Baby Quaker questions!

Hello everyone!

I just recently got a baby quaker named Yoshi (original I know), he'll be 4 months old next week! He's already mumbling a lot of words "Good boy" "Whatcha doin?" "give me kisses" Followed by kissing sounds. He (or she never got him sexed) is very intelligent.

Lately he's been nipping me a lot, not hard, it just seems like he thinks all flesh is a toy. He's starting to bite harder, I'm not sure if its a test to see who the flock leader is, or if he's just bored and really thinks I'm a giant toy to chew up.

One other thing, he likes to chew the feathers on his left wing. Its not plucking, only chewing, which again leads me to believe he's just bored, but its really starting to worry me. I will take him to the vet to get all health issues ruled out. I just wanted to know if anyone else has had a similar issue with their Quaker with suggestions as to fixing it.

Thanks so much!
Toby Maxwell

I think Yoshi's an adorable name for a quaker. You are right to try and stop the aggressive behavior before it becomes a problem. Quakers are small but with little or no training they can get very aggressive. I put the tip of my index finger on the side of their beaks and say, careful, that's usually enough, if not I place them on their play stand or cage top and don't allow them back until they have calmed down.

Quakers can become serious pluckers too. Be sure your quaker has a healthy, varied diet and provide lots of toys and foraging opportunities. A lot of quakers are amazing builders if you provide them with the right materials. Have fun with your baby, they are wonderful little parrots.