bird be able to be tame? I have tried giving it treats, it does not like green apples but seems to at least be curious about sliced carrots. I am willing to be patient and work with it and we plan to be this birds forever home!
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 10, 2021 20:33:09 GMT -5
Welcome! You've hit on the key word in your last sentence-- "patient." Lots of patience will be needed, especially with a rehomed QP coming from less than ideal conditions. For now, don't insist that your parrot come out of his cage or physically interact with you. Concentrate instead on letting him get used to you and his new home. Simply sitting calmly near his cage and talking softly to him is a great way to start. It will help him get used to the sound of your voice and your body language-- and the other members of your household should do that too. For now, it's probably best not to put hands in his cage except for necessary servicing of food and water dishes and cleaning the cage. Imagine if you had just moved into a new house in unfamilar surroundings and a giant hand reached in to grab you. That would be upsetting and frightening for you, and it's much the same for a newly arrived parrot. Give him more time to adjust and settle in and he'll probably want to come out of his cage voluntarily. You might try adding a hanging perch on the outside of the cage, just below the cage door. Leave the door open and let your parrot decide for himself when he's ready to step out onto the hanging perch. That offers him a place to sit and look over his surroundings in a place where he'll feel safe and he can step right back inside if he wants to. You'll need to experiment with different treats to find ones that your QP will like. The favorite treat of my two parrots is popcorn-- plain air-popped popcorn (no oil, butter, salt or added flavorings). Some parrots like dry cereal for a treat. Cheerios are a favorite of many parrots. Unsalted pumpkin seeds are also popular parrot treats. Good luck to you and your new feathered friend.
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