|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 5, 2015 3:50:50 GMT -5
Hello!
I've just brought home a little silver-grey quaker parakeet called Byron. We are calling him 'he' at the moment but genuinely have no idea about sex. He has been a delight so far. He was very well handled at the pet shop and was not really a shouty bird, even when surrounded by other quakers/conures/african greys/cockatoos etc. Although he has a loud squawk when agitated, he has otherwise been a very quiet boy, though I am aware this may well change as he gets older!
He is my first bird and, although I've read a lot about how to keep a parakeet, what to expect, what to feed them, insurance, vet advice, training etc, obviously this is nothing to genuine experience. I just wanted to introduce myself in case I ever had any behaviour problems with him, or advice on what to feed him. He's on parakeet mix at the moment, because that's what he was on at the petshop, but I want to wean him off that onto a healthier mix. He has grapes and boiled egg as well. I've also bought some pulses for him, which I'm going to soak in hot water and try him on at the weekend. I offered him some spinach, but he didn't want it and tried to get as far away from it as possible! What other fruits/veg etc are popular quaker favourites?
Thanks in advance! |
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Nov 5, 2015 4:31:50 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! My Quaker, Peppy, is not the best eater of fresh foods, but will sometimes eat a bit of apple, in addition to grapes. He also likes dried pineapple and dried papaya. I give him only those without added sulfites, which can be a challenge to find.
|
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 5, 2015 6:11:28 GMT -5
thanks! I'll have a go at those. I'm just really aware that they need a varied diet and don't want to give him breathing problems from lack of food choice! What about raspberries and broccoli?
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Nov 5, 2015 16:30:31 GMT -5
Hello and welcome. My QP Oscar.. will eat a little raspberry and the stem from broccoli if it is peeled. He also loves romaine lettuce, bananas, boiled potatoes, most pasta and a little sweet such as the odd marshmallow. It is lots of fun giving them different foods to try and now Oscar just helps himself from my plate of food. Another things he loves is a small piece of bread that is loaded with seeds.
You are going to have a great time with this bird cause it will blow your mind how smart they are. I have been so well trained by my bird... it is amazing... lol
Be sure to check the section on this forum on safe foods and bad foods. Some food can kill these little guys really quickly. |
|
|
|
Post by cnyguy on Nov 5, 2015 21:05:31 GMT -5
Welcome to you and Byron! I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see a picture of Byron. The gray Quakers aren't seen too often.
My QP Ralph's favorite food is green peas-- especially fresh ones, served raw, but he'll eat frozen peas that have been thawed and slightly warmed. Other foods he eats include kale, dandelion greens, parsley, broccoli, corn and cooked green or yellow beans. Cooked grains like quinoa and barley are good too, as is cooked pasta. Ralph isn't fond of fruits, but will eat apple or pear, if it's chopped up. A couple things that are good for parrots that Ralph refuses to eat are sweet potatoes and carrots (he hates anything colored orange) but you might try them with Byron.
|
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 6, 2015 3:43:04 GMT -5
Thanks guys, this is brilliant! I tried to upload a pic of Byron yesterday, but my PC wasn't having it. Oh well, will keep trying! I've got some bulgar wheat at home too, which is like a less processed version of rice or cous cous. Could he eat that? I've checked EXTENSIVELY on bad foods and fatty foods. He tried a raspberry last night but I think he found it a bit too sweet. He ate the asparagus and the walnuts though! He is really smart. I've been able to start training him very quickly not to squawk when he wants my attention and he remembers. He's already very affectionate and will sit on my shoulder and preen my face and play with my necklace. He sits on my partner's shoulder as well, but if I'm around, he wants to be with me, which is nice, seeing as he's my bird! I'll try him on some kale and green beans over the weekend. He's on parakeet mix at the moment as that's what he was fed at the shop, but I want to wean him off it in a few weeks. Any ideas about good Quaker pellets or a good seed mix?
It's also interesting to know your bird doesn't like orange things. Byron's scared of white! |
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Nov 6, 2015 4:03:36 GMT -5
Your Byron is beautiful! You sound as though you are a fast learner and so is Byron. You are doing very well to be getting these results with him so soon, particularly as he's your first bird. Well done!
|
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 6, 2015 6:11:43 GMT -5
Thanks! He's a real cutie isn't he? I can't take credit for all of that wonderful behaviour. The shop were really good at acclimatising him to human contact. They all have birds of their own and were really keen to socialise the ones in their care to make it easier for them when they were bought. He was very friendly even before I bought him. It was one of the reasons I wanted him as he was so happy to just ride around on my shoulder. I've spent a lot of time reading and learning about the best ways to train and keep a bird, but any other good books or sources of info people know would be great  |
|
|
|
Post by aaron on Nov 6, 2015 13:58:54 GMT -5
Greetings and welcome to you and Byron! I'd love to see a picture of this grey little fellow! As Cnyguy noted, they are not too common! He seems quite handsome from your avatar.
