Abused Quaker Parrot?

Question

Hi, I just adopted a Quaker parrot and I don't know to much about them. I have the basics down but the problem I am running into is my parrot was abused by his previous owner. He will not let anybody near him, his food, or cage without charging at them and trying to bite. Needless to say feeding time is hard. I have recently started trying to bribe him so that he wants me near the cage because I have treats but I don't want him to expect this all the time. How should I go about calming him down and making him realize that I will not hurt him no matter what? I would really like for him to be a happy loving bird and am willing to put in the hours to help him get there emotionally.

Answer 1

First of all, I would like to commend you on taking in this poor little abused soul.  Quakers can be very territorial, so if he bites when you are near his cage, this most likely can be very normal.  

I have a cockatoo that was neglected and he has been with me for almost 6 years and still will not trust me, but he has come a long way.  In my opinion, whether he trusts me or not, at least he's happy and healthy and that's all that matters.

Just some suggestions that have worked with my Too. I have sat beside his cage and read a children's book to him.  I also sing to him, offer him treats and he does have time out of his cage.  In my case, he is out all day with the other birds and will willingly go in his cage at night when he sees the other birds going in their cages.

If you are committed to this little guy, then it may take years, but always let him know you love him and don't give up on him.  That's the problem with some people owning parrots, they give up too easily.  Remember, they are like children, would you give up on your child?

Good luck and for those of us who love birds with all our hearts, we thank you for taking this little guy into your home and giving him the happiness he deserves.

Answer 2

Hi, a few years I was given a Quaker that was exactly what you described. He would bite anybody or anything that came near him, he would actually chase down my son-law if he was out. We all just gave him time, talking calmly (never yell) I would give him a grape every morning, it took a cpouple of months but he got where I could take him to bed with us and let him watch tv each evening. He fell in love with my wife and would play like a cat under the covers. He had a vocabulary of over 75 words and phrases. Sad to say my daughter let him out to play not noticing my Grey was also out Tookie  (Quaker)decided he wanted Gus (Grey} cage and Gus killed him before anyone notcied the mistake. We were all heart broken and miss him to this day, even my son-in- law. Time and patience is the key with emphasis on patience. Good Luck Kelly

Answer 3

You're going about this the right way- treats are the best way to a scared, timid birds' heart. :)

What food is he being fed?  He should be eating pellets supplemented with fruits & vegetables.  Not only are seeds bad for birds, but they also sometimes trigger aggression in Parrots, and switching to a pellet diet might help you tame this bird.

Talk to him soothingly, and don't try to handle him until he's ready.  

Play soft music, and cover a portion of his cage so he feels more secure.  Keep his environment relaxed and as stress-free as possible, while going to talk to him every day and feeding him treats.  This is a great way to gain his trust, I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 4

I used to breed quakers [also known as Monk Parakeets} an important point to be aware of is they need to be hand -fed to become bonded to people easily,so if your's wasn't , the best advice is patience and persistance. Try hanging some sprays of millet which usually makes them  more docile.handle using leather glove at first [ they can draw blood] Ultimately approach and speak gently with love.

Answer 5

Go to http://www.avianwelfare.org and find the nearest parrot shelter or ask these guys to help you out. They specialize in taking care of abandoned, abused or neglected pet birds and they'll help you out a lot, I'm sure.

Here's another good link: http://www.birdtricks.com but I don't know these guys very well, so you may like to investigate yourself first.

Hope that helps...

Answer 6

How long have you had the Quaker? If it is just a short period of time, you do need to give the bird time to adjust to being in a new home.  Even if your Quaker was not abused, he may still act the same way just from being in a new home.

Be patient, the bird will learn to trust you.

You can try: reaching into the cage to get him out with a perch instead of your hand, when he goes to bite down grab his break and push into it, or when the bird gets "out time" just open the cage doors and let him come out on his own (probably the best option for you). Once the bird is out and away from its cage, they usually are less territorial.

What kind of cage do you have the bird in?  Could it be too small? Do you have to reach in the cage to change the Quaker's food?

The smallest - too small in my opinion - cage is 18x18, something 24x22 is a good size. You want swing out food bowls so that you can get to the food without getting bitten.

Answer 7

Quakers can be extremely cage-territorial. I've had three Quakers in my life and the ONLY time they would bite me for blood was when they were on their cage and I got too close. My last one lived for 13 years and was like this his whole life. Away from the cage, he was the sweetest little guy in the world, but I would literally have to put him in another room whenever I wanted to clean his cage; otherwise, he would maul me.

Get him away from and out of sight of the cage while you're handling him. He may not ever change when it comes to his behaviour close to his cage, but otherwise, you can teach him you're his friend by moving him to neutral territory.