Wishing all of our readers a very happy holiday season!

"Sunny" is 6 months old. There are many people in my household and he only bites two people. My husband and my sister. We can't figure out why he just bites them and I would love to get the bird to be nice to them so they can enjoy him too.

When Quaker Parrots don’t master cooperative behavior as well as limitations associated with suitable conduct by the time they attain sexual maturity, they are often totally unmanageable. As a matter of fact, Quaker Parrots may actually discover cooperative behavior optimally soon after weaning. Or else it’s extremely simple for them to acquire territorial and hostile actions throughout the developmental time period occasionally known as the “terrible twos” (this generally hits Quakers from about 12-18 months, however is visible sooner).

We cannot deal with bad conduct in Quakers with punishment. We have to assist the bird to create productive habits to guarantee it’s happy lifestyle.

Just about all habits are composed of a number of habits which are regularly reenacted. Co-operation may be habitual. Biting and going after could be habitual. A companion Quaker parrot that understands to repeatedly interact personally will be less probable to express hostility towards people or to try and control people within the surroundings. To be able to produce excellent habits and also to generate a routine of cooperation in the bird’s conduct, we practice a few active exercises — step-ups and the towel game — most times in neutral territory.

STEP UPS

To be able to assume the parrot to respond dependably in the cage or some other established area, the quaker should first be patterned using typical and varied step-up exercise to cooperate in neutral territory. A bird that won’t cooperate in neutral territory will most likely typically refuse to cooperate in their own territory. In the bird’s first days in your home, daily step up exercise includes:

* stepping the bird upward from a new fixed perch to a hand

* stepping the parrot up from hand to hand

* stepping the bird on and off hand-held perches

Afterwords once the parrot is producing it’s regular Quaker tendency to guard the parrot cage or whenever it’s feeling feisty for any additional reason, the behavior of co-operation is usually preserved, without having fear of nipping, by managing the bird with handheld perches. Hand held perches might be from time to time required or necessary for some people in the bird’s established territory, as a typical Quaker Parrot may act like a total brat towards most people in the cage and a perfect little bird away from it.

Owning a pet parrot can be a incredibly nerve-racking event and Parrot Training is an important part of parrot ownership. Every type of parrot; cockatoos, conures, african grays or any other type of pet parrot should be trained to some extent. Numerous new bird owners may have experienced a lot of problems with your pet and you might even have been bitten or attacked by it. Family members or guests that came by may have upset the bird when they got to close to the cage. This is a normal reaction but it doesn’t have to be. The parrots instincts force them behave in a certain way, but it is no more than that. Behavioral patterns can be changed through the right form of training.

Parrots have very powerful beaks and can inflict a serious bite and can often cut into the skin. Teaching your parrot bird not to bite can be one of the most vital lessons for a pet parrot owner. Biting is a natural habit for a parrot, training a parrot to bite certain things takes a lot of time and commitment. By teaching your bird to stop biting your friends and family will like being around your pet. When young children are around birds it is essential that your parrot adapts to the surroundings and not bite anyone because the beak can really hurt little fingers.
Giving treats during training is a kind of reward that can be used to train parrots. Start out finding a treat that your parrot likes and offer it in your hand very slowly as not to frighten the bird. You want to be seen as a person that it can trust and that you won’t do it any harm. Always act in a positive way but be determined and strong. At first your parrot might scream at you or even try to bite you. If the parrot has a habit of biting or starts to bite, go get a thick pair of gloves before starting your parrot training so that you won’t be affected by its biting. Use this treat offering exercise for several times a day for as many days as it takes to have your parrot accept and even enjoy that you’re giving it treats.
Most parrots are very gregarious and vocal birds. When you bring home a young parrot You become part of the bird’s flock. If you observe how birds in a flock interact in the wild, you can try to communicate with your bird. Getting a parrot to do something you want is a great accomplishment, and if it does so then reward the bird. Any actions or behavior a parrot does that you dislike, remember the best response is no response. Don’t reinforce negative behavior by overreacting or the parrot will learn hoe to get your attention. Teach the bird the proper way to get what it wants. If they cannot communicate properly with you, it is very likely their response will be screaming, biting, or withdrawal.
If a young bird is purchased it must be nurtured and comforted, this is easy but can be a problem if not done properly. Start out spending small amounts of time with your new bird, don’t spend more time when the bird is new than when the newness wears off or this will cause behavioral problems. As a bird owner we must provide all the proper requirements that our new pet will need. Proper food, clean fresh water and proper sized cage are all essential for the health of a parrot. Exploration outside of the cage should be encouraged with supervision to satisfy their normal curiosity. The bird learns to not be afraid of new things and learns important skills. Exploring should only include those areas of the home that you choose and are safe and introduce new things into its surroundings to help prevent boredom. Parrot Training is time consuming and at times frustrating but well worth the effort.

Cockatiel Care

Most Cockatiel owners will tell you that Cockatiels do make wonderful pets and have sweet demeanor. Cockatiel care is very important for a healthy pet.  As with most other parrots, the manner in which the bird is raised, handled, and kept is an important factor in determining the temperament of the bird. Cockatiels that are handled on a regular basis will become and stay tame quit easily.
As with most pet parrots the well-socialized birds are gentle and friendly.

cockatiel care

Some cockatiels enjoy physical contact from there human friends, lending themselves well to taming. Many cockatiel owners develop regular bonding rituals  with their birds, engaging in preening, scratching, and even petting. Cockatiels that wish to be petted will often lower there head or nibble at the owner’s fingers to indicate that it wishes to have its head and neck scratched (two places it can’t easily scratch on its own), and will emit a low squawk to show its pleasure. Cockatiels which are hand-fed and purchased from a young age are more readily suited for physical contact.