Our QP, Cupcake, is on Harrison's pellets as the base of her diet, which we personally prefer because they are organic. Also, she is an avid eater of cucumber and lentil sprouts, which she gets daily. She also likes zucchini, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, cooked peas, and on a good day, she might eat some spinach. She is not a big fan of leafy greens, but some Quakers love them.
|
|
|
|
Post by cnyguy on Nov 6, 2015 23:43:06 GMT -5
Byron is quite handsome. I've never seen a gray Quaker in person, but would like to someday. Around here, I see just standard green QPs and a few blue ones. Of course, I think they're all beautiful. One book I recommend is Mattie Sue Athan's Guide to the Quaker Parrot. There's a book on QPs by Shelly Lane available on the companion site quakerparrots.com too. Ralph gets a little of the Higgins Safflower Gold mix every day; it contains no sunflower seeds, but does have small amounts of things like dried carrots and peas, dried fruits, a few nuts, some dried peppers and a few Higgins pellets are mixed in too. Fussy Ralph won't touch the Harrison's pellets that Cupcake and some other parrots enjoy, and will only eat Roudybush pellets if they're mixed in with the ones he likes better. He prefers Higgins InTune Natural fruit-flavored pellets, Pretty Bird Daily Select and ZuPreem Fruit Blend pellets. Another food I forgot to mention before that he likes is lentils, cooked until they're soft and tender and served slightly warm. |
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 7, 2015 4:54:42 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, this looks brilliant. Byron is settling in nicely. He is eating egg and grapes well and I'm going to try him on some pulses this weekend. He's settling in very well and is beginning to make a bit more noise! This doesn't really bother me, but we live in a block of flats and I'm concerned about the people living below us. I know parrots are quite vocal, and a bit of noise and sharp cheeps and quacking I accept as part and parcel of having a parrot, but loud squawking for attention is not something we can accommodate in our flat! I am currently:
- leaving the room when he squawks and only returning when he has been quiet for 10 seconds or more
- covering his cage if he really won't be quiet, and taking it off after 5 mins of quiet (this works brilliantly, the cover goes on and immediately he shuts up!)
- talking softly to him to try and reinforce that quiet talk is the good kind.
Is there anything else I ought to be doing to help train him out of this behavior? It's literally been going on for two days, so it's early yet, and tends to happen when I leave the room, rather than when my partner leaves the room. I know it will take time, but any other advice about this would be great.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Nov 7, 2015 6:43:23 GMT -5
You're doing most of what I would be doing, except for covering the cage. For one thing, the key in the long run is to not respond to the noise, unless, of course, there is cause for his anxiety. Covering the cage is responding. And, it does not really send a message that he can interpret correctly. So I would reserve it for emergencies. Offering him a substitute sound more directly addresses the problem. When he pauses in his squawking, give him a whistle or a word. You don't need to wait to offer it; the briefest pause will do. You can do it out of his sight, too. With luck, it will start to interest him enough to repeat it. If he does, give him lavish praise or treats and attention, so he gets the idea that this is the way to get your attention. But be prepared to respond to it every time. |
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 7, 2015 6:47:39 GMT -5
That's great, thanks! This morning has been a lot of walking in and out of the living room, sitting and my computer and ignoring him until he's quite, and then making clicking and 'good boy' noises. Although he is squawking loudly, it rarely lasts for more than a few seconds at a time, and my ignoring it is helping. I'm hoping he will learn quickly so the neighbours don't make me get rid of him! Luckily, my partner is my landlord and he seems quite taken with Byron (though not his pooping and screaming!) I'm hoping if I can train him straight off, he'll be a good boy. Thanks for the advice about the cage cover, I'm trying just to save it for if he really, really won't shut up, so it's good to know.
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Nov 7, 2015 14:12:06 GMT -5
Because QP's are flock birds they always want to know where you are and if you are okay. Maybe when you leave the room you should develop some sort of call for your little one so that he knows you are okay. Perhaps a song... or soft whistle... or just a few words.. like "I'll be right back".
It is true that when they squawk... they want something. It might be just to be closer to you. Does his sit on your shoulder a go for walks with you?
|
|
|
|
Post by beccilouise on Nov 7, 2015 14:33:04 GMT -5
Yes, I walked with him around the house today. I also did try calling to him while I was in other rooms and it really did work well. I think he just doesn't like it when we are home and he thinks we are ignoring him, he wants to know where we are. At the moment, if I'm home, he's out. He's sitting on my shoulder right now. I'm a spoken word artist, so I do a lot of writing and he has sat on my shoulder while I write. He's much quieter when he's with me, but two nights a week, I have seminars out of town. I'm at home just beforehand and give him cuddles in the morning, but I'm worried he'll scream while my partner is home and I'm at my seminar, wanting to know where I am. Any advice on what to do about this?
Also, how long did it take for other people's Quakers to learn this? I'm happy to take the time and know it may be a while. I've bought a book on training and a clicker and intend to properly condition him, so both me AND my partner feel we are still able to do things together and also Byron gets the attention and training he needs to be a happy bird. |
|
