With the emergence of hand fed babies over the past three decades, the aviculturist or nursery caretaker has focused on nutritional and physical health only. Unfortunately, the lessons that would be considered behavior related or under the responsibility of the new caretaker come too late in the developmental potential of the young parrot chick.  These lessons should be taught at this very limited, yet inquisitive stage that begins with the emergence of feathers.

To insure a fledgling’s success as he transfers from the nest box to his life as a companion or pet, he must learn weaning, grooming, independence, plus other  valuable lessons that will help him to be a companion parrot. It’s critical for their success. And, as mentioned before, the HARI Weaning for success philosophy in raising the Quakers is applied to all species of Psittacines raised for companion lifestyle at HARI.

Before we get to the next lesson, it might be helpful for the human caretaker to take a moment to view a foreshadowing of future lessons. Take a look at the Primary  Lessons  Check List used at HARI.

And, if you’re still not sure how critical this aspect of raising a parrot chick is, we invite you to also check out the Episode #49 of Wing N Things at Pet Life Radio. HARI facility manager, Josee Bermingham, explains the Theory and Philosophy of HARI’s “Seizing the Moment” with Avian Enrichment Specialist, Robin Shewokis.

In addition to learning to eat a nutritious diet, further lessons include towel training, basic commands such as “step up and step down”-particularly useful in daily weighing on scales adapted with perches. Quaker fledglings learn to enjoy daily misting, flight harness introduction, independent foraging and more.

Why? The moment to offer guidance to these Quaker chicks begins with the pre-fledgling stage and the Nursery caretaker must take advantage of this limited to time span as the chick grows physically and mentally. If baby parrots are started on these life skills at an early age, they will transition into companion lifestyle with greater success.  This is good for the future human companion and excellent for the Quaker!

Let’s start with the Towel Training:

Towel training is simply getting the Quaker accustomed to the touch of a towel-which perpetuates into further life lessons.   The towel is introduced at an early stage for HARI Quaker chicks, usually at the Early Pin Feather Stage.  A warm wet towel can be applied to a pre-fledgling during the emergence of back and wing feathers.  This exercise in desensitizing the chick with the touch of the towel softens the feather shaft to soften the emerging feathers and promote easier preening, a skill that is traditionally taught by the parent bird. This soothing ritual will gradually be replaced with a dry towel as the chick ages. This can also be viewed upon as towel cradling.

At this same stage in weaning, Quakers chicks are introduced to the flight harness. Daily inspection of the chick’s body and preening session can be combined with the placement of the harness despite the fact it serves no purpose at this age as the chicks are not yet flighted.

Nutritional guidance coincides with each life lesson as the nursery caretaker nurtures the pre-fledgling with soft praises and simultaneously offers Tropican High Performance to the chicks while introducing new skills.

Weight

Monitoring the weight of youngsters in the weaning process is a very important tool in determining weaning success. Quaker fledglings should be weighed daily until you are confident that they have successfully weaned. The weight monitoring can then be done every second day. Most baby parrot species should have a 10% daily weight gain until they reach a “plateau-level stage” which usually coincides with the emergence of the pin feathers. Once the “plateau” is reached the chick will usually maintain his weight or lose a few grams from then throughout the end of the weaning stage. The allowable weight loss should be no more than 10% of the “plateau” weight by the end of the weaning process. It is critical to be especially attentive to the weight loss, as too much loss can be indication of unintentional starvation weaning.

Introduction to the Weaning Stages

Syringe feeding continues as spoon-feeding is introduced. At this point the fledgling’s crop has reached its maximum potential and will now decrease in size.

Quaker chicks are syringe fed exclusively with the Tropican Hand Feeding Formula until approximately 5 weeks of age.  At this time gradual introduction of soaked Tropican High Peformance Granules will start to replace the hand feeding formula, spoon fed a few times a day with a following small quantity of syringe fed hand feeding formula. Abundance weaning is recommended; chicks thrive best when syringe fed prior to spoon-feeding of the soaked, warm weaning granules. A chick will regress if it is too hungry, or fed a diet lacking in the optimum fat content. A record of each chick’s progress is monitored by nursery technicians and noted in the Weaning Chart

Pre-fledglings will become increasingly inquisitive nearing their fifth week of age. It is most important to take advantage of this very narrow window of opportunity of curiosity when the pre-fledgling is starting to mnove around and explore the nest substrate to offer a a small bowl of dry Tropican High Performance Granules in their baby pens. As the pre-fledgling is not agile enough to allow climbing or perching, food must be placed in a stable dish on the nest substrate. (note: substrate should never be corncob granules as these are easily ingested and are a playground for yeast infection). Pre-fledglings at this stage should be spending most of their time sleeping, nibbling on dry granules or preening other clutch mates. There should be no toys to distract them from the essentials. The chick pet is covered with blanket top and 3 sides to encourage exploration within the cage.

