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Post by jaylakay on Aug 24, 2015 17:09:09 GMT -5
Hello All!
Mr. Pickles is a blue Quaker that came to live with me a few months ago. He was given to me by my friends 7 year old daughter. She received him as a gift from grandpa (who meant well) but try as she might she just wasn't ready for a bird and lost interest in caring for him. Mr. Pickles was not having the best quality of life so my little 7 year old friend made a very adult decision and told her daddy that she would like the bird to come live with me. She takes care of him when she's by my house so it has all worked out quite well.
I found this forum as I was looking up info to train and care for him. I have no clue what I'm doing with this little stinker! My bird knowledge is limited to my cockatiel (who I also inherited from a friend that couldn't care for her) and even that knowledge was limited! He's not quite a year yet, I believe he was born sometime in the early Spring, so he's still a baby.
I'm looking forward to reading as much as I can on this forum and I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions!
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Post by cnyguy on Aug 24, 2015 19:52:51 GMT -5
Welcome! You'll find lots of good advice and helpful hints if you read through the posts here on the Forum. The companion site quakerparrots.com has some articles that are worth reading and might be helpful for you too. I always recommend that anyone new to Quaker parrots read a good book about them. Mattie Sue Athan's Guide to the Quaker Parrot is a good choice, and another is Shelly Lane's Book available on quakerparrots.com. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask them. There are lots of good people here ready and willing to help.  |
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Post by easttex on Aug 25, 2015 5:44:23 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on the adoption! Quakers are a lot of fun, but they do need some special handling and a mature caretaker in order to thrive. They really aren't great pets for most children, but that sounds like a very wise decision for a seven year old. |
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Post by aaron on Aug 25, 2015 9:34:32 GMT -5
Welcome to you and Mr. Pickles! You're in for a treat-- with the right care, Quakers make for great companion parrots, and have really interesting and charming personalities. That said, there is probably only a handful of seven year old children on the whole planet that could successfully care for one. They require a very patient, calm, consistent, thoughtful, and fairly disciplined caretaker to thrive, and that doesn't describe many seven year olds. But I am impressed that your little friend had the maturity to let you take Mr. Pickles. That's great.
More than I ever realized when we first got Cupcake-- the details really matter when it comes to taking care of one of these little guys, so feel free to ask as many questions as you might have, and the more details you can provide, the better!
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25 
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Post by holly on Aug 28, 2015 0:16:10 GMT -5
Hello! We are in about the same boat I think, I'm new to Quakers too. I actually inherited my Bandit from my grandparents. What the people above said is true, they have the funniest little quirks! She is 8, but settled in quite nice with my family. I hope Mr. Pickles has an easy transition, same for you! These lil guys do absorb time like crazy, but you love every minute of it. ~~~Holly~~~ |
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Post by aaron on Aug 28, 2015 9:13:19 GMT -5
Boy oh boy do they absorb time. They are wonderful though.
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Post by julianna on Aug 29, 2015 13:55:17 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Best wishes with your new found friend... and a friend for life they will be.
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Post by jaylakay on Aug 31, 2015 10:13:43 GMT -5
Thank you all for the warm welcome!
CNYGUY, I appreciate the book recommendations. I purchased Guide to the Quaker Parrot after reading your response and it's quite informative. I'm starting to understand him a bit more after only browsing through the book as well as reading old articles and posts on this forum.
Being able to 'read' him has been my main issue. I can read my dogs signals, I could read my cockatiels signals but I've not been able to read Mr. Pickles and that's been very frustrating for me. For instance, I had no idea that fluffing up and shaking at me while making strange little throat noises was him being endearing and doing the baby quake, I read it as him being threatened by me. Since I thought he was threatened by me I had not pushed him as far as coming out of the cage, etc. I've been stuck at trying to get him use to my presence while all along he's been fine and I have been misinterpreting him. Now that I know he's not scared of me I've been able to move forward with handling him and training and he's very eager to learn and interact.
After only a week or so of consistent handling he has really blossomed. He pops right out of his cage without much encouragement and now knows the step up command. When he hops off of my hand and starts waddling across the floor he'll decide that maybe it was a bad choice, too much walking, so he'll turn around to find me and hold up a foot for step up! It's quite adorable when he asks for step up!
I've got a long way to go in educating myself but I think we're off to a good start together!
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Post by aaron on Aug 31, 2015 10:22:49 GMT -5
Ahhh... the little Quaker purr (throat noises) is the best. Body language is super important but I am sure you will pick it up quickly! If there is anything that he is doing that you can't figure out, feel free to ask!
Glad to hear things are going so well!
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Post by julianna on Aug 31, 2015 17:00:05 GMT -5
It has taken me 4 years to learn a little bit about their body language and the different sounds they make. Just keep watching and listening and soon you will pick up his clues. I am happy that he is fond of you... this is great news. You are certainly going to love having him as another member of your family.
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Post by cnyguy on Aug 31, 2015 19:49:08 GMT -5
Sounds like things are going well with you and Mr. Pickles. Glad that the book I suggested has been helpful. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what messages a parrot is trying to send you. I know of a few people who thought that their Quakers were angrily growling when the parrots were actually happy and purring. Purring contentedly is something more associated with cats than parrots.  |
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Post by bruce on Sept 18, 2015 0:06:48 GMT -5
Hello. I literally inherited a QP (Chuckie - a green QP) from my Mother. Over a year with him now, and I feel I am getting a bit of a handle on his moods and habits. As Aaron said, QP purring is awesome. Chuckie also has a gurgle, says yep to his favorite food items and treats, as well as during admiration sessions when I tell him he is a smart and handsome bird. He is quite taken with imitating the microwave beeps of late, and laughs at TV shows. I hope Mr. Pickles develops some endearing behaviors. And thanks for taking him in.
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