Mark,
I hope you keep your thread active, and share your journey, of what works. We have people post questions , but few follow up. You've already had a 100 or more veiws on this post. Lots of non members are interested to see what works, as many are in the same boat.
Also I hope we get see a pic of your new family member!
Quakers are really, really smart. I've read that they are on par with African greys. But as I've worked with greys, I would say Quakers are very close , but not quite at grey level. Quakers are also very u iwue in how they live in apartment nests in a community nest. So they are also a very vary social parrot. They are engineers! Very active, like to manipulate things, and be busy.
Because of all those traits mention above, Quakers are prone to behavior issues. Much like the similar in intelligence and social species like cockatoo and CAG. These smaller Quakers often don't get the respect their intelligence deserves. If their intelligent minds and active bodies aren't kept busy, if they don't get lots of human contact, they are prone to screaming, plucking their bodies and self mutilation. The Quaker Mutilation Syndrome..
So to prevent this. Keeping them flying is excellent!!! Work on recall training in the house. Train them to fly through hoops.. teach them to FORAGE, one if the best ways to keep a parrot busy while everyone is gone to schoole and work. Provide easy to destroy stuff every day, get good at DIY, use cardboard, old paperback book, cut strips off brown paper bags, or paper, stuff them i to stuff for him to pull out. Quakers like to make noise, do teach those words, whistles , and sounds. Come up with a flock call, and everyone in the house uses the same word, whistle , to answer flock calls. Start rewarding good behavior. When you bird is quite, give praise and treats, when they play with toys , give praise and treats, when they stay put on play stands give praise and treats. Read up on behavior modifications for screaming and other stuff before it happens. On page 10 of my Ornithology thread I have many behaviors links.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general...hare-discuss-scientific-articles-parrots.html
I love quakers. But the sad truth is this probably the most re-homed Parrot out there. Because they are small, relatives cheap, breed well in captivaty, there are large numbers of them. They are often first time parrots, and their great intelligence, active , and social nature isn't taken into account. They become screamers, cage agressive, plucking sad messes. Passed around by the hundreds on craigslist and the like, or shoved off to garages.. they never make it to those rare parrot rescues. . Or they Mutilate themselves till they die......
When taken into account their intelligenc, active , social nature's. Like owners of cockatoo and Congo African Greys are warned to. They are increadible happy wonderful company. Becoming the favorite species of those who have had or have multiple different species. As I'm often secret messaged! Often they don't receive that respect as a smaller species. So I'm trying to increase awareness.
I rescued one of the many. My sweet Penny. She was heartbreaking abused and neglected. A screamer, a biter, a plucker, and Mutilating her feet. Stuffed in a tiny cage, full of poop, herself covered in poop, with dirty water, and only sunflower seeds to eat. She has come so far, is so funny, and a happy girl now. You can read her story in my thread Rescuing Penny.
http://www.parrotforums.com/quakers/76519-rescueing-penny.html
I also took in a re-home Quaker from a college student who have excellent diet of pellets and veggies, and flying out if the cage social time. But noise, unsafe roommates, and time constraints if school, work, dating, made him re home. And if he reads this, I hope he knows I have deep respect for him. We had a poster who's roommates killed his cockatiel by spraying it repeatedly with Lysol. And a wife who's husband hated her GCC, and did something similar, while she was away.
Quakers are illegal in many states. And I don't the age, commitment, and responsibilities level of your daughter. But if she is living at home, then her life probably has a lot of changes ahead. This Quaker may really be you and your wife's companion. At the very least you will play a role in guidance, and development, of this young Quaker who will live 30 years, as part of your life.
