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Quiet Quaker?

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Quiet Quaker?

Postby MisoTheQuaker » Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:39 pm

Hello everyone! I recently got a baby quaker parrot. I've never owned any birds before this, not any pets, so I feel very inexperienced and I'm not sure what I'm doing. I bought him from a place at a flea market and visited him every weekend. He was quite talkative there and never hesitated to climb all over me and play. However, when I brought him home just last week, he has become quiet and doesn't step up onto my hand anymore. He's still super sweet and shows signs of being happy and content, but I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong. He plays around in his cage just fine and seems healthy, I'm just confused as to why he doesn't make any noise anymore. Whenever I do coax him onto my hand and he's been on me for a while, he starts grunting. Almost like a pig oinking or a honk. He doesn't seem to be angry. But that's the only noise he makes anymore. He used to shake his head and chirp at the flea market, but now he doesn't. Is this just him getting used to the new environment? Is it something he'll grow out of? Is it just his personality? If anyone could shed some light on this for me, I'd really appreciate it! Also, if there are any tips or tricks to help with owning a quaker parrot, I would love to hear them. I want to learn how to make my feathered friend as happy as he can be. :monk:
MisoTheQuaker
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Quaker parrot
Flight: No

Re: Quiet Quaker?

Postby Trick or 'Tiel » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:40 pm

I don't have a quaker but I do know that birds will be very stressed out when you first bring them home. He is afraid because he left everything he knew and was placed in a different cage in a different environment with different people. All birds will be quiet when *sorry my cockatiel just bowed his head and now I have to scratch him :lol: * you first bring them home because it's a very stressful experience for them. Some birds don't even eat for the first couple days. Give him time to adjust to his surroundings, and never force him out when he doesn't want to, especially while he's still getting situated. What is his cage like, what are the dimensions, what is his diet like and are his wings clipped? We can help you here.
Trick or 'Tiel
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 124
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatiel, Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Quiet Quaker?

Postby Bird woman » Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:41 pm

That little grunting and snorting is like a kitten purring when there content. He's just a little nervous right now. Cuddle him close and kiss him all over, that's how I handle mine and he's a little shoulder buddy now but always trying to clean my eye brows and eyes and face and gets very jealous when another bird comes to close. Make sure his diet is right and it is important for Quakers to be as close to a solar schedule as possible. BW. Oh and they love sticks and things to build with :D
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Bird woman
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 869
Location: Southern , Oregon
Number of Birds Owned: 10
Types of Birds Owned: 2 mollucans, 2 LSC'S, 2 macaws, 1 bare-eye, 1 grey, 1 goffin and max the quaker
Flight: Yes

Re: Quiet Quaker?

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:55 am

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new baby! Quakers are one of my very favorite species of birds in the whole world! Now, the first thing you need to do is take this bird to an avian vet for a COMPLETE check-up because you got it from somebody who sells in a flea market and that means this person is NOT a good breeder. And, sorry, but there is no two ways about this. Good breeders have waiting lists for their babies and would never sell in a venue like that. I personally know of three birds that were acquired in flea markets/bird fairs that were sick (two of them with chlamydiosis and one with PDD] so you want to make sure the baby is healthy.

I don't know what you mean by the 'grunting' noise but if it is what we call beak grinding, you would be able to see the beak moving. If you don't it might be labored breathing that only 'shows up' when the bird is a bit anxious. I've had birds that did not show any labored breathing symptoms until they became a bit upset and then you could hear them breathing -which is never supposed to happen with a healthy bird.

Aside from that, the only other advice I can give you about quakers is that you need to make sure it's kept at a super strict solar light schedule because they are not tropical but temperate climate birds and, as such, they are HIGHLY sensitive to a human light schedule. And to feed right because these are not birds that require a lot of protein so no free-feeding protein food for them or it will end up with fatty liver. AH! And don't stick your hand in its cage! You can get away with it now but, most likely, you won't when the baby is grown -they are the only species of parrots that uses a nest all year round and are super duper cage-aggressive.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Quiet Quaker?

Postby Bird woman » Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:44 am

Pajirta, that little grumbling /purring / grunting noise is a cute little noise Quakers do. I have 2 now and have talked to many owners about them to see if they all do it. Both these little birds let my husband and I both get into there cages and love on both of us. These are sturdy little birdies , full of personality and adapt well to different situations. Both mine are very piggy eaters and will eat anything put in front of them unlike my pickey too's :roll: so pajirta is very right in saying careful with there diet. BW
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Bird woman
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 869
Location: Southern , Oregon
Number of Birds Owned: 10
Types of Birds Owned: 2 mollucans, 2 LSC'S, 2 macaws, 1 bare-eye, 1 grey, 1 goffin and max the quaker
Flight: Yes

Re: Quiet Quaker?

Postby Pajarita » Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:50 am

I've never heard any grunting. Maybe I am forgetting about it, I don't know. But, in any case, I would recommend taking every single bird purchased in a bird fair or flea market to the vet asap because none of the people who sell there have any business breeding and usually have very poor husbandry and very little knowledge about parrots.

I was always able to put my hand in their cages, too - sheesh! with Paca la Loca, I was able to put my hand under her body and take her or her eggs out without her batting an eyelash! But my birds were very deeply bonded to me, kept to a solar schedule, fed right and didn't really 'live' in a cage. Not that I am saying that other people cannot do this because if I can do it, anybody can. But I have found out that even when people tell you they do it the same way I do, they actually don't.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


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