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Post by shirley on Jul 24, 2014 15:18:24 GMT -5
What is to be expected when changing A birds diet, I have read that they might get the poops or not eat the right food for them. I am guessing you give it to them little at A time, or mix it in with what they are used to? Another question I have is that I want to let my qp out of his cage, but have only had him for A couple of weeks and is still uneasy around us, but he does not fly to the other side of the cage when we go near him. He was given to us and we are saving for him an cage that is bigger and made for parrots, ( I have already found the right spacing for the bars ) so when we get his cage we will know the right one for him. I have cleaned his cage that came with him, it didn`t even have paper or anything on bottom of it, so I cleaned it the best I could, so, if I let him out to really clean it like it should be, what are my chances I can get him back in the cage? I don`t want to stress it out and chase it everywhere to try to catch him and have him scared of us more than he already is. The cage is like A 2 story and the weird thing is , is that the door is really big but it is on the bottom, so I think it will be harder to get him back in. I don`t know if he has been handled or not in the past, by the looks of the cage and things ,probably not,,the poor little guy didn`t even have any toys and his dishes were old soup cans. I appreciate all the advise I can get, this is my first bird, and I love it so much already I want the best for it. Thanks in advance
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Post by easttex on Jul 24, 2014 17:20:31 GMT -5
Welcome to the wonderful world of parrots! It's nice to read about one more Quaker finally in the hands of someone who can really appreciate him. The biggest problem I have had with changing a bird's diet is resistance. I think it's best to mix the new in with the old and gradually increase the share of the new. It can be hard to tell exactly what they are eating this way, but it has worked for me. If he has been cage-bound for some time, you will probably find it is harder to get him out of the cage than into it. In a new home, especially, that is probably security for him. I went through this recently (really, still going through it) with my recent adoptee. If it's not a health hazard, I would start out by just leaving the cage door open, and see if he will come out on his own. This may take some time. Again, if cage-bound most or all his life, his flying skills may not be very good, but make sure the environment is safe in case he does take off. Keep him to one room, cover any mirrors, etc. He most likely will want to return to his cage, though I wouldn't guarantee that you won't get nipped in the process.  If he does get scared and refuses to step up, you can gently cover him with a small towel and carefully pick him up. Darkness is soothing to a bird. Most of all, don't panic. Birds pick up on that, so try to seem calm and confident, even if you don't feel that way.  |
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Post by cnyguy on Jul 24, 2014 20:41:14 GMT -5
Welcome to you, and congratulations on being adopted by a Quaker parrot! The advice you've received about leaving the cage door open, and letting the parrot decide when he's ready to come out, often works well. Your QP may need more time to get used to you and his new home, so be patient with him and take things at his pace. A rehomed parrot whose prior environment wasn't the best can take longer to adapt to new surroundings and new people. It helps to just sit near the parrot's cage and talk softly to him (you can read and sing to him too). That's a good way to get him accustomed to you and the sound of your voice. You might offer some favorite treats too. An effective diet conversion method is to continue offering the food your parrot is used to, along with some of the new food. Over time, gradually change the proportion of new to old so there's more of the new food and less of the old. Parrots tend to be fussy about food, so it may take a while for your Quaker to accept the new food you're offering. |
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Post by shirley on Jul 25, 2014 14:02:51 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the advice it is appreciated !! He is calming down slowly, I can put my hand in his cage while I am talking to him for short periods of time without him freaking out. As for toys,,when I put A new toy in his cage he looks at it for A few minutes then goes right for it without being scared of it, where I read that they are often scared of new things. Maybe he is starving for much needed ( input ) that he is curious more than afraid. I do not understand why I haven`t gotten A qp before this, but I also think I was waiting for my little love Kiwi. I keep refering to him, but in the near future and another vet visit I`ll have the dna testing done OMG, what A precious little darling I have as I am sure you all do ,but, I think mine is the top bird. LOL I will keep you updated as progress goes along and I know I will have A ton of questions and am so lucky I found this site. Thank you soooo much, Kiwi and Shirley
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If he does get scared and refuses to step up, you can gently cover him with a small towel and carefully pick him up. Darkness is soothing to a bird. Most of all, don't panic. Birds pick up on that, so try to seem calm and confident, even if you don't feel that way. 