Cockatiels are very calm birds and once they are out of their adolescent stage and settle down a little, I have not found them to be very messy at birds all.If feed pelleted diet so there are no seed hulls to scatter there will be very little mess.  While you have to expect some mess with any type of bird (or any pet for that matter), after years of keeping birds, I have learned some ways to get around the mess. First of all, keep your cockatiel cage clean by changing the paper on the bottom every day. This will help keep debris to a minimum, and always let your cockatiel out of its cage when changing the paper. Some birds will flap their wings in the cage and spread debris, but if you let them out daily the will flap at that time and not make a mess. Another tip to keep the area clean is never fill your birds food dish all the way to the top. You are just asking for trouble if you do, If pet even places one foot in a full dish pellets or seed, there is bound to be scattered all over. Cage skirts that can be fitted to your bird’s cage will contain a large portion of the mess.
Cockatiels are generally hardy and have the potential of live 20 — 30 years with good care. While the average life span is probably less than 10yrs, simply because people do not take care of them properly, there have been accounts of cockatiels living 38 years. Good cockatiel care is essential in order to keep a cockatiel in good health. A correct diet is the most important element in keeping a pet a cockatiel in good condition. With the development of various pelleted diets, there is absolutely no reason why every pet cockatiel should not be on a good diet today. Even if your cockatiel eats a pelleted diet, it is still necessary to offer fresh fruits, vegetables, greens and other foods every
day.It ia also important to offer fresh, clean water at all times to your bird. Make sure you clean and scrub those food and water cups with soapy water.Keeping the cage and food dishes clean is just as important as the diet.

The paper cage lining should be changed at least once a day, more often if necessary if fresh foods are fed. The cage should be washed completely every week or so depending on how dirty it gets. Perches of different diameters and shapes help prevent foot problems. I make sure that all of my birds have a variety of perches and at least one flat porch in their cage.

Keeping a cockatiel healthy psychologically is as important as its physical health. Providing a playground that will enable your pet to be out and away from its cage is very important. A wide array of suitable toys rotated on a
regular basis should be considered a necessity, not a luxury. And most importantly, time spent with the owner on an every day basis will enable your cockatiel to develop into a happy, well- adjusted pet

The decision on what type of parrot to have is sometimes very confusing, there are large and small and noisy and quite, Talking Parrots are very popular. It will depend on how much time and energy you want to invest in your relationship with it. Large parrots like macaws, cockatoos and amazons require a great amount of time and work. If you’re working 8 hours a day and don’t have a lot of time to give to a pet, the smaller birds will be one of the best that you can have. The best pet bird for a busy person will be a lower maintenance pet birds.

Parrots with good talking abilities include African Grey, Amazon and even some of the smaller varieties like Quaker Parrots. Most parrot species can mimic sounds they hear, like whistles and doorbells. The sound we hear as talking is essentially mimicry and some birds are better than others. Individual birds will also tend to prefer to mimic certain gender or individual. The best age to start training your bird is as early as possible or about between 4-6 months old. Start with a simple word like “Hello” and make sure to pronounce words slowly and clearly and repetition is vastly essential. Always keep lessons short, about 10-15 minutes and give play and rest point after.

Most parrots are very extroverted and vocal birds. When you bring home a young parrot you become part of the bird’s flock. If you study how birds in a flock intermingle in the wild and learn how they behave, you can try to communicate with your bird. Getting a parrot to do something you want is a good accomplishment, and if it does so then reward the bird. Any actions or behavior a parrot does that you dislike ignore, remember the best response is no response. Don’t reinforce negative behavior by overreacting or the parrot will realize how to get your attention. Teach the bird the suitable way to get what it wants. If they cannot communicate properly with you, it is very likely their response will be screaming, biting, or withdrawal.

If a young bird is purchased it must be nurtured and comforted as a first step in parrot training, this is easy but can be a problem if not done properly. Start out spending small amounts of time with your new bird, don’t spend more time when the bird is new than when the newness wears off or this will cause behavioral problems. Caring for your pet is essential before training can begin. Providing the proper diet for your parrot has changed greatly over the years. Early on in the pet trade parrots were fed solely a seed diet. It is now known that seeds diets are inadequate and need to be supplemented. Use seeds sparingly if at all and replace with a manufactured diet and fresh fruits and vegetables.Variety is very important in keeping a parrot healthy. Exploration outside of the cage should be encouraged with supervision to satisfy their normal curiosity. The bird learns to not be afraid of new things and learns important skills by being exposed to a variety of new things. Exploring should only include those areas of the home that you choose and are safe and use parrot training to introduce new things into its surroundings to help prevent boredom.

I am interested when I get older in buying a macaw… But I am not sure which one I want, a military, scarlet, or blue and gold. I want to know roughly how much they cost?

My cockateil started laying eggs. Her and Dad were sitting. Mom laid egg #5 and then died. (Egg Binding problems?) Have Exact to feed and syringe etc. How can I make an Incubator and Brooder or is there another way I can help out Dad? Grandma gave me the birds and she thought they were not a mated pair. Surprise!

Fruit, juices, bread etc.? I have a green cheek conure and he eats his pellet food and some millet spray, seeds etc.

What should I avoid giving him?

I just got a male and female quaker, and would like to breed them. I have experience breeding budgies. The nest box I got seems big enough to hold the parrot, but the hole doesn't seem big enough. The diameter of the hole is 2.5 inches. Any other breeding tips are useful. Thanks.