the pet store asked me if I would take a quaker

they are due in tomorrow....

i am the mom of 2 budgies so decision is hard....... I know I can wait if need bee........



just wa s wondering how they would get along......cost caage size toys... etc........
and I would seriously consider what is discussed.........so what ever you say I can take...

Quakers would not get along with budgies.
You would need a faily large cage...20x20 at least.

The Monk Parakeet (Quaker) are very nice little birds, we have 2 here, A green Male named Tanks and a Blue Male named Tucker.
These birds speak very well and learn very very fast, Tanks has a vocabulary un-matched by any of our other birds.
There's a rule of thumb concerning the cage issue, get the biggest cage you can possibly efford, the bigger the better, Make sure the bar spacing meets the needs of the Quaker.
Toys, one can never have enough toys...never, we have a closet full of toys, most we make ourselfs.
Here's some pictures to help you, Now remember, Tanks is my wifes number one bird, so he gets the best of everything, he goes everywhere with her, there relationship is highly remarkable.




Tanks cage is huge, my lovely wife changes all the toys in all our kids cages each week, this keeps there little minds buzy.
The Quaker Parakeet is a very intelegent bird, very protective of there cage, they can be very verbal, this will differ with each bird.
As far as I am concerned the Quaker is the best talker there is but then my wife and Tanks are extremly close so she teaches Tanks new sayings each day.

I've had a different experience than Arty with our 5 quakers... Captain was my first, and he came w/ a 24x24x30 high cage w/ 1 1/4" bar spacing. I replaced that cage w/ the same size w/ smaller bar spacing. He chewed the paint off that cage in a weeks time. "He" moved a midwest cage, the 2200 36x24x52. I needed that cage for another bird, so I ordered the same size, but lower model and he promptly got his head stuck within 5 minutes of being in the cage.
I moved "him" to a 36x28 HQ playtop - not sure of the height, but more than 3 feet. Captain became even more cage aggressive than "he" had been before...
it took 2 people to change food/water dishes..Dh to distract him and me to change, and most days I got bit. We tried the same size cage in a victorian top that was much taller - cage aggression got even worse.
Captain is now in a triple stack - so her cage is 36x24 and maybe 24 inches tall. Cage aggression is ZERO now, unless she is laying eggs.
I found the same thing with 2 of our other quakers - the taller the cage, the more aggressive they became. And it's not the "height dominance" thing, because Captain and Zipper are both well over my head in their cages - both in the tops of triple stacks. My experience is it's the overall height of the cage.. Goofy, I know. I was dumbfounded at the difference in my birds...

If I only had one or two quakers, I'd buy a 64x21 flight..they are not tall, but long. I'm sure captain would snap the bars on one of those in 30 seconds...but both she and zipper have always been bar chewers. That's part of the reason captain went from cage to cage - she kept eating the paint off the bars. She's not chewed any paint off the latest cage, and it's been about a year... The other 3 quakers don't chew the bars, and would be fine w/ the thin wire and bar spacing.

Keep in mind my quakers are flighted and allowed several hours of out of cage fly around the house time....

wendy

I do appreciate all your feed back...... It was something that I thought I would like to get into. but mulling over everything that has been said. I believe I will stick with the budgies and possibily a tiel later.. until I am more familiar with all the different birds. oh as much as I would like one I belive it is with best interest that I stay with my budgies........ and learn learn learn...

thanks again all.... fo r your comments......... not one swayed. it was a majority of all replies that I mulled over

If you buy from a Pet Shop then "there maybe problems" when it comes to any Parrot.
Tanks was a very young bird, He was allowed to fly freely within the home, he had no cage, just a play top with a hut hung onto the perch.
Tanks would not allow anyone to touch him, he favored the Family dog, well the dog was run over while allowed to run freely, after the loss of the Dog Tanks favored a little 3 year old girl, only this little 3 year old girl was allowed to touch Tanks.
When we saw Tanks being advertized for sale we went to see him, He would fly all over the house, finally the Parent asked her little daughter to pick Tanks up so my wife and I could hold him, well Tanks bit my wife in the face and also bit me on the hand, both drew blood, my wife said "we'll take him".
Free flight is (power) in my many many years in the exotic world, many exotic owners report (this power) when allowing there birds freeflight.
It is well know that BIRD MILLS and let me define BIRD MILLS these are facilities that mass produce many different species of exotic parrots to supply pet shops.
They do not wien properly, they do not hand tame properly, they are in the exotic buisness for the mighty DOLLAR and what happens, humane societies fill, Rescue Facilities Fill with unwanted birds.
Tanks was wild, his humans allowed Tanks to be wild, and what happened, the humans failed to control there Quaker and soon enough Tanks was discarded, out the door he went, no longer wanted....
Soooooo heres my advice, find a local PRIVATE BREEDER, these Breeder's care about there birds FIRST, they love there birds FIRST, they screen there buyers back ground before allowing any of there birds to go out the door, and with all cases there are also Private breeders that (taint) the breeding world so check into the Breeder before buying from them, but avoid the pet shops..
Tanks wings were clipped, Tanks was provided the best cage money can buy, then the hardest part, Tanks was tamed and today Tanks is a well manored little Quaker, he and the wife go to Expos, Fairs, where Tanks shows off just how well manored he is.
The Quaker Parakeet is a very charming little Parrot, if you trully want to bring one of these little GEMS into your world I can set you up with a very REPUTABLE BREEDER, this breeder spends valued time with all his baby's and you will get a very Tamed little Quaker Parakeet, But remember, keeping any Parrot as a pet requires Commitment, Kind caring Commitment.
LIFE LONG COMMITMENT.
Our birds (all our birds) are allowed out of cage time each and everyday, there flights are clipped to allow flight but never POWER....
Here's Tanks today, A very kind gentle loving little Quaker Parakeet.
THE MINNESOTA COMPANION BIRDS ASOCIATION PET EXPO

THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR

All Exotic Parrots are Powerful birds, but only as powerful as there owners allow them to be.
I want to make this clear, even within the PETSHOP world there are differences, PetCo/Petsmart/etc type petshops do not care about there birds, just the SELL.
MOM & POP petshops spend time with there birds (most do anyway) and it shines within the birds they sell....
BE BIRD SMART when thinking about adding a member to your family, your already on the right track, your a member of ParrotChatter....read, ask questions, ask for advice from those that have tried all there is to try.
Please follow this rule of thumb.
All Exotic Parrots are Powerful birds, but only as powerful as there owners allow them to be.
Good Luck and if you want me to help you find the perfect Quaker, just let me know.

Here's the new member of our Family "Tucker", Tucker was shipped to us from a Reputable BREEDER in Florida.
Tucker is the most loving little Blue Quaker.


Tuckers wings are clipped (for now), Tucker came to us completely Tamed, however keeping Tucker tamed requires (loving attention) each and everyday.
As our relationship grows so will Tuckers flight feathers and his (POWER).
To learn more about (POWER) please visit the "Behavior Forum" here on ParrotChatter and read the many (experiences) of our many members.
The Quaker Parakeet is a wonderful little Parrot that can be taught so many things, there verbal capabilities are just as great as the big parrots, again this is all up to the owner not the bird.
Time for boasting "You can see Tucker on the ParrotChatter Banner"