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Post by KatieB on May 6, 2015 21:15:21 GMT -5
Good Afternoon,
I need some advise. My husband grew up with a Quaker growing up and he wants another. All research I have read about these birds state that these birds bond with one person. My husband spend 6 months away traveling. Is this the breed of bird I want in my house? I don 't want to spend 6 months bonding with the bird and he hate my husband when he comes home. Any help I can get will be great!!! |
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Post by biteybird on May 6, 2015 23:00:39 GMT -5
You'll find some info about that on this forum under various threads (probably under Quaker Parrot Talk and Quaker Behavior). Many say that quakers can bond to more than one person and this has been my experience as well. Our quaker, Bonnie, has bonded to both my husband and I and the level of bonding changes according to who is around most. When my husband is out more she pays more attention to me and vice versa. But she's quite happy with both of us. If your husband is going away for 6 months then, yes, I'd expect your quaker may have some difficulty adjusting when he returns - I don't have any experience with this scenario, but others on this forum are bound to know something. Welcome, by the way.  |
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Post by rickygonzalez on May 6, 2015 23:20:32 GMT -5
Well, it's true that most quakers bond with one person. I think that can be said for most parrots. I had a quaker that loved everyone, I have one now that only likes me. How do you feel about having a bird? Do you like them? If you do, it's worth a try.... It is very likely that the bird will bond will bond with you more then your husband. It's really like a lottery, you won't really know until you get them home. If you get your bird from a breeder, (which you should if possible.) They may be able to help. These birds are quite stubborn but they are great fun. I wish you much luck in you all's decision. The rest of the folks on here will be along to give you their opinions, lots of helpful folks on this site.
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Post by cnyguy on May 7, 2015 19:43:57 GMT -5
Welcome! A Quaker parrot-- like most any type of parrot-- may form a closer association with one person, but will be friendly with others. Quakers are known for changing their minds from time to time about just who their favorite person is. In your situation, it seems likely that a QP would bond more closely with you, since you would be there with the parrot all the time while your husband would be away much of the time. They still could be friends, but you would be the logical choice for "favorite person" status. |
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Post by easttex on May 8, 2015 6:07:09 GMT -5
In your situation, there are some breeds I would recommend against, like an African grey. I don't think any parrot species has to be completely "one person", but some seem to be more inclined that way than others. The Quaker seems like a good choice in that regard, assuming it was well socialized from the start. They are very gregarious, and generally enjoy attention from all. After an absence of six months, your husband may have to reacquaint himself with your bird a little, and as others have said, he probably will not be the favored human, but then again, he may be. There's never a guarantee with parrots.
My Quaker, Peppy, took to my husband more quickly than to me. But I am the bird handler, and he is quite happy to get his scritches and cuddles with me, while still seeing my husband as number one.
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Post by aaron on May 8, 2015 10:05:40 GMT -5
Our QP, Cupcake, is bonded to multiple people in our house. Initially she was just bonded to me, and was aggressive toward the others in the house, but with time and effort (and perhaps just the nature of the situation to some degree) we were able to turn this situation around and now she is affectionate and friendly toward all of the adults in the house (there are three of us plus my stepdaughter). The key in these situations is persistence and patience.
In your situation, there's no question that the bird will react emotionally to your husband being gone for that long and returning. I think it would be extremely beneficial to make sure your husband and the bird have a good amount of time together initially before he leaves. Maybe do some practice runs where your husband is gone for a day or two so the bird is somewhat familiar with his absence.
From my experience, Quakers *can* be quite adaptable (although they certainly can be pretty stubborn too). On any given day, Cupcake doesn't know who will be home when she wakes up. It could be four of us, or one of us, and at this point she pretty much accepts any configuration. The trick is to always be changing things up so they establish a "routine" of variability. They like routine, and hate it when you break it, so you really need to think about what routines you want them to get used to. And on that note, it will probably get easier and easier each time your bird experiences your husband's absence.
At any rate, you will almost certainly run into some rough patches, but as long as you can establish a decent relationship between the three of you initially, I think you will find that you can resolve any issues that come up with a bit of patience. So, I wouldn't say that a Quaker is a bad choice for your scenario-- any parrot would struggle with it to some degree, and I think a Quaker has a pretty good chance of being fairly accepting of it in the long term.
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