cage covering/sleeping question

[LovelySydney]

I choose to cover Oliver at night. We stay up later than he does and although he is in another room, I feel better knowing he has complete darkness & can sleep easier regardless of what we are doing.


My question is how do I go about doing this the right way? Should I wait until he is asleep to cover the cage? I have been covering it gradually over about an hours time so that I am not just thrusting him into darkness but I want to make sure this is right. I do not want to startle him with the cover or force him to go to sleep at a certain time. I can tell though when he is getting tired and know that around 9pm he is winding down. Tonight I left the cover off until 10pm and then put it on, after Olly was already asleep.



Any suggestions with this??:confused:

[dieflying]

I guess it depends on the bird, but I don't think it really matters if it just gets dark. If he's tired and you cover him, he'll go to sleep. If he's not ready to sleep yet, covering him will get him to wind down. He might still move around, but pretty quick they'll go to bed.

[linda040899]

This is a matter of personal preference and you will need to take your cues from Oliver. I've had birds in the past that insisted on being covered in order to go to sleep. I have birds now that don't like being covered at all. If what you are doing is working, I would continue the routine. :)

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

i try to keep a routine to when sunny gets covered.... with summer arriving here, the sun sets later & gets up earlier.... she gets uncovered before hubby and i leave for work at 5:15am.... and she's put to bed around 8... i usually start dimming the lights around her cage an hour before that... we stay up later, but she's pretty quiet unless we get too loud. i know she naps a lot during the day.

[Pips mom]

My cages get covered for Ivy and Pip as soon as they are tucked in for the night. I don't think either of them would go to sleep without me covering them first. After I cover Pip I can hear the beak grinding, and he won't settle down most nights until after he's covered. My tiels I cover, but for the most part they will sleep fine without being covered.......I only cover them so when morning comes it will stay darker longer, otherwise they'd probably do fine without covering. They actually usually go to sleep before I cover them. Definitely it's something where each bird is different, so you have to figure out what works best for him.

[momo]

Elmo and I have a small routine.. I take her to her sleep spot.. and get her to go in her happy hut and cover her up.. she keeps playing if she isn't sleepy.. but normally she is and goes to sleep.. she knows what being covered up means.

I know if I move around her when shes asleep it'll wake her up.. hence why I cover first.

[LovelySydney]

thanks for the responses - I just feel like he doesn't get enough sleep. It doesn't help that Im paranoid. It got almost down to freezing here last night so at about midnight I went and moved his cage (Im scared of drafts) & of course nearly dropped the thing and water went everywhere. I could just feel Olly looking at me like "really? you HAD to move me?" LOL. Right now the routine seems to be 9pm bed time and 10pm cage cover, then awake at around 8am. I just want him to be rested!!! (is this nervous mom syndrome or what!!)

[momo]

One thing i always need to be mindful with elmo is.. because has similar sleep times to you. if I don't make sure every bit of her cage is covered she will wake up when light comes through. I found that darker materials are better because it blocks out all the light better. I also put her cage inbetween two book cabinets and up against a wall so I know that there is no way light is going to come in.

Maybe you should sort out a place where you are going to perm put him.. cause if i was your fid and you woke me up.. i wouldn't be too happy hahahaha. elmo makes this horrible frog sound when I wake her up..

[thebubbleking]

I only cover the sun conures because my neighbours would go crazy if they screeched at sunrise lol, all my fids sleep uncovered but for noise prevention i cover the s'cs cage.
That being said i have heard they have to be covered and it needs to be quiet but in nature theres moonlight etc and night noises like crickets frogs thunder etc
So i think it is more a personal preferance, unless your a heavy metal music player who likes to practice early and late lol.
Pohaku my tiel hears the birds outside and starts to sing and that wakes the flock but my sun conures know if they are quiet i give them thier morning almonds so if i dont sleep in they stay quiet till i remove the cover from thier cage.

[dani]

I agree, it's birdy preference! All mine like to be covered because my doggies get pretty loud at night, and I don't go to bed that early :lol. Haku and Evie are covered by 7pm and fall asleep like clockwork, but my blue and gold monsters stay up till 9 or 10 whether I like it or not. In the morning they usually stay quiet till I uncover them, unless they hear someone moving around or they suspect there's food to be had.

[FuzzyAga]

I like to cover my fids at bedtime because after a while, as much as I love them, I need a break from being constantly stared at by black shoebutton eyes. And I do love them! It's just me--private in some ways.

My fids are familiar with the rythym of this household and the cycle of the sun, so around 6:00 PM, give or take 15 minutes, they go into their cage. Once they do, I put in a fresh bowl of seeds, and close the door. I tell them, "Ready for bed?" in a sing-song voice. They fluff and chirp in unison. (They're ready.) I repeat "Ready for bed?" as I reach for their white canvas cover. (They see this action.) They chirp again. I lilt out, "Good-night!" as I drape the cover over their cage. A final tug of adjustment, another "Good-night!" and I hear them beak-grinding. I know Petey doesn't always go to sleep immediately, but most nights he's asleep by 7:00 PM.

They're awake by 6:00 AM, making soft little peeps, and they get uncovered by 6:40 AM. Their routine in the morning is, "Good-morning!" as I'm coming down the stairs and another "Good-morning!" as I uncover them.

Routine makes our lives easier. :)

[momo]

that's so adorable fuzzy!!!

When I put elmo to bed, I take her to the special spot and say good night princess.. but last night she yelled and screamed at me.. hahaha. Mind you it was an hour past her bed time.. so I think she was over tired.

Normally she makes this grunting/fart noise when I say good night to her. Quite amusing.

[Enko_chan]

All of my birds were raised with no covering, but like yourself, we stay up later than the birds. Still, NONE of them like to be covered completely. We cover the top and sides (the sides of both cages face toward the main lighting/windows in both rooms, so it works out perfectly, giving adequate darkness to their sleeping area, while allowing them some comfort-lighting and view of the room should they want it. This seems to be a comfortable compromise for us!

[FuzzyAga]

Awww. They have such endearing ways. Elmo makes interesting sounds, I think.:)

Could she be mimicking something back at you? :) If you think about it, maybe you can recognize the sound. Could she be saying, " Good?" or "night?" or "P'cess?" When Petey says, "Good!" it sounds like a short, buzzing grunt. But I know what he's saying. :) He says it when he's eating, which is the only context in which I say it to him.

[LovelySydney]

Oliver definitely knows when its night time. He gets on top of one of his toys around quarter to 9 and puffs up (adorable!) and then I come in and say "going night night?" about a million times and then cover the cage. Once the cage is covered he starts getting vocal for about 2 minutes, I think thats his way of telling me (his flock) that its time to go to bed!! I feel better covering him because he DOES go to bed at 9am and we dont go to bed till roughly 11:30pm-midnight so I would feel bad if he wasn't getting his sleep.

[momo]

Awww. They have such endearing ways. Elmo makes interesting sounds, I think.:)

Could she be mimicking something back at you? :) If you think about it, maybe you can recognize the sound. Could she be saying, " Good?" or "night?" or "P'cess?" When Petey says, "Good!" it sounds like a short, buzzing grunt. But I know what he's saying. :) He says it when he's eating, which is the only context in which I say it to him.


She does mimic the tone that I speak in sometimes. She can does the tones bed time. When I put my face against her cage to say good night to her she will make the sound.. but lately she's been making this grunting/fart noise.. given that I do laugh my head off so I am reinforcing the sound. But I will blame my boyfriend.. she copied the sound off him.. :whistle:

[FuzzyAga