Many states require that the seller have proof as to the hatch date and sale of any parrot. Therefore, it is likely that your Quaker will be banded. Banded, meaning, the bird will have an imprinted metal ankle bracelet on to identify it by breeder and parrot parents. You may be presented with a 'Hatch Certificate' also at the time of purchase. Although these certificates are cute, they do nothing to guarantee the health of the baby, nor should they be confused with a Polyoma certificate.

It is essential that you research your area for a well reputed avian veterinarian before purchasing your parrot. It is probably best to select a vet other than the one the dealer uses, in order to protect yourself. Within a couple of days, your new parrot should be seen by the vet, and take care to quarantine your new bird from other pets at least until this 1st visit. On the first visit, your vet will probably recommend that you remove the leg band, as it is not necessary in the home environment, and merely offers the potential for an injured leg.

Different vets will perform different tests on the initial visit, but it is certain some labarotary work needs to be done. A Grahm's stain will be performed, and many vets like to do fecal and throat cultures along with blood work on the initial visit. A test for Psittacocis (between $45 and $60) will most likely be recommended as this is an all too common disease among birds, especially young birds or those under stress, and is communicable to other birds and humans. Watch your birds eating habits and frequency closely before the visit and discuss this with the veterinarian as well. It is unlikely that your baby Quakers beak or nails will need filing, but sometimes they do. While you're there, ask the vet to show you how to properly "towel" your bird. Toweling is a safe, kind way of restraining your bird in the event of an emergency or extreme aggression.

Also ask your vet to show you what a blood feather looks like. When feathers grow in they are encased in a sheath that offers a blood supply to the new feather. Birds can either bump or break these blood feathers, which will result in rapid blood loss. You must keep a coagulant powder on hand in case of such emergency and should also understand how to pull the feather to stop the bleeding. NEVER trim a blood feather.

Your Quaker will experience its first molt between 4 and 6 months of age. This is an uncomfortable, usually nippy, time for your bird. The Little Green Chicken of yesterday will today look like someone attacked his feathers with a Weed Eater. The neck and head will be covered in little porcupine spines, which are really new pin feathers. In allopreening, birds gently groom the shafts of these new feathers so as to break the casing away. To do this for your bird, simply gently roll the shaft of the grown in new feathers between two of your fingers. If the feather shaft is dry, it will crumble and flake away in your fingertips. If you do this too harshly, your Quaker will be sure to reprimand you. Do not insist when your bird says "Quit!". It is usually more comfortable for the bird to be preened during molting with the feathers damp. Frequent misting is a great idea.

There is an affliction affecting many Quakers now called Quaker Mutilation Syndrome. The cause or causes are not known as of yet, and it is a very difficult disorder to manage. A bird suffering from QMS will pluck its feathers, usually in a specific area, and when they're gone will continue picking until they have mutilated the flesh. The bird then suffers with secondary bacterial infections and funguses, and death can result. At the first sign of plucking you should consult your avian vet. Some plucking is behavioral, and can also be related to many illnesses, such as tumors or liver disease, not QMS. Regardless, the plucked area must be cultured, medicated, and somehow the bird must be prevented from picking further.

Toxic foods are listed on the Feeding page. In case of poisoning, call the avian vet immediately. Signs of poisoning are tremors, seizures, vomiting, blood in stools, listlesness, and sometimes aggression. Many plants and flowers are also poisonous to birds, some do not even need to be ingested to be harmful. Christmas poinsettas are one such plant, do not have them in the house with a parrot. Your vet should have a complete listing of poisonous plants at his or her office.

Birds can carry potentially fatal, infectious diseases for extended periods of time without ever showing the first symptom of being ill, especially to the untrained eye. In order to protect existing birds from possible infection, it is imperative to enforce a minimum of four, preferably six, week quarantine when purchasing a new bird. Since many illnesses are spread in the feather dust, even through central heating and air conditioning systems, it is ideal to quarantine the bird in a totally seperate facility. I realize that this is sometimes impossible, in which case, this strict quarantine must still be enforced until the new birds first vet exam, upon any symptom of illness, and longer if advised professionally. A bird that appears healthy should still see a veterinarian upon purchase and annually, in order to maintain its good health.

Birds have an inherent instinct to hide their symptoms and illnesses. This is part of their survival instinct in the wild, but is actually to their detriment in captivity. Because your bird will attempt to hide any outward signs of illness, it is very important that you do your best to routinely check for subtle health changes. One of the best things you can do is monitor your birds droppings. Quakers on a pellet based diet should have semi-soft brownish colored feces surrounded by creamy white waste from the kidneys, called urates. High seed diets usually produce a dark geen or black looking feces. Urine is usually a clear liquid, although high fruit or vegetable diets may cloud the urine somewhat. The "normal" appearance of your birds droppings will vary somewhat according to what they've eaten lately, and when they have eaten blueberries, yams, etc. you should also expect a temporary color change. Monitoring of the droppings is another reason I advocate the use of newspaper or paper towels in the cage bottom. In this way, it is much easier to get a clear assessment of the quality and quantity of the feces and urine. You should also expect to see changes in the consistency and frequency of droppings in breeder females, babies on hand-feeding formulas, and nervous or stressed birds.

Signs of an ill bird are: loss of appetite, loose stools, staying puffy, listless, dull eyes, feather plucking, and panting. Any unexplained unusual behavior by your bird merits a call to the vets office. Quakers are hardy birds in comparison to some of the smaller birds like Budgies, but should not be exposed to severe heat, prolonged sun exposure, or severe weather.

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