It is important for the young chicks to start digesting more solid food to prevent the GI tract from becoming lazy. Soaked granules enhance the tonus and motility of the young bird’s crop and should ideally be of the same formulation as the hand feeding diet at this age, a high performance formula.

Weaning Cage Food Set Up

The Weaning Cage only contains Tropican and occasional spray millet to encourage limited independent foraging. The importance of stimulating their young minds at this age must not be overshadowed. Fledglings that are offered over stimulation in the way toys, excessive foods, lose their focus on weaning which can lead to dietary problems in their future. Many nursery caregivers often make the mistake of offering an assortment of foods that do not meet the fledgling’s still developing needs. There is plenty of time after the fledgling has weaned and learned to eat a nutritiously sound diet to then experiment and try other foods such as fruits and vegetables.

We recommend that all feedings be done in the weaning cages, as this will facilitate the successful weaning process. Young birds must understand that food comes from within the cage.

Who can resist the robust, “big parrot-trapped in a small body” personality of a Quaker? Also known as monk parakeets, Quakers are one of the most popular parrot species for companion lifestyle.

While the HARI flock includes many parrot species, the collection includes this ever popular companion species, the Quaker parakeet. HARI Staff  explains the “HARI way” on weaning and educating the owner so they are well adjusted for companion bird lifestyle.

Quakers: Weaning for Success

At HARI, Quaker chicks are typically pulled from the nest at 2-3 weeks of age. A Chick Information File and Chick Growth Chart is set up for each baby. Health is assessed with a physical exam, initial weight monitoring, and logged into the chick’s file. And, it is this critical stage that Quaker chicks begin their “education” process!  In the next coming weeks, the pupils are introduced to many skills such as towel training, technician handling that includes: grooming, observation of choanal papillae, behavior and more.  But, their first lesson, and most critical for long healthy life, is the weaning process.

Initially, fledgling Quakers are housed in a brooder with clutchmates.  To assimilate the sense of security of their nest box, the brooder is kept dark and covered.  They will soon be ready to make a transition to their weaning cage.

Weaning cages should be well thought out with a very specific set up to make the weaning process as easy and as rapidly successful as possible. A weaning cage can also be the Night Cage for fledglings, as both should not have toys, only perches and food. For a nighttime cage, or “sleep cage” we recommend that toys should not be included to avoid hazardous accidents not to be discovered until the morning. Weaning cages, however, should not have toys for entirely different reasons. When fledglings are weaning their inquisitive minds need to be stimulated with food and nothing else as it is too easy for them to be distracted. Instead of toys the cage should contain several food bowls.

You can sometimes add a plastic or cardboard hut to give a hiding place to the Quakers, but this should be used with caution as they may become aggressive when provided with these shelters. We do suggest though that three sides of the cage be covered with blankets or towels during the day, and that all four sides should be covered at night. This will maintain focus and allow for the birds to sleep. Smaller cages are also better for weaning as it will help minimize distractions. We have had failures based on the size of some of the cages we have placed weaning birds into. A cage with too many toys or a variety of foods distracts the fledglings from the main focus of weaning onto a desired nutritional food,   As the birds get older and are maintaining a proper weight they can then go in bigger cages, or Day Cage, where toys and foraging activities are encouraged.

Let’s look in depth at the various quarters mentioned in the HARI & Parrot Life series Versatile Living Quarters and Lifestyle for Your Parrot, a study of how this can benefit a long lasting relationship with your avian companion.

The Weaning-fledgling cage

This cage should be used for the fledgling-weaning age till the juvenile age and can then be converted to a sleeping-retreat and boarding cage. The size of the cage should be relatively small. If you can envision the full size of the bird with full wing- span and multiply this by two-three you should have a reasonable space. Once perched, the tail feathers should not touch the bottom of the cage.

Although you will be tempted to buy a larger “starter cage”, remember that at weaning age the chick can be intimidated by a spacious environment, and so favoring this small , secure and comforting cage size  will prove beneficial to the young fledglings first steps.

