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Post by nocturna on May 15, 2015 15:52:55 GMT -5
Hi there everyone! I'm Kayla and I just got my new little buddy yesterday. Her name is Trooper and she's about five years old, as well as a rescue bird that my friend took on a couple years back. I'm new to owning birds and she's my first one, but she needed a home now that said friend is going to have a baby. So I was prepared to give her one. Right now, she's getting used to being in a new place and we're both getting acclimated to the new environments. She's been sticking to the bottom of her cage and just kind of scoping out what's happening around her, as well as messing with the toys in her cage. She's also been very vocal, including saying the phrases that she loves, such as "good morning" and "peek-a-boo".
At this point in time, Troop is cage aggressive (as she has been for a long period of time) and slow to drink her water, though she does enjoy eating her food, so I'm learning how I need to take her out of her cage, to keep an eye on her and make sure she's getting enough to drink, etc etc. Any extra advice would be amazing, because I'm determined to work with her and whatever issues she might have, such as nipping at any given time and needing to take extra caution when she's in her cage and I'm trying to retrieve her from it - we plan on getting some sort of thick glove so that I can safely pull her out without her hurting me or me accidentally hurting her. From what I gathered, her first owners didn't really handle her properly, thus why she gets in the moods she does. Once she gets used to the new surroundings, I want to work on her getting used to me more, so bonding advice would be great as well. She seems to be more docile when she's out of her cage, though she does get a little moody now and then (things I've learned from watching her myself at the friend's house, or in handling her myself there too.) Is there anything I might need to look out for with a quaker parrot, or any strange behaviors that they're known for? I've done some research but I want to get some books too just so I can be extra prepared.
Anyway, this forum is a great idea and I plan on browsing both the topics that pertain to her specific tendencies, as well as the ones that don't. Glad to be here with fellow bird lovers, as I ended up being in such a short amount of time!
- Kayla.
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Post by easttex on May 15, 2015 17:07:30 GMT -5
Hi Kayla and Trooper, and welcome to the forum! I've only had Peppy for under a year, though I'm not new to parrots, but I've quickly come to appreciate Quakers. I've basically fallen head over heels for my little guy. Definitely be patient with Trooper. I would not force her out of her cage unless you have to at this point. It's good for her to learn that you respect her wishes, to the extent that you can, of course. Give her some time to check things out and get curious enough to want to come out and join you. And I would think twice about gloves. Many birds really dislike them, and if Trooper is one of those, you'll have a hard time getting her to trust you. Plus, she'll probably bite much harder with you in gloves. I think it's better to suck it up and take a few bites bare skinned. In time, you'll learn more about her body language and will hopefully be able to avert most of them. Peppy has learned that he does not have to bite quite as hard to warn me off, so he has gotten pretty gentle. Usually, but not always. If you do have to get her out, I've found that a good technique for dealing with a cage protective bird is to offer the step up hand while bringing the other hand around behind the bird. One, they watch that hand approaching from behind and are less likely to bite the other hand. Two, you can gently push from behind to encourage the step up, if you need to. You can get a lot of info just browsing the forum, and you can always get help with specifics from the friendly people here.  |
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Post by aaron on May 15, 2015 18:57:56 GMT -5
Greetings Kayla and Trooper! Welcome to the forum! It's great that you are taking in this little girl. Thanks for doing that.
Easttex has given you good advice. Patience will be key in this situation, and you will probably have the best results if you simply wait for Trooper to take interest in you. I too would say that you will probably want to avoid using gloves if at all possible. Spend time sitting near her cage and speaking softly to her, or perhaps singing to her... In time she will want to come out on her own.
How is her diet? One thing of note is that Quaker Parrots are particularly susceptible to fatty liver disease, so it's pretty important to not have them on seed-based diets... Pellets and fresh veggies should be the primary staples. It can take a while to get them willing to switch if they are used to seeds, but it is quite do-able and definitely a worthwhile endeavor.
Please feel free to ask any questions you might have! We are more than happy to help!
