Before anyone purchases a pet bird, there are certain obvious signs of good health and positive behavior that should be present. This page briefly summarizes these general "Rules of Thumb", but also looks more specifically at the important factors relevant to the specific purchase of a Quaker Parrot.
| First, let me begin by saying that in order to be truly protected from both the financial and emotional devestation of bringing home an ill or ill mannered parrot, one must make the purchase from a reputable breeder or dealer, preferably one with whom you have an established relationship prior to the Big Event. Several of the Quaker Links mentioned in this site will put you in touch with Quaker owners all over the country, and they are perhaps your greatest resource for breeder contacts. It is also important for the purchaser to understand that a price that sounds too good to be true probably is. In areas of the country where Quakers exist in the wild (Feral Quakers) there are capturers who raid the wild nests of young babies and then handfeed them and sell them in the pet market. Unfortunately, many of the people who do this do not put the babies through the proper quarantine, testing, or vaccination process necessary for wild birds. Certainly these babies, when hand-fed and well socialized, can be every bit as wonderful of a companion as their domestically bred counterparts, IF, and only if, the proper health precautions are taken. Buying an unchecked, or non guaranteed bird is setting yourself up for disaster! The extra few dollars it will cost you initially to purchase from an expert will reward you tenfold in the future. | A baby Quaker is a site to behold. They are all precious, somewhat irresistible, and among the most affordable of our feathered friends. Because domestic, hand-fed babies are relatively inexpensive, readily available, and very tamable, I suggest that those considering their first Quaker purchase go this route. There are many excellent mature companion Quakers available for purchase and even adoption out there, but unless you are fully aware of the birds social history, I suggest that the older parrot be left for someone with experience in corrective behavior modification, in case the need arises. | 
Quakers, or as they are also called Monk Parrots,
are most commonly seen in the Green variety, although there are both Blue and Yellow (Lutino)
mutations available, at a signifigantly higher price. Quaker prices currently are ranging from about $125.00
to $200.00 for Green, hand-fed babies. There are no proven behavioral differences between the two sexes in the companion Quaker,
and there are also no distinguishable differences visually between the males and females. Unless
you are planning upon breeding your parrot upon maturity, sexing is not necessary, and can only be completed
through a blood sample, best obtained by your Avian Vet, at a cost of about $60.00.
|
MAIN PAGE
© contained in Quaker Quarters Copyright Kyra Brown 1998