New Mummy, advice needed

[LittleAce]

Hi
I have a 5 month old Quaker called Ace, we have had him for 1 month, he is a very tame bird. I am not too sure what to do as I have never had a parrot before. He doesn't seem to want to play with any toys what so ever, do I need to train him to play? I thought parrots were inquisitive birds and would want to get involved with things? When I try and play with him to show him the toy he just runs away and is not interested. Has anyone got any advice please.
He was flighted when we got him and now he is clipped. He had this behaviour before the clipping.

[sidech]

I had a Quaker for 4 years. I got her when she was about 1 year old. I never saw her play with one toy. Never, ever.

She was just happy sitting on top of her cage, flying back and forth between her playground and cage and just being wherever we were.

They don't have to play if they don't want to, you know. Don't worry about it, unless you see signs of illness, which is another ball game.

[GlassOnion]

It's well possible that she doesn't know how to play/doesn't like her toys.

It took me a couple months to find toys that my tiel would actually enjoy. Some birds are really finicky.
Try different types of soft wood like balsa and yucca, and show her that it's to be chewed on by breaking the surface a little bit.

There are the rare occasions where a bird has no interest in toys, but MOSTLY it doesn't know how to play or it doesn't like the toys. Toys are VERY important for stimulation, so I wouldn't give up.
Keep trying!

[Red Moppet]

Yeah, I'd keep trying different things. I cared for a Quaker for a while who loved to play with shoe laces or leather strings. She'd spend HOURS arranging them around her cage - she didn't weave them, but you could tell that each string had a very specific place. Apparently male Quakers enjoy "nest" building too, so maybe give Ace some leather strings, or popsicle sticks or something like that. You can Youtube videos that show people's Quakers building elaborate nests out of cheap materials too - it's pretty neat!

[CheekyandMalolo]

He may just not enjoy toys, our Red Wing Tim loves to have their cage filled with Eucy leaves and prune them all off. He doesn't eat them at all, just loves pruning them. Actually he doesn't mind pruning any pot plant in the house either lol. He's just not a player, when he's of of the cage he either likes to sit on his perch looking out the window, or sit on the window sill looking of the window.

[Jenny]

does your cockatiel show any interest in the eucalyptus? I got Aaron a bunch of euc leaves & small stems, but he wasn't very interested. I was thinking about getting some thick euc branches to use as vertical type climbing "perches" instead...

[CheekyandMalolo]

Sorry Jenny, is that question to me?? I think the Tiel likes the Eucy leaves/branches, but I think she prefers to give herself a scratch on them rather than eating them Our Tiel's much prefer toys with bells rather than the Eucy leaves. Tell you what tho, it smells so nice in the house when Timmy and Prince have finished destroying a cage full of leaves, who needs air fresheners??

[Jenny]

Sorry Jenny, is that question to me??

oops, sorry for not being more clear!

but yeah, I was wondering what you'd experienced w/your tiel & the euc. It does smell nice! I'll just end up using the leaves Aaron didn't like for air freshener. Man I miss scented candles...