Can Breeder Pairs of Quakers Remain Pets?
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by Heike Ewing Ott Is it possible that a breeding pair of Quaker Parrots will remain friendly as pets? Or will they become too aggressive once paired up with a mate? This is another question that frequently comes up. The following article discusses the possibility of Quaker Parrots being kept as both breeders and pets. |
I would like to know if you think that breeder birds can come out of their cage to play and still breed?
I have not tried this because all of my breeders are fully flighted and it isn't safe to let them out. I don't know if you would get fertile eggs from a clipped pair - normally the male uses his wings for balance during the mating act.
Once they laid eggs, they would have to be confined to the cage until the chicks are pulled (in my opinion), but as long as there are no eggs I don't think it would matter one way or the other. As I said, though, I think your problem is going to be getting fertile eggs out of a clipped male, and if you don't clip him then IMO it's not safe to let him out of the cage.
The other thing that occurs to me is that breeding pairs often become aggressively protective of their "territory". If you extend their territory to being the whole room and not just the cage, you may create a situation where the birds become agitated and aggressive any time anyone (avian or human) enters the room, and that could be dangerous for you and for any other birds that are kept in that room.
Sorry I didn't have a more positive response for you. :(
Note from Shelly: Since this article was originally written, I have found that Quaker pairs are able to successfully produce fertile eggs even if their wings are clipped. In addition, my personal experience with my two pairs suggest that it is unlikely that the females will remain friendly enough to be pets. However, I can still easily handle one of the males. So I think it's possible that a breeding male may remain friendly enough to continue a relationship with its owner, although this seems much less likely for females.
5 Comments on Can Breeder Pairs of Quakers Remain Pets? »
March 16, 2007
Kim @ 3:15 am:
I just wanted to note that I have a quaker pair that are both very sweet during the 'off' season. They are cage aggressive but once you get them away from their cage they are very sweet and affectionate.
May 13, 2009
ELIZABETH MEDINA @ 10:36 am:
i recieve a gift from my neighbor a quaker parrot and i have it for one year now she lay 5 eggs….is it possible she could breed .iam confuse my son tells me thats the stranges thing a quasker after one year with eggs,he told me be careful now he makes me fear.the quaker is agressive everytime i try to feed her.please tell me something should i remove the eggs.?????
June 9, 2009
Liz Connell @ 7:27 pm:
Hmmmmm I guess i'm experimenting this question as we speak.. I have a pair of quakers,The female is very much a pet, was never a caged bird,until about a year ago. The Male was aggresive when i got him. About two months ago they laid 6 eggs and the male pushed them out of the nest. This morning I found the male sitting on a new laid egg.
I'll keep you up to date on whether or not pets can be breeders.
I think it would probably vary, just depending on the bird.
June 11, 2009
jennifer @ 6:07 pm:
ok well I have a quaker which is a female, ive been having her about a year, i got her on my birthday and shes very sweet. she talks alot, she says good girl,be a good girl,look,laughs,gives kisses,and says lucas which is my guineapigs name…lucas died 2 years ago :( she was only 4 years old. Anyways my parrot always trys to mate with me by pulling up her tail and wants me to rub her butt….(disgusting). She biuld her own nest on some space we gave her to play and have fun but then she ends up building a nest. my parrot is very weird she steals bottle caps using them as her eggs….she sits on them and she also gets angry if we take them away but now she lets me touch the caps and trusts me but im just wondering if theirs anything similar that your parrots do like mine? sorry for the spelling im just 13.. :P
June 20, 2009
Jill @ 1:19 pm:
I have a question. Someone referred to a nest, but my Peiko (now Peika)is having her eggs on the bottom of the cage. She's never had eggs and she is 8 years old! She's been with Phoebe (trying to think of a new name for him) her whole life. Why doesn't she make a nest? Is it okay that she hasn't? She's sitting on one of the 3 eggs (one was taken out because it was bitten open otherwise there'd be 4). She also got up from it before and rolled it to the side, now she's sitting on it again. I've never been a bird grandmother!