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Post by quaky on Dec 26, 2022 10:21:16 GMT -5
do you let your quakers build nests? mine is like 4 months old and is steeling my paint brushes and trying to poke them into places its so cute i think hes trying to build a nest, but isnt he a bit young? and do you know if the male or female builds the nest?
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Post by heatherg on Dec 26, 2022 18:30:26 GMT -5
My last Quaker loved to weave things into her cage bars. I gave her chopsticks and shishkebab skewers and she’d do it for hours.
I think both sexes weave. I think it’s a year long maintenance activity for Quakers.
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Post by cnyguy on Dec 26, 2022 20:28:55 GMT -5
Ralph started showing an interest in building shortly after I got him at 6 months old. He has some thin wooden dowels, cut to about 9 inches long (that's about 23 cm) that he likes to arrange and rearrange. He isn't interested in building an actual Quaker nest and he never gets obsessed with his building projects. Building does keep him busy, mostly independently. Often when he uses all his sticks he squawks for me to take his structure apart so he can start over. Both male and female Quakers may build and weave while some aren't interested at all. You might want to provide your QP with some building materials of his own so he won't keep stealing your paintbrushes.
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Post by quaky on Dec 27, 2022 17:13:32 GMT -5
Thank you for your answers!! they are such adorable birds, their personalities are wonderful.
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Post by biteybird on Jan 3, 2023 23:19:07 GMT -5
Both male and female quakers have the propensity to build nests.
If you search the posts there are several posts some years ago about 'Oscar' (member is 'Julianna') building nests using cable ties.
Quakers can be quite 'nesty' from an early age, but we have never encouraged our Bonnie to build, as I don't want her to lay eggs.
However, it might be different for a male quaker (I'm not sure).
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Post by heatherg on Feb 26, 2024 14:18:18 GMT -5
Willow has been arranging his hanging toys and chain links, draping them carefully over other cage furniture since I gave him two toy boxes full of little chewy toys. So a couple of weeks ago someone in my apartment building put out (on a shared table) a bunch of chopsticks from noodles & co. (Lucy used to love those; we’d go by the restaurant window and the waitresses would bring her extra chopsticks.
I took a couple pairs of chopsticks out if the paper and separated them, then stood them up in Willows basket of toys and his finch nest toy box. He isn’t afraid of them; he threw a couple and I replaced them in the basket. Anyhow now he’s leaning sticks from his basket across his favorite perch and draping the chain links over or around the chopsticks. He’s made a pretty complicated little device in his cage.
I’m really impressed because it’s taken all this time to get him not to be scared of most toys. He is now willing to play with toys that I buy if they aren’t super flashy, and willing to arrange a dangly toy with chains beads and bells that’s made for little budgies. His Christmas present of three cardboard foraging boxes on a hemp cord by his foot is still untouched, but it’s not in his main lounging spot.
I wonder if he will start actually weaving the chopsticks into cage bars like Lucy did? She had a whole palisade of pointy sticks around her cage bottom, making it hazardous to put my hand into her cage. I’m glad Willow is now using his toys and arranging sticks because I’ve thought he must be bored if he’s scared of all his toys.
Quakers are some weird little birds.
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Post by cnyguy on Feb 26, 2024 20:32:25 GMT -5
Well, Willow has an interesting new hobby even if he doesn't want to build an actual Quaker nest.  |
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