Hello everyone

[jkleinschrodt04]

Hi, my name is Joey. I own a quaker parrot named Marco, and he is very agressive towards everyone. I've owned him for a little over a month, and I can't get him to stop attacking everyone. I've tried doing training stuff I see online, but He attacks me when I try to give him a treat, even if I slowly approach with a open hand.

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[Flboy]

Welcome! X-sperts on the way!

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

Here is Marco

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[munami]

Firstly, I'd remove the happy hut. Not only does it promote hormonal behavior by giving a safe nesting location. There have been cases where birds have swallowed the material and got it stuck in their crop. Also been cases of birds accidentally strangling themselves or getting parts stuck in the fibers causing amputation due to lack of blood.
Literally no upsides to them imo.

Also with Quakers, they very easily get cage aggressive. Make sure you're reducing as many factors for hormonal activity as possible. Are you trying to interact with him inside his cage too? He might see that as in intrusion on his territory.

• At minimum 10 hrs of uninterrupted sleep every night. If he's displaying hormonal activity, roll is back to 12 hrs of uninterrupted sleep every night for at least a few weeks.
• No warm mushy foods.
• If there are certain toys or cage objects that cause him to be more hormonal. If he's uh...rubbing on it.
• This probably isn't an issue if you can't touch him but only pet on the head.
• Restrict access to dark and quiet locations around the house. Like underneath the bed for instance.

It also looks like he doesn't really have any toys in his cage? Maybe it's just the angle of the picture. I only see perches. He might be bored and frustrated which can lead to feather plucking.

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

Awesome, I will give it a try. He spends a lot of time in his hut. I don't even try to interact inside his cage, all he does is bite and run from me. When he does come out of his cage, he won't step up or anything. until he freaks out and flies around, then he will happily step up when I take him back to where he was sitting. Also, he does have some foot toys in the bottom of his cage, and some things he chews on along with a bell

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[noodles123]

500% remove the hut---ANY shadowy or dark places inside or outside of the cage (clothing, bedding, blankets, crumbled paper, boxes, low ledges, furniture, huts, tents, pillows etc) can all trigger hormonal behaviors and those behaviors often manifest as aggression, screaming, self-mutilating etc etc.

Next, 1 month is not long, so if you haven't built trust, you will get attacked if you fail to read the bird's signals and try to touch anyway. It sounds like you need to go back to square 1-- do quiet things around the cage and allow him to enter and exit as he please (so long as this can be done safely). Talk to him, read to him etc, but live your life and let him see you aren't a threat. If you can easily feed treats from your hand without him acting scared, then do, but if there is hesitation, DON'T push it. You don't want to rush this and become associated with anxiety-inducing situations. His cage is clearly a place he feels safe (this is normal). Do not try to touch him at all right now---you need to rewind completely and when he is ready to be touched, he will come to you and it will be obvious. SLOW DOWN...way down....And, remember that since you will be starting back at square 1, you will have to remove the month that you have had him from your expectations when taming, as it sounds like there was a lot of fear....So, after 1 month of doing things right, you will probably start to see some positive changes (but today will be day 1 of that month). Currently, you are probably in a trust hole, and you will need to build that back up (don't worry--you can fix it, but it will require patience).
Again, one month is way too early to try to handle/tame a bird (unless your bird is exceptionally gregarious and trusting)...My bird came to me knowing how to step up, but I couldn't pet her easily for over a month and I couldn't pick her up for 3....Just saying...

PS: When your bird does allow you to pet him, pet on the head/neck only. Anything else triggers hormones and is perceived as sexual/mating behavior by the bird...Cuddles look cute, but they aren't all that innocent.

PPS: Be very cautious with those rope swings. Birds can get intestinal blockages from the cotton over time, and they can get their toes tangled in them easily. My bird has one, but I took it out of her cage and she now uses it near her play perch when she can be supervised...I don't trust her alone with it when I am out or asleep.

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

Hut has been removed, I'm going to get more toys to add. I always open his cage and let him do what he wants whenever I'm around. He loves to talk and mumble. My house doesn't have much natural sunlight, would one of those lights/ heat lamps be a good idea?

 

[noodles123]

Why is the top of his cage black? There is no overhead light coming in...If that is a cover, it must also go. I would bet you $100 that that plank/shelf/cover (whatever you have blacking out the top) is contributing to your problem as well. The cage should be fully uncovered during daytime hours and only covered at night for bed (not until the bird is going to bed). Partial covers= hormones.

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

Gone. That was a tray for the perch on top of his cage

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[noodles123]

MUCH BETTER! Yay!
Okay, so now that you have the lighting and snuggle hut issue settled, go back to building trust and give it time.

