Quaker Parrots Anyone????

I have a Quaker that I got as a rescue when she was a baby... she is now 11 years old. For about 4 years now, she has looked all disheveled, her feathers looking messed like she just got out of bed! It got a little better 3 years ago when she laid an egg... that's when we found out she was a girl!

I have tried different seed foods, pellets, calcium blocks, calcium/grit but she is very picky! I have now been giving more fresh foods and less seed... she is even picky with those! Recently since giving more fresh foods, she has at least gained some weight but the feathers still look crazy!

She is healthy but just a little under weight according to the vet but I know something is missing... I also recently moved her to a window with more sunlight thinking that might be it.

She is active, no signs of dull feathers, or eyes, no feather pulling, she is very vocal and isn't skiddish or stressed

Any ideas?

Celeste

As for diet etc, have you checked out www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com ? Even if you don't feed the diet (I know they are pricey), it may be worth it to look at their supplements. Try looking at Sunshine Factor...

If you think it's more behavioral, try giving her more interactive toys and puzzles. You don't even have to buy stuff to keep her entertained... This advice is from quakerparrots.com:

- Acquire a significant amount of small willow, fruit tree, or birch branches, preferably green ones. These should be so small in diameter that they are just twigs, but long enough to stick out both sides of the cage. Literally FILL the cage with these twigs stuck through at various angles, so that the bird has to chew its way through them to move around, or at least figure out how to move them. (Note: this technique can sometimes also be helpful for boredom pluckers.) Once he starts chewing on them, he will probably continue to do so if they are made available, even though you are no longer filling up the cage space with them.

Another trick is to fill her bowl with wooden blocks (the tiny kind for toys) or beads. She'll have to work her way through all of them and "forage" for her food.

I hope that helps. I've always been fascinated by birds, and even get to work closely with a friend of mine who has a few rescues, but I haven't taken the plunge on my own yet. I'll need to be a lot more stable with a lot more free time before I do that!

Wow Meghan, I know who to go to if I need help with my old man Scooter. Thanks for the tips, I can use them too!

Hope that info helps Celeste. I know it did me. Pretty cool stuff!

Thank you

Yes, thank you!!! I especially like the tree branch idea! I will also look at the diet you suggested. She is very social and always yelling at the cows and horses now that I have her moved to a brighter window where she can actually see outside so hopefully this will help.

When we lived in our other house, she had the brightest window in the house and never looked like this...so I am hoping its the sun factor. Because she isn't withdrawn or moping or anything like that...and she is not afraid of anything...thanks again!

Let me know how she likes the sticks!

So far so good with the branches! I do think I saw a dirty look though when she realized she had to work to get to her food under the wood blocks!!! LOL She is spending a lot of time chewing the branches so that's good Thanks again!

You're welcome! I'm so happy to hear that they're keeping her busy

thats awesome!!