Anyone with lovebird parrots or quaker parrots

[aaronzclark]

So I have had parakeets off and on for years now and i decided i want to get a bigger bird (parrot like) so i'm having a hard time deciding between lovebird and quaker parrot anyone have any of these ? could you give me some info? which has a worse bite? and also pics. Thanks. BTW i have a chance to get a young lovebird for $25 bucks so i need info fast

 

[anngili]

I haven't owned either, but I do know that you might well want to check with your state fish & game agency about keeping quakers. They've gone feral in a number of places and have become pests. I've heard it's illegal in some locations to even possess one.
I personally like both lovebirds and parrots as well as cockatiels, cockatoos, and (especially) macaws.
Good luck with whichever you get!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I've always wanted a lovebird, but I guess I'm a bit biased as it's illegal to own a quaker here in New Jersey. However, the few love birds I've dealt with have all been sweeties. (At least the male ones. I did deal with one very NASTY female)

I would say go for the young lovebird. As long as you only keep one and you hand tame it, it should remain quite tame.

As for the bite, a lovebird can draw blood, but its nothing that will kill you. It may hurt, but not as bad as a larger macaw or cockatoo...or even like a conure. I would equate the bite as being similiar or possibly a little worse than a cockatiel, but not too bad at all. With birds, your hands get used to being bitten! LOL

Good luck with the bird! Don't forget to check out rescues too. They often have a huge number of unwanted, yet extremely friendly birds looking for new homes.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Agreed, Love Birds when handled properly make wonderfull pets. very loving. be sure to get aDNA male though. the females can be witchy on a good day.
Quakers, ugh I have one and its female, hormonal, snotty bites like a Macaw, screams a blue streak, sometimes even bad potty words, she was a rescue, hates females, and will willingly remove a finger or more if given the chance.

love her dearly but there are days when she should be a feather duster.

 

[Imp]

I've had both years ago. The lovebirds were rescue and not friendly, but they were noisy. (screamed all day long) I had to get rid of them because of the noise, couldn't take it.
I really liked the quaker for the first 6 months or so. Very tame friendly, not so noisy. Then in spring she went hormonal and became a crazed vicious attack bird. I swiftly went from liking her to being afraid to get close to her or even the cage. I couldn't feed her without losing a chunck of flesh. I've heard that is common with them, but really don't know.
So my vote would be handraise your own lovebird(s).

Imp

 

[hammonds]

i have a meyers parrot. she is very sweet and talk real good to

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

Hi, I've had both. I've raised lovebirds and hand fed the babies.

Georgie is a female and is awesome - females that are nice - are NOT the norm. Males are easier going. Georgie is DNA sexed and is a girl. She comes/flies to my shoulder when called. Does not speak English - but does "talk" to me. She is a normal peach faced loved bird with a little bit of yellow on her lower tummy. He best friend, other than me, is a black capped conure...they cuddle, eat together and sleep together. She has access to another female love bird but, likes Libby, the conure better. I would look for a baby that still has a dark beak...that has been hand fed. I would ask that the breeder/seller have the baby DNA sexed. It'll cost a little more - but, it'll be worth it. Female lovebirds, as well as other female parrots & parakeets can become cronic egg layers...this can become a health issue down the line.

I've also had a Quaker Parakeet. Ozzie was male...and not your normal Quaker. Quakers can easily become cage bound...they don't really want to come to you or out of their cage. Or, they guard their cage and become agressive to anyone that attempts to clean the cage or even stand by it. They can also make a lot of noise! I would only recommend having one if you OWN your own home... and not live in an apartment. Ozzie was a really good talker and was always gentle with/to me. I have two sons, both were much younger then...and Ozzie was very good with both of them. Keep in mind however, these kids grew up with a lot of birds...and were not easily bullied by any of the birds. They had a pretty decent understanding of how to care for a bird and how to handle them. Some Quakers do become hormonal. Also, a previous poster is correct - they are illegal in some states and being "watched" in others.

A sexed lovebird might be the best choice for you - even if you have to pay to have it DNA sexed - which BTW is safe. Let us know what you decide. Remember, it's important to have the baby lovebird have black on its beak. Some babies within the "clutch"
(family) have more than others. But they should all have some on each side of their beaks and at the tip. Good Luck & have fun!

 

[onthespot]

I have lovebirds. They are very noisy and they bite hard. If they were not hand raised since the time their eyes opened you will not likely have much luck with having a truly human bonded, tame bird. You might get it to tolerate you but it would be the rare exception that would become friendly, gentle and affectionate if it was raised by the parents.

Have you considered pacific parrotlets? Those are quiet and can be VERY NICE little birds to have. Their closest relative is the Amazon, so it would be a lot like having a great big bird in a little four inch body. They come in a lot of wonderful colors too.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

Green Cheeked Conures and Cockatiels are also nice little birds. I commented on the two birds that the OP asked about. I'm not sure what price the OP was willing to pay.

A single love bird makes noise - ALL birds do - but, not a lot of noise. Not like several birds would.

I raised parrotlets as well, yes, they can be very nice pets. Some are very prone to feather picking and they can be hormonal too...all birds can. There are pros and cons involved with every breed.

It's always good to do research and that's what this is all about.

 

[Karrie13]

I haven’t had any love birds but have had a Quaker. He was hand raised by me since he wasn’t but a couple weeks old when I got him. For the first 6 or 8 months he was fine, I could pick him up and take him out of his cage, let him walk around the house or sit on my shoulder. Then one day he changed… You couldn’t get near his cage because he would go out of his way to bite you. Feeding, watering, and cleaning his cage became a major chore trying to dodge that beak of his. You had to set the cage on the floor and open the door to wait on him to decide he wanted to get out before you cleaned the cage. He would go postal if you moved anything in there during your cleaning. He was just a little terror. He chased me around one day and bit my toe, enough for it to turn black and blue. I had thought that hand raising one would make them bond with you, but it didn’t work in my case. My kids got bit numerous times so I decided to rehome him. The place he went to he had a whole room to himself and didn’t have to be in a cage anymore. I heard that he liked the lady but HATED her boyfriend. Anyway, one good thing about the Quaker is they can talk and seem to learn it pretty easily… sometimes what you don’t want them to learn.

Mine said several words, mimicked sounds (like the dogs barking), and he was just cute.

I keep referring to him as a he but I don’t know for sure if he was a he or not. It just suited him.