Quaker parrakeets

Question
Hello I am considering getting a quaker parakeet as a pet but have a few questions...

How big of a cage will I need?

Will it bother my other birds when I let them out(budgies,cockatiel & ring neck dove)?

Will a half pelleted half seed diet with treats & vegtables on the side work for a quaker?

Are handfed newly weaned babys tame & trusting?

Can quakers mimic?

Thank you for any help in advance.

Answer
Hello there,

The Quaker aka Monk Parakeet is a great choice for a new addition to your flock. I just recently added a Green Quaker to my family myself. She's a little gem.

Now cage size really depends on how much space you have, and how much money you're willing to spend. Right now, my little one is in a cage that is about 20"d x 20"w x 30"h.. approximately. Now that's a little small, but it works for her, and its only a weaning cage at the moment since she's still young and I'm handfeeding her myself. Here's a link to the cage I have for her right now:
http://www.hagen.com/canada/english/birds/product.cfm?CAT=8&PROD_ID=080408000101...
I plan to get her a larger cage once she is completely weaned. So you can get something about that size, or bigger. Bar spacing should be about 1" but definitely not any bigger than that. 3/4" is ideal.

As for your other birds, if they are used to each other, they should become accustomed to a new bird in the house fairly easily and not be disturbed by the new addition being let out. As long as you pay the same amount of attention to your current birds. Introduce them slowly, and if they don't get along, just don't let them out at the same time.

Diet for quakers should consist of pellets, fruits, veggies, egg, wheat bread, etc. as well as treats. Seeds should really only be fed as a treat once in a while, not as an everyday thing since Quakers are prone to Fatty Liver Disease. So lean more on the pellets than the seeds.

Handfed babies are generally very tame, depending on the handraiser. Handfed doesn't always mean handtame. You need to find a good breeder who socializes their babies properly, then you will end up with a very tame and trusting baby. I handfed my little one from 2 weeks of age, and she is a cuddly little gem who just wants attention. They're real clowns, and if you get a handfed baby, you won't be disappointed.

Quakers are one of the top talkers!!! So they're pretty good at mimicking speech as well as sounds. Most people that I've talked to with Quakers have pretty talkative birds. Not all Quakers will talk tho, its really individual, but for the most part, they will probably say a few words here and there, perhaps learn to whistle. It just takes time and patience on your part.

I hope I've answered all of your questions fully! If you have anymore questions, please feel free to ask away. I'm glad to help out!

Take care,
Sarah