Hormones can really change their behavior, but just remember, on top of that, your bird hasn't been with you long enough to really trust you to handle him etc.

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

Awesome, thanks a lot. He's actually being friendly and stepped up off his cage today

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[Scott]

Welcome Joey and Marco! Great advice so far, by removing the hut and cage coverings you've made progress!!

A few threads you may find helpful:
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
If his biting continues: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html
If you're interested in training: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/60435-clicker-target-training.html

 

[wrench13]

Hi Marco and Joey. Quakers are especially prone to cage territory behavior. Its because Quakers are group nest builders, so they naturally want to protect their little piece of the group nest. Create a play area for him, well away from his cage, with lots of size appropriate wood chew toys, safe bells, ladders. Natural perches and branches that have been de-bugged. Try and get him on there after he has had breakfast and pooped. It may take awhile but the super aggressive behavior should abate somewhat. The other suggestions above are all very valid too.

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

I got him some more toys, yesterday he was being friendly. He let me pet him, and he stepped up. How do I get him off his cage? If I try and use a perch, he gets scared and starts being aggressive.

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[noodles123]

You are rushing things again. He will come off when he is ready. By pushing the issue, you will harm your progress and destroy trust. Just be patient.

 

[Scott]

A month is long enough for Marco to know you aren't a dreaded enemy, but not enough time to willingly socialize with you. From what I've heard, Quakers are stubborn and defensive, especially with their cage. Do you have some special treats to reward good behavior, such as pieces of plain almonds or walnuts?

If you want to read more about quaker personality, this thread by our moderator Allee is entertaining. Long but worthwhile, and cage aggression begins second paragraph of second post! http://www.parrotforums.com/incredi...s-bird-lovers/65239-when-harry-met-allee.html

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

I haven't found a treat he likes, I've tried pine nuts and almonds but I haven't tried walnuts.

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[Allee]

Welcome Joey and Marco! Marco is a very handsome little guy and sounds like a typical Quaker, ornery to the core. I’m glad you listened to the good advice and removed the happy hut. Best of luck with your new friend, he’ll astound you after he gains some trust. Quakers are scary smart and once you build a bond most are very friendly and love human company.

 

[noodles123]

Did you try banana bits or tiny grape bits? In my opinion, cereal is unsafe because it's fortified with vitamin levels intended for humans (but some people use it--I wouldn't though)..hmmm...low sodium saltines (if TINY and only for training--you don't want to give a lot of salt and preservatives)---When I say tiny, I mean TINY (because your bird is SO small...like a crumb). They sell bird treats (fruit bits) that you could try- I would cut them up to make them even smaller (too much sugar- even natural is not good). Cooked noodles can be good but it is often hard to find a non-fortified variety (all fortified stuff is bad for birds because there is too much iron etc). Cooked sweet potato bits (no seasoning), steamed squash, pear bits...some birds like hot peppers a lot...Scrambled eggs (no salt and low oil--I wouldn't use pam spray or any aerosol when cooking them)...bits of unsalted hard-boiled eggs...Maybe a small bit of millet or a small bit of steamed (not canned) corn--corn is filler but again, training treats should always be given in moderation (I wouldn't feed it daily). That's all I can think of for now...

A few quick side-notes: All foods containing citric acid should be quite limited because too much citrus (or citric acid) can lead to iron storage issues in birds..

Also- you want to avoid any mix or treat containing peanuts (shelled or other) because they can harbor a fungus (even when found in store-bought feed mixes).

Additionally, sunflower seeds are not good for birds (they are like crack to them, high in fat and lacking in nutrients) but a sunflower seed here or there for training could be okay. Just don't feed your bird any mix that contains these.

To put portion-size in perspective, a whole grape to a cockatiel-sized bird is the equivalent of something like 200 grapes in a human (Can't recall the exact number).

If giving your bird anything processed and sweet, check the label to ensure that it does not contain Xylitol, aspartame, saccharine, Splenda or other artificial sweeteners. Avocados,rhubarb, chocolate, coffee (even decaf) and anything containing caffeine or alcohol=toxic, as are apple seeds and most fruit pits, garlic, onions, leeks, chives etc.

If you ever give your bird a nut in a shell, be very watchful because if they ingest the shell bits, it can cause them to become impacted/blocked.

 

[jkleinschrodt04]

awesome, I'll give some of those a try. I did also try those fruit bits, he wanted nothing to do with them. I know he won't take then out of my hand so I tried putting a few in his food bowl, but he ate around them.

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