New Bird Introductions....

[ladyknight]

So, I'm getting a Quaker Parrot within the next couple of weeks. I made the "mistake" of meeting with a breeder about another bird for my Coconut to talk to during the day while my roommate and I are gone, I met a baby Quaker Parrot, and he stole my heart. Thus, he will be joining my flock.

Any ideas on how to introduce the two birds in such a way that neither one gets hurt or upset? Or quarantine ideas for an apartment setting?

Thanks!

[michael]

For quarantine. .. An apartment doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. .. At 40 day duration, separate rooms, separate heating/ventilation, change of clothing, hand washing, are the most basic requirements. .. The only other way to limit exposure in such a closed knit area, is to deal with breeders who offer a "well bird" guarantee. .. They should afterall, maintain vet records to help keep track of the overall health of their flock. .. Don't be afraid to ask for such records, or for the name of the vet who provides their care. .. At the least, they themselves should follow the same quarantine guidelines as WE should, even more so, because many more lives at stake.

Unfortunately, I cannot make many suggestions on a Quaker lovebird introduction. .. If it were me though, the usual ritual would apply where you space their cages across the room, then gradually bring them closer together. .. Final step being a formal intro in an area thats considered "neutral" while armed with a pre tested very nice squirt bottle. .. The rest a matter on how well you can read their body language, vocalizations, followed by a fair dose of parront intuitiveness. .... BTW, Quakers can often become very vocal, and be very loud. ..........:)

[ladyknight]

Thanks for the reply,

Yes, the breeder offers a "well-bird" guarantee. She's a small hobby breeder- just one breeding pair of Quakers. The babies are very well socialized, happy, healthy, etc. I'm fairly confident that the new one is healthy. He came home with me yesterday and seems to be settling in just fine- he ate his veggie mash, accepted some scritches and treats, and promptly went to bed as soon as his cage was covered. I left a TV on for him this morning when I left, hopefully won't be any screaming fits.

I've been getting mixed messages about the appropriateness of a Quaker for an apartment situation. I'm aware of how loud they can be, but was told by several Quaker sources that max volume is generally reserved for yelling to other Quakers, which I don't have. Either way, mine's bought and paid for. Worst case scenario, my lease is up in May and my roomie and I find a house or duplex to rent instead of an apartment.

I do plan on going around to my neighbors with him after he settles in and doing some introductions. I worked well for my lovebird- no one complains about his racket even though the lady across the hall asked how many I had since she was sure the noise coming my my place couldn't possibly be just one bird... I've found that people are more forgiving once they see how cute the little squawkers are.

Also, since my neighbors all work during the day, I'm hoping that any vocalizing during the day isn't going to bother anyone. They're both generally pretty quiet around human bedtimes as well. Coconut is a chatterer more than a screamer- hoping that the new baby is too....