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Post by crystal on Sept 15, 2015 15:54:44 GMT -5
about 8wks ago I adopted 3 quaker parrots, I was told they are 9yrs old, one was badly injured due to fighting, she is now healed and somewhat friendly towards me. although the other 2 who had always been in the same cage and continue to be are severely aggressive towards me, when I picked them up they were all in terrible conditions, dirty cages, no toys only a pc of chain aprox 12 inches long and they were kept outside of the house in a shed because they were "to loud" I knew immediately I needed to step in, these are the first parrots I have ever owned and am looking for any advice to make them my friends.... daily I change food and water, have given them plenty of perches and toys and are in large cages, the two (Frankie & Lizzy) are not friendly at all I spend at least 30min daily talking to them but when I approach the cage they squak angrily and come to the front of the cage and bite the bars, it is impossible to get anywhere near them I have been bitten twice in just feeding, its like they want to attack, I have read that they are defending their cage and I try not to disturb them, I don't want to force them to like me and I know it will take time for them to get used to a new owner, im just wondering if there is something I can say or do to get them used to me and to get them to trust me, or to at least get them less cage aggressive. the other bird (Morgan) who has always been in a separate part of the cage now has her own cage and allows me to touch her and take her out of the cage on occasion (on her terms) but I believe its due to the fact that I received her wounded and HAD to hold her to give her medicine (she had a broken leg and severely wounded claw, her foot was black and needed skin and wound healer) she also has a new large cage, much larger than she was used to, she sits in one part of the cage and never moves to the other side, will it just take time for her to adjust to the larger cage? I even moved her food dish to the other side hoping that she would go over there and realize how much room she had but she didn't touch her food all afternoon or evening so I gave up and moved it back, she immediately began to eat, like she thought she couldn't go over to the other side, any advice is welcome! I adore the birds and are very happy that I have acquired them and given them a much better home, I am just in hopes that eventually they will allow me to enter the cage without stressing them out, one day I hope they will even let me take them out
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Post by siobhan on Sept 15, 2015 16:24:26 GMT -5
Wow, poor babies. Let's begin with Morgan. She's not used to so much space and parrots like to observe things a while before they feel comfortable. Try putting a treat she likes in a part of the cage she doesn't use. Millet usually works for that. Put a couple of toys there, too. And let her move at her own pace. Neglected and abused parrots take a while to trust again. Probably you should open the door and let her come out on her own. If you sit near the door with food, it might convince her to come out to share. Just remember it was a long while that she was ignored and mistreated and it will take a while for her to get over it.
Now, as for Frankie and Lizzy: If you can manage it, I would get a third cage and move one of them into it. Being together in one cage means they have their own little Parrot Society and they don't need or want any new members. In separate cages, they might be a little more willing to entertain the idea of being friends with you. If that's not possible, bribery might work. Our Jade was mistreated and yet she'll take a treat from me very gently and say "thank you." She was very cage aggressive and for the first weeks she was with us, every time I cleaned or filled dishes, she attacked me and I had bruises and wounds all over my hands and arms. I would always tell her I was going to clean and kept talking to her the whole time, and it took a LONG TIME, but eventually, she decided I could do those things and she'd just watch. You have to move very slowly and talk and talk while you're doing it. You should also try just opening the door, and going to a seat across the room with a plate of food. Something they will be interested in sampling. Jade won't let me pick her up even yet, and we've had her for several years, but by golly, she'll come and take food from my plate. In the case of the two of them, you might never be able to handle them, but if you and they can come to an understanding of some kind, you can still have a relationship. It's still very early on, and it will take time. Don't get discouraged.
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Post by aaron on Sept 15, 2015 17:21:30 GMT -5
While I have no experience in these multi-bird rescue situations, I just wanted to say welcome, and thank you for rescuing these three little ones. They are lucky to have you!
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Post by julianna on Sept 17, 2015 14:43:35 GMT -5
I am the same as aaron and yes... you need to have tons of patience. Since these birds a mature now, it is going to take a very long time for them to try and adjust to a friendly home. Thank goodness you saved them... shame on those other people.
Best of luck and be sure to ask any questions you may have as there are a lot of experienced QP owners on this site.
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Post by crystal on Sept 20, 2015 22:52:03 GMT -5
thank you all for wishing me luck, I appreciate it... Siobhan thank you for the pointers, I will try what you suggested, as for a third cage I think I will invest, since I got them my thoughts were to separate them as I feel one is trying to protect the other, one seems interested in me and the other screams at me lol i know it will take lots of time to adjust to me and i spend a good amount of time talking to them, every time i pass the cage i say a few words and at least twice a day i stand there and have a conversation, i do have patience and im putting them to good use!! i believe that when you get a pet its for life so i am determined to eventually be able to interact comfortably  |
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Post by siobhan on Sept 21, 2015 12:46:26 GMT -5
Have you tried singing to them? Or alternatively, playing the radio? Oldies station or classical is my suggestion. You don't want something too raucous, but birds like bounce. My Rocky (rescue cockatoo, formerly abused) absolutely LOVES "Rock Around the Clock" and will dance and dance.
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