I have a male and a female quaker. I'm wondering how old each one has to be to breed them.?

I don't know too much about Quakers...

But when I bred my 'Tiels, the females would get moody around the breeding period, but afterwards would return to their normal selves.

Of course, I removed the eggs or chicks and hand reared them myself...

I had a LARGE (flight) cage, and set up a nest box that the rear end was hanging out (so i could easily get to the chicks). Be prepared for a LOT of work. Depending on the age in which you remove the chicks... you could have to be feeding them every few hours. And you'd be needing a "brooder" (basically something to keep the chicks warm that ISNOT A HEAT LAMP).

THe male usually stayed with the female tiel, however I did have some iresponsible parents and the male would flake off, leaving his nest duties unattended (which would kill the eggs).

Good luck!

If these are the first Quaker Parakeets you've had, wouldn't it be a good idea to have first hand knowledge about the species (what they like, don't like, illnesses, how to tell what sex they are, etc.) before jumping into something you might regret? In other words, what would be so horrible if you waited a year or so?

Do you have extra cages for the babies and do you know what to feed them?

They need to be at least a year old, or breeding problems will occur. The male needs to stay in the cage to care for the female and babies. Also, it will change the female. She will be meaner, untamable, and moodier.