{"id":11125,"date":"2024-09-01T12:25:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-01T12:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wwbirds.co.za\/dir\/?p=11125"},"modified":"2026-05-03T13:18:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T13:18:14","slug":"quaker-parakeet-mutations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wwbirds.co.za\/dir\/quaker-parakeet-mutations\/","title":{"rendered":"Quaker Parakeet mutations: Breeding and care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quaker Parakeet mutations: Myiopsitta monachus<\/a> – Quakers, or Monk parakeets, are found in a large area of South America, from central Bolivia and the South of Brazil to Argentina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In General<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone knows the smaller, bright green parakeet with the light grey face and breast. Over the breast, there are horizontal cross-stripes. The males and females do not differ in colour from each other. The difference in build is also not enough to tell the sexes apart reliably. Therefore, it is recommended that the birds be surgically sexed. In nature, they build big communal nests from branches in which separate pairs breed. The nests remind one of our own Buffalo Weavers\u2019 nests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many bird breeders have the negative impression that Quakers make a lot of noise. When they are kept in large colonies, they can be noisy. If they are rather kept in pairs in hanging aviaries with solid divisions, it is a totally different story, and no one will complain about the noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quakers weigh between 90 and 135 grams. This large variation came about as a result of the inclusion of different subspecies being bred together over the years. The larger subspecies\u2019 genes are well distributed and through selection we can significantly im\u00adprove the quality of future offspring. The acceptable, general-used, ring size is 6 mm. When working with rather small birds 5.5 mm rings could be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sub-species<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the subspecies bearing the name Myiopsitta monachus there are three subspe\u00adcies of which two resemble the Myiopsitta monachus, and usually just differ in size. The third subspecies (M.m. luchsi) is completely different from the others. The face and breast are a lot lighter, and the horizon\u00adtal stripes are absent. As far as I know there are none of these birds in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Housing and Breeding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quakers can be kept as pairs in hanging avi\u00adaries or in ground-level cages. They can also be kept in large cages in a colony. The females usually lay five to eight eggs, on which they sit for about twenty-one days. The chicks stay in the nest for about six weeks. Some pairs can make a person despondent because they break their eggs. If that happens you must take the eggs away as they are laid so that they can be hatched in an incubator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I choose rather to make use of foster parents. The eggs that I have to hatch in an incubator I put under the foster parents as soon as the chick begins to peck at the shell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Quakers can be retained and used as foster parents. Red Rump parakeets<\/a> are also very good foster parents for Quakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nest box<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I choose to breed the Quakers in ordinary nest boxes of 20 cm x 20 cm x 45 cm deep. For nest making material I place shavings or wood chips in the bottom of the nest, as for all other parakeets. Palm branches are also offered so the birds can tear strips off the leaves and build nests on top of the shavings \u2013 much like Lovebirds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This stimulates the natural instinct to nest building, but the nest is still accessible for nest inspection. If you provide the rough branches that the birds use naturally, they pack the whole nest with these twigs, which makes nest inspection impossible. For the same reason, I never allow my Quakers to build their natural twig nests in my cages. When breeding mutations it is of utmost importance that the chicks at least be ringed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mutations must be identifiable at all times especially where splits are involved. When Quakers are bred in a colony and there are mutations involved, the construction must be such that the breeder is always sure how the offspring split. In such a colony it is recommended that the nests are made precisely the same and that they are hung at the same height, as this curbs the fight over nests. Also, place at least twenty-five present more nests in the cage as the number of pairs of birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quaker Parakeet mutations: Feeding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quakers do well on the diet that is normally given to Australian parakeets. This consists of a seed mix of millet<\/a>, canary seed and \u201cmanna\u201d with a small amount of \u201cniger\u201d and linseed added. In the mornings I feed the standard soaked grain mix, to which grated vegetables and fruit are added in a separate bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n