TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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One of the more intelligent birds is the Quaker parrot (also called a Monk Parrot). These birds are in the top 10 list of talking birds. They are very playful, mischief makers, and full of personality.

They are also despised by several states in the US, to the point where they are banned. If caught, the authorities will fine you for owning it

WHY THE BAD REPUTATION?

Quakers have been labeled as “agricultural pests”. In the wild, Quakers form huge colonies, and can threaten native species in their local environments. There are documented cases where thousands of Quakers in New Jersey built a huge society of nests on a power pole, causing it to collapse and knocking out power to a huge area.

Quakers are illegal to sell or own in Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Wyoming, Hawaii, Tennessee, Kansas and Pennsylvania. In Connecticut, you can own but not breed them. In Virginia and New York you must register them!

They are a very hardy bird. They can survive in the northern climates and in areas where most birds can not survive in.

While understandable, it’s a sad situation for a bird that is as friendly as the Quaker.

OWNING A QUAKER

They are loaded with personality! I still remember my first Quaker, Corey. He loved to play. He loved to hide under the sofa and attack any feet that made the mistake of coming too close. It was HIS sofa.

About 15 years ago I lived in Florida, and worked as a deputy sheriff. My partner stopped by while on duty, killing some time. He got too close to Corey’s sofa and soon had a green monster attached to his ankle! Out came the gun…..’WHAT THE…!”

Good thing they don’t have birdy prisons…but he wasn’t allowed out of the cage when my partner came over again.

GREAT TALKERS

Quakers are known to be one of the better talking birds. They are very good at mimicking sounds, and will sit for hours practicing every one of them. If it gets out of hand, simply find a way to distract them. Play with them, offer them a bath, or give them a treat to munch on. Covering their cage for a while can also give you some peace and quite. But in our case, the noise never really bothered us. After raising several large parrots, I guess we learned to block out most of the noise.

>>Download my “The Easy Parrot System” ebook to learn how to teach your Quaker to talk: http://www.TheTameParrot.com/cb/

QUAKER DIETS

Quaker diets are a bit different then other parrots. They are prone to fatty liver disease. A diet high in fats and sugars should be avoided. We tried to keep our birds on a 75% diet of pellets, and fed other foods as a snack. But you need to pay attention to what they are getting.

The normal advice about lots of fruits and vegi’s must be handled carefully. Grapes and other fruits contain high amounts of sugar….so don’t overdue them. Fatty seeds like peanuts and almonds are also going to cause problems if they are feed too many. Some of the big no-no’s are fatty meats like sausage, lunchemeat, and canned meats. Oily fried foods like french fries and potato chips are out. High sugar treats like cereal or muffins are also bad. But my hubby will give them an occasional taste once and a while. With our Quakers, we actually tried to give them as much table foods as possible. A little meat, lots of veggies, and their pelleted diet was all they needed.

If your Quaker is on a poor diet, it will quickly become overweight. This is one of the beginning stages of fatty liver disease. Research has shown that the use of two herbals, dandelion and milk thistle, will help fend off the disease. These medications can be found in most good health food stores. Never medicate your pets without first consulting your vet, and consult them for the proper dosage.

>> I have a whole section dedicated in my ebook to bird diet- The Easy Parrot System - Parrot Diet

THEY LOVE TO WEAVE

Quakers are one of the easiest birds to get toys for! You don’t need anything expensive or fancy. Find them anything to weave through their cage.

My husband worked for the phone company and had long cable ties laying around the aviary. We used them occasionally to tie cages together or secure some feed cups. He laid several on top of our Quaker cage and forgot about them. The next day he found them weaved throughout the birds cage! After that we made sure they had some to play with.

Long strands of cloth and rawhide also make great toys. They are also suckers for toys made from rolls of adding machine tape! They will shred them for hours.

GET THEM AS BABIES

If you have decided a Quaker is for you, try to get them as a baby. Quakers have a tendency to bond with one person. They will definitely protect that person! If I’m taking a nap and Corey is with me, NOBODY gets near me! Even my dogs know better then to mess with me when Corey is on my shoulder.

But adopting an older Quaker will be a lot more difficult. They are set in their ways and will be difficult to train. It can be done, but expect to spend a lot of time, and go through a lot of Band-Aids on your fingers.

I’d love to hear your feedback and comments. Please post them below! Thank you!