For any of you out there who have blue and green QPs..... My neighbor breeds both and she tells potential customers that the blue variety is much friendlier and not as aggressive as the greens. I was just curious as to wether this is true or not. I think its just a selling gimick as she sells blues for $200 more than greens. What do ya think?
Steph and Pocka

I'll go with the gimmick - sense blues ar emore expensive, they're the better ones to sell off with the whole 'friendlier' bit. I think what friendliness comes down to is how much the bird is socialized. But, I don't have two different colored QPs Just my one beautiful green

Im gonna have to agree on the gimmick too. Heather

i have to agree, it depends on the socialization on the bird, i love the blues but id never trade my green qp for anything

I have to agree I don't think the blues are more friendly, If anything I think that a lot (NOT ALL) blues are more hyper and skitzoid...LOL...Very flighty. The reason she sell the blue for $200 more than greens is because they are more rare than the normal greens.

The blue ones were derived from very close line breeding and in some cases inbreeding. When ever you breed animals that closely related you always have some compromise, and some times personality/brains....

Don't get me wrong, there are some pretty skitzoid green ones too but I've seen and dealt with a lot more overly flighty/skitzoid blues than Greens.

hey guys....you are scaring me. I just lost Marley and now I am waiting for my blue QP to get hatched. Should I forget about getting him? I can't go through another problem bird and loss....ie:featherpicking and mutiliation.

My parrotlet and parakeet don't do that.

Any suggestions...the breeder that I am getting my next bird from is Cheri at Feathered Cuties.

Thanks,
Joni

My friend has a blue one and she says it is the quietest and best qp she has ever owned. I wouldnt be afraid. I think it is an individual thing..green or blue.. id get a blue one if i were getting one.

Ok .. all of these are generalizations based on each individual experience.

I have a an ice blue and a green.... now my two come from very different backgrounds - but I will break down their personalities for you (remember this is JUST from my experience - each bird is different -and I think a lot of Lily and Saphirra's personality differences have to do w/ from a breeder vs a neglected rescue):


Green - Lily - was a rescue:

A one person bird
Not afraid of anything really
quite nippy
has drawn blood on almost everyone at some point
has had: liver disease, multiple bacterial infections, seizures, and now they just found out she has an enlarged heart
Is a feather picker
Loves love - but on her VERY own terms
gets really jealous easily
was obviously a lot sweeter when she was a baby
highly intelligent
Age: 3

Ice Blue - Saphirra - from a breeder (now she is an ice blue - not a blue):

Everyone can hold her
She is VERY flighty - when she was a baby she cracked open her beak multiple times falling
Afraid of everything - and I mean EVERYTHING
LOVES to cuddle
LOVES kisses
IS very sensitive to her surroundings and her feelings
A little more air headed then Lily
has only drawn blood ONCE
When she was young had bacterial infections all the time (vet said she had a low immune system)
after her first birthday she has stayed completely healthy (vet said she just needed to get to adulthood and she should be fine)
As sweet as they come - you can literally lay her on her back and cuddle her and she will make cooing sounds
Age: Will be 2 in three months


They both are my babies - and yes Lily is quite a challenge financially and mentally but she is my heart and soul - I wouldn't trade her for anything sweeter; her feisty personality makes her who she is. Saphirra makes us laugh everyday at her little sounds and air headed antics - you just want to eat her up because she is so cute... they are just like people - you never know what you are going to get - I think blue or green you have the potential for all the pros and cons I listed above.

There's no need to be scared Jo. Cheri has nice birds from what I've been told. But each bird is different. It depends on how they were handled from the time they were taken from the parent birds and how well they are socialized during hand feeding etc. As you know, birds are as different and unique as we humans. As I said in my earlier post, There are good ones and not so good ones in every color. But its been MY experience that a lot of blues are more high strung but NOT ALL are.

"Skitzoid" is just a term I use for high strung more flighty birds.

With lots of socialization you can work through a lot of that...

I'd suggest that you contact Cheri personally, Have her if she can send you a video of her birds so you can see for yourself.
I have a feeling Cheri handles her birds a lot and gets them used to human contact etc.

I know every breeder is different and the amount of time they spend with socializing can vary greatly. There is a BIG difference between Hand fed and hand fed and tamed and socialized.

Some breeders will hand feed but not handle the birds any longer than it takes to syringe the baby formula into the crop. Where as other breeders will sit and play with the babies and get them used to being handled and play with them. Introduce them to toys and different foods etc.

I know myself as well as Andie handle the birds and talk and play with them before during and after they are fed. We try to introduce them to as many situations as we can, having other people handle them and talk to them etc. I'm sure Cheri probably does similar things.

Email her and find out.

I haven't had a green but the blue I have fits all of the "normal" quaker behaviors. I have not had any infection or other problems - he is very healthy, never had any problems. he is actually from the same breeder that Katrina got her ice blue from.

I think it is all in how they are handled and socialized.

Get the blue and post lots of pictures.

Okay...I do want him with my heart and soul. I know that Cheri is a kind person and loves all of her flock....many animals as well. I write to her all the time.

My new baby would have much love and an interesting life. I guess that I am still a bit skittish on this point. Sorry.

Thanks guys..by the way, what does an ice blue look like?

Joni

My niece has a blue one and a green one and the blue one is more receptive to the kids and sweeter. not becaus I think blues are less hyper, but because I think each bird is an individual and like Andi, said, it's how they're raised.
tikileahsmom

Are you getting one from Sheri Conrath? She raises great birds!!! I want to clarify for some folks that an "ICE BLUE" is another name for Pallid Blue quaker. They are a weaker genetic mutation. Does that mean they are un healthy or tempermentally deficiant...no, not really. It all depends on the breeding behind the bird...not the physical appearance. There are breeders who have inbred the greens too...so it really is a craps shoot. But if you're getting one from Sheri, you're getting a WONDERFUL bird!!! No matter what color!!!

I would guess it is a gimmick to sell the blue babies which are more expensive ..

Otherwise I would ask the breeder to explain the genetics of how a colour trait can be related to a personality trait when discussing recessive genes for colour mutations.

I think that behaviours such as aggression are more likely as a result of traits being passed on from the breeders (blue or green), poor weening or bad experiences .. If her babies are all weened the same and she claims the green babies are more aggressive then the blue babies then I would wonder why she continues to breed the pair that produce aggressive babies ..

If her statement is in general it could be solely because there are more green quakers then blue quakers so the higher population would have more behaviours issues ...

Andie is really good at this recessive mutation stuff .. maybe she can clear it up for us!

I am getting one from Feathered Cuties and Cheri is great...I don't know her last name but she lives in the Miami area. I can't wait. They were to be hatched this past week but she is on vacation so I don't know yet they are hatched.

Thanks....Joni

How many diff shades of blue are there? and which is the darker or brighter blue,,whichever adjective to say.?