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Post by easttex on May 15, 2015 19:18:58 GMT -5
Just had another thought for you, Kayla. One of the forum members here posted a really good article a while back for people who adopt adult birds. I just added a comment to it so it would appear at the top of the list. It's called Good Read For Rescues, under Quaker Parrot Talk. It's especially helpful information when you don't know much about your bird's background, but I think you might be able to get something from it. |
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Post by cnyguy on May 15, 2015 20:06:02 GMT -5
Welcome to you and Trooper! There are some good books that you might want to read. Mattie Sue Athan's Guide to the Quaker Parrot is one I often recommend; her Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior is another good one, though not specific to QPs. Some others are Pamela Leis Higdon's The Quaker Parrot: An Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet and Bonnie Munro Doane's Parrot Training.
Birds tend not to drink a lot of water, so it's possible that Trooper is getting enough to drink, even though it seems that she's drinking so little. You might try offering some foods higher in water content too, like watermelon and romaine lettuce, to help add water to her diet. Forcing a parrot out of his/her cage isn't a good way to earn the parrot's trust and respect, and should only be done if absolutely necessary. When you want Trooper to come out, let her make the decision. Open the door to her cage and she'll come out, if and when she feels ready. Providing a perch on the outside of the cage, just below the door, is helpful. It gives the parrot a good place to stand and look around and his/her environment, and makes it easier when the parrot does want to venture out into the wider world. |
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Post by aaron on May 16, 2015 8:05:18 GMT -5
On the note of water drinking, our QP does not drink much water but is an avid consumer of cucumber, so I am never worried if she is hydrated. I cut the cucumber up into little wedges so she can easily get to the juicy center, and she loves it. Worth a shot  |
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Post by nocturna on May 16, 2015 10:19:07 GMT -5
Hi guys!
I definitely won't force her out of the cage. She's already doing better, though! I opened the cage door for her and she's ventured out a bit, and I've moved the cage a little closer to my computer but not so close that she'd be uncomfortable. She hasn't been fussing with this little change in position and she's sitting nearly outside of her cage right now as I type. (EDITED TO ADD: She just climbed on top of her cage to watch me and interact vocally while I spoke to her.) I've been talking to her and she's been saying her phrases for me, so I'd say she's doing a lot better on this third day than she was yesterday or the day I brought her home. I'll also find a way around the gloves since they're good to avoid! Thanks for the tip!
She's currently on Roudybush pellets and I'm going to grab some fruits and veggies for her. I'll keep in mind about the cucumber! I did see her drinking some water earlier, so I'm not as worried about that now, and especially with the replies about birds not drinking too much anyway. So I'll see which fruits or veggies she might like best to go along with her pellets to just give her a little added boost.
Thanks for all the responses here! I sincerely appreciate all of the help and it's good to meet you all. I will check out both the books suggested, and the article you mentioned, easttex.
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Post by aaron on May 16, 2015 14:09:24 GMT -5
Glad to hear things are going well! That's great. When it comes to veggies, it might take some time... but be persistent. It often helps to eat things in front of them and make "yum" noises. Then they'll want to try it too. It's nice to meet you too. Let us know if you have any other questions! |
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Post by julianna on May 16, 2015 16:23:00 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum and it is wonderful that you have given Trooper a home. I just wanted to add that remember all fruits should be peeled. There are just too many chemicals now a days and the quakers seems to enjoy them more peeled. It is always great to welcome a new member.
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Post by nocturna on May 16, 2015 21:00:17 GMT -5
Thanks! I'll keep them peeled when I get them! I also looked up a list of foods that are good/bad/everything in between for birds, so I'm gonna have that for reference. She's currently sitting on my shoulder, so she's making even more progress than she was a few hours ago!  |
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Post by biteybird on May 17, 2015 1:54:21 GMT -5
Welcome, Kayla and Trooper! The above advice is great, so I can't add anything - except, don't feed Trooper avocado (it's on the dangerous list). Hope you enjoy the forum. |
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