Pros and Cons of a Male Quaker?

[kenzie]

I've been considering a Quaker for my new bird, but I've heard bad things about their behavior when they reach adulthood. I just wanted to hear opinions from actual owners. Thanks!

 

[aliray]

Hi and welcome. What kind of things are you talking about. I have a quaker but do not know the sex but the store we bought him from thought he was a male. He is smart, bratty and full of himself, say a few words, and has a mind of his own. Loves his toys and loves to be in the middle of things. Gets in his moods where he yells at a toy but it never lasts long and the pitch doesn't bother me, it isn't high like a conure can be or loud like a macaw.

 

[ShellyBorg]

Aliray summed it up for my bird also. My nickname for her is Sid vicious! I hand raised mine from a nakid 3 day old after taking her from some kids who had swiped I her from somewhere. Big cage, lots of toys and lots of out time is important. Just this year Widget no longer wants my hand in her space. As I do not belive in forcing interactions with my birds I put a shelf on the front of her cage. When I want her to come visit me I open the door and wait for her to come to me. After a fierce display of how tough the little feather ball is she runs out and into my hands to be cuddled. Now if I tried to force this we would not have the great relationship we have.

 

[cnyguy]

What "bad things" have you heard about Quakers? We can probably be more helpful if we knew your specific concerns.

There are a few generalizations you may hear about Quakers that aren't necessarily true. I've often heard it said that "Quakers are loud or noisy." Some are, but not all. My Quaker Ralph is one of the quieter QPs. "Quakers are cage aggressive" is another. Again, it depends on the individual bird. My QP Ralph doesn't care what I touch in his cage, except his food dish. He's very possessive of that and will bite if I touch it while he's in his cage; when he's out, I can handle the food dish without getting chomped.

 

[MrSquak]

ive only met one quaker but he seemed like a great little guy. Not sure about the gender though

 

[kenzie]

Cnyguy: I remember going to a reputable breeder a while ago and the lady asked me what kind of bird I was looking for. She got a sour face and explained that once Quakers reach adulthood all they care about is finding a mate, and they become aggressive, and prefer not to be handled. I have heard different though, thats why I'm asking people who own, or have owned Quakers.

P.S. My initial question wasn't what I meant. People who have girl or unknown Quakers can answer. I just wanted to know if there is a difference between girls and boys. Thanks.

 

[ShellyBorg]

Well mine laid eggs this year and other then the cage issue she is still my sweet girl.

 

[cnyguy]

once Quakers reach adulthood all they care about is finding a mate, and they become aggressive, and prefer not to be handled.

That kind of behavior can sometimes happen, though not just with Quakers. But it's not something that necessarily will happen. Most mature male QPs I know of are devoted to their human companions, aren't normally aggressive and can be handled. There are times when hormones cause temporary behavioral changes, and the parrot may behave as the breeder described, but it seldom lasts too long.

 

[mrgoogls]

i agree with cnyguy. a lot of things you hear about them arent true. like being noisy, they CAN be, but thn again so can all birds. and ALL birds are to some extent. cooper is a big cage aggressive. like mostly just with his food. like when i go in to get his skewer for fruit i get bit once in a while. but not to bad. even better if you take a lot of time to train them. overall i think the others gave you some good info.

 

[Rick2006]

We had a male wild found on the ground out of his nest.
He was a fun bird but could go through some really bad times
during mating season.
Our second Quaker male was from a breeder and had a much
more calm personality. Both talked about 100 words or more.
Very much fun to have a bird that talks to you. I Love Quakers!

 

[Tuukee]

Hey Doll,
I'm new the bird world and a male quaker is what chose me. i gota say he is a blast. unlike Cnyguy's Ralph- Tuukee is loud- but i encourage it. he loves to sing with me and play in the dark- and be goofy. i'm not sure what their behaviour is like- but as many pets get a bad rap- like pitbulls- its all how they are raised. i read all over- 'dont clean your birds crib within sight' it can stress them out. it may be true but i built Tuukee playgym in front og him and he liked the fact that mommy had touched it. it wasnt so scary. and when i re-arrange my 8mos old GQP huge crib i do it right with him walkin around the top. he sees me touching it and i show him and i play with it to show him its 'ok'. Im NOT allowed to touch his food dish- yes i get beaked at over that. but he shows his moods and his temper. but it like anything- humans dogs cats... everyone has bad days and good days. Dont get me wrong- i get so much love from this lil ball of feathers. he gives me kisses and asks specifically to sleep with me. he'll be wide awake playing- call for me and take a nap with me. its so sweet. youre gona have fun!

you're gona love your lil guy and he will love you! just let the onion shed his layers and you'll be able to tell what mood he's in- and plus there is this cool forum for beginner bird owners/ longtime lovers of birds to be the best parents they can.