Considerations for the installation of the weaning fledgling “starter” cage

This cage should integrate comfortable perches such as rope perches initially installed at lower heights adjusting daily to the fledglings grip, agility & confidence. Simple (straight not twisted) natural branches (of maple or apple) can also be installed in the weaning cage when the chick is more agile. HARI does not recommend a self-grooming perch for the weaning cage. Fledglings have delicate and sensitive feet and exposing them to a grooming perch could cause the early onset of podo-dermatitis (bumblefoot). It is unfortunate that the most favored perch for a young parrot often has non-slipper properties. Initiating your young fledgling to having their nails groomed slightly by a rotary tool is definitely less damaging than having to use a grooming perch for this purpose in the future.

Toys should not be integrated within this cage. Focus will be on weaning and sleeping thus there is no place for toys, with the exception of an acrylic foraging toy perhaps!

Several food bowls are positioned to be easily accessible for the fledgling, as it must learn to wean from what is found within the cage. A full spectrum light can be placed near the weaning cage and exposed a few hours per day.

A snuggly fit cage cover should be used to shelter the young fledgling periodically during the day. Initially, 3 sides of the cage and top should be covered during the gradual stages of adaptation to a new environment. The fledgling cage should be placed in a retreated space in your home ensuring a quite, non-distracting, non-invasive environment.

White or recycled newspaper should be used to liner the cage bottom .This will allow visual monitoring of the droppings, essential when ensuring healthy weaning supervision & assessment of what is truly consumed by the chick.

At this weaning age we recommend the chicks be supplementary fed within the cage and not removed to a counter to be fed. Exaggerated and prolonged begging for supplemental feedings can trigger the onset of screaming and restlessness if the chick associates the feeding with the caretaker and retrieval from the cage. An optimum diet such as Tropican High Performance Weaning Granules should be offered in this cage along with a stainless steel or ceramic water dish.

Considerations for the installation Juvenile-maturity sleeping cage

As your chick matures to a separate day and night cage, the weaning cage will be perfectly suited for a sleeping cage. Undesirable behaviors can be quickly managed, and ultimately modified when a comfortable and secure retreat is offered that promotes undisrupted sleep. The sleeping-retreat cage should not encourage playing activities, as this is a place to relax and wind down. Birds may accidentally get caught up in toys during the night and have less chance of being rescued since they are not under supervision.

Grooming perches are usually favored as a sleeping perch by older birds, yet this type of abrasive perch should not be used for night perching. Rope or a natural perch should be offered in the sleeping cage. Offering strictly an optimum diet such as Tropican within the sleeping cage will again favor the ingestion of the healthiest food early in the morning, no fruits or veggies should be offered in the sleeping cage for risk of spoiling overnight. The cage liner should be white paper changed daily, facilitating visual inspection of the droppings each morning for health monitoring. A cage cover (without holes as birds can get entangled in these during the night!) should be fitted to the sleeping cage. A night lamp can be placed in the room near the sleeping cage to prevent night freights and trashing.

The sleeping cage is usually favored as a boarding age, or weekend escape to the cottage cage! Choosing a cage model that is suitable for your bird and fits easily in your car is ideal!

Spacious day cage

This cage should be 3-4 times the size of the sleeping cage. This one will most probably never fit inside your car! Realistically, a suitable quality day cage can easily cost more than the purchase of the parrot itself and so allowing monthly financing for this purchase while the parrot is still at its fledgling age can help disperse the cost over a longer period of time,  ensuring optimum living quarters for its lifetime. Catalogue selection of the desired model can prevent storage challenges for the stores.

The placement of the day cage should be in a well lighted, enriching part of the house.  Television, radio, aquarium, mirrors, windows, visual interaction with other pets (compatible with your parrot of course!) can contribute to enriching the day cage’s environment. A full spectrum light should be installed in close proximity to optimize its’ beneficial properties.

Foraging activities, destructible and indestructible toys should be offered in the day cage, foot toys in a toy basket along with a foraging box. Perches of various textures and diameters can be placed within and around the cage. A stainless steel or ceramic water bowl, a water bottle as well as different feed bowls can be adapted to the cage. This cage should be functional, esthetic, easy to clean & of safe design and construction as you will be seeing this one everyday in your living space!

A reliable avian flight harness to promote controlled and supervised flight training such as the Aviator harness manufactured by the Parrot University should be one of the first investments made when adopting your bird. Hopefully the aviculturist had the opportunity to harness train your chick as a fledgling!

An avian transporter is recommended and should be used periodically to accustom the bird to the safe environment it offers and prevent stress when traveling to and from the clinic for routine or emergency visits. Socially well adjusted parrots travel, and the more functional the transport cage is the more likely you will be to travel with your bird! The size for the transport cage should be suitable for the size of the particular species. A perch, water & food bowl, special toy and easily cleaned liner or substrate should also be adapted for longer travels. The transporter should not be left on the top shelve of the backyard shed! It should be clean, adapted for emergency transport, accessible and visible by all, ideally placed near the day cage. A transport cage should be available for every bird in your home in case of an emergency evacuation.

