Alice
Hatchling
Posts: 10 
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Post by Alice on Oct 8, 2015 10:16:34 GMT -5
I have been getting mixed reviews on this topic, is it more of a do what your particular bid likes, kind of thing? Alice will be sleeping in the dining room when she comes home in a few weeks. The breeder said its not necessary to cover her cage at night. However, we do have 3 young, VERY loud, children but they are in bed by 8pm. Would us watching tv late at night bother her or keep her from sleeping? I also leave the house at 5am to go to work, so if her cage isn't covered I would probably wake her up every morning. Also, moving her to a different room to sleep isn't an option since all rooms are occupied. So what do ya'll think I should do for her?
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Post by easttex on Oct 8, 2015 10:36:16 GMT -5
Most parrots inhabit a more tropical environment than most of us live in, and their natural light cycles are closer to 12/12. Generally, experts will recommend that your bird get 10 -12 hours of darkness every night. When she matures, the lengthening daylight hours in spring can ignite the procreation urges, and that is best avoided if possible. I would cover her, especially if you'll be watching tv nearby.
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Post by aaron on Oct 8, 2015 13:05:12 GMT -5
I would agree-- the closer you can get to 10-12 contiguous hours of peaceful darkness for your bird, the better for the bird, and better for you too. We currently carry Cupcake into a sleep room in a sleep cage at night, where she is covered and the door is closed.... but a sleep room isn't necessarily that important. Just try to make the most peaceful and secluded location for her that you can.
Before we made this adjustment, she was sleeping covered in our living room, where we would watch TV at night, and it would certainly impact her sleep. She was a much more skittish and aggressive bird at this point in time. The improved sleep situation had a very positive impact.
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Post by cnyguy on Oct 8, 2015 19:54:49 GMT -5
Most parrots do have an individual preference for cage covers. Ralph likes both sides and the back of his cage fully covered at night, but only the top third of the front. My old Amazon George wanted nearly the whole cage covered, with only a small slit left open at one side. Anything different and he'd refuse to go to sleep. Ralph's cage is in the living room, so that's where he sleeps. He goes to bed fairly early (around 7:30 PM), and I retire to the den to watch TV, work on the computer, listen to music and read, while leaving Ralph in peace.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Oct 9, 2015 1:45:29 GMT -5
Shah likes the cage fully covered except for the front which is half covered. It is important that they get 12 hours sleep as they can be grumpy little beggars if they don't get enough sleep.
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Post by biteybird on Oct 9, 2015 22:17:28 GMT -5
We always cover Bonnie's cage. I believe she settles far more quickly and is less noisy when covered (even if she's still awake). She goes to bed around 7pm and up at 7am.
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Post by julianna on Oct 10, 2015 14:25:52 GMT -5
Yup... each bird is different. Oscar does not get his cage covered because the one in the living room has his huge dark house that he built inside and only the sides have a small covering that stays there all the time. He built a tunnel to crawl through so I know he gets very little light. This cage is for sleeping only and he will eat on top of it.
The second cage in the kitchen is where he plays sometimes. He can access both cages by using the rope and usually he runs back and forth all day following me. I go the kitchen.. he comes there... I go to the living room... he comes there. Steady ALL day long... lol
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