Note: it is favorable to have your companion comfortable within the transport cage but caution must be taken to prevent a parrot from accessing his transport cage by itself too often, taking refuge in it as it would at a nesting cavity.

A training stand is primordial to encourage and reinforce education. The dark ages when birds were displayed on training stands with wire domes are far behind us, we hope!  This is the equivalent of the pupil’s school desk, and should not be misconceived as an activity center. This stand should provide a comfortable and stable perch mounted below eye level. Training sessions are most successful when positioned in a neutral zone, sheltered from distraction.  Various models offer a collection tray underneath, two bowls ideally for water as training sessions can use food rewards, offered as positive reinforcements by the trainer.

Exercise activity centre

Parrot caretakers must be creative and intuitive by offering enriching environmental stimuli while providing gratifying and challenging occupational activities. Such activities may include foraging, stimulating exercise, daily misting to promote preening. With a little creativity these activities can all be possible at the exercise activity centre. A Christmas tree stand to support a natural tree trunk with numerous branches (java, manzanita, apple or maple) can be the foundation for the creative activity centre. Vinyl tiles or acrylic floor panels are recommended to allow the possibility of misting and facilitate cleaning, as this is the place to encourage shredding, chewing & foraging activities. Rope nets can also be used as a foundation to hang an activity center from the ceiling.

A reliable scale and adapted scale perch for routine weight monitoring is also part of a versatile lifestyle, your companion should be comfortable and rewarded to visit the scale perch daily!

Outdoor flight or cage

Combining ingenuity, creativity, and the availability of safer materials for flight construction, outdoor living quarters should be an essential habitat provided for all companion parrots if possible. It is recommended to have a double wire protection built around the outdoor flight to prevent the intrusion of predators and prevent our cherished feathered companions from escaping or having their feed contaminated with small mammal excrements. Various adaptations to the cage should include the construction of a sun barrier and rain barrier as excessive exposure to direct sun and severe rain can be a health hazard.

Welcome back to a continuation of HARI  & Parrot Life series Versatile Living Quarters and Lifestyle for Your Parrot, a study of how this can benefit a long lasting relationship with your avian companion.

Improvements in the past 20 years for the care of our feathered companions have been proven beneficial, but have we brought on a new era of problems? Could these factors, additionally to the single cage dwelling’s monotonous lifestyle, be contributing to hormonal overdrive?

• Full spectrum lighting offered in excess, daily & throughout the year…are we overexposing –over stimulating?
• Should the only activity center be located on the single cage dwelling’s play top, mimic once again the area guarded surrounding the nest cavity in the wild?
• Caretakers offering an exhaustive variety of foods referred to as “cafeteria style feeding” can mimic the breeding season in the wild when abundance and variety of foods is increased … should this abundance be offered throughout the year?
• Improved diets can provide excess in caloric energy and optimum nutrients year round compared to the variation of availability seasonally found in the wild. Is this contributing to simulate conditions found during the breeding season? Subsequently, the amount of energy expensed by the birds living in a non-stimulating, unchallenging and monotonous environment can be far less than their daily caloric intake, inevitably contributing to obesity.
• Offering shredding or weaning material in the single dwelling cage potentially contributes to hormonal overdrive, interpreted as preparation of nesting material in the” nest cavity”. Shredding activities should be encouraged at an activity center. Our companions should not be encouraged to mark their cage as they would mark their nesting cavity. Offer novelties, distractions and versatility.
• Captive bred, hand fed, chicks that are overly consumed by the human touch can inadvertently mistake their human caretaker as a mate when they reach adolescence. This prevents the development of a healthy relationship. The human caretaker should be viewed as a mentor or leader of the flock and not misunderstood as a sexual mate. The unfortunate outcome of petting parrots near the lower back, down the tail whilst flaring the vent, exchanging foods with a human mouth, petting the beak are inevitably communicating mating courtship. Once again potentially contributing to hormonal overdrive? Birds should experience companionship, foraging, preening with other birds at an early age.
• Probing deeper into the probable causes of hormonal overdrive … is there a possibility that having the same caregiver bring food to the single cage dwelling routinely mimic the mating season when the male brings food to the nest cavity to feed the brooding hen? Perhaps the cycle should be broken, other members of the family should participate & foraging with flock mates (i.e. at supper time while the family is preparing the meal & eating) should be integrated more frequently in the daily activities of your feathered companion.

Come back for more solutions and explanations!  If you have questions or thoughts, tell us in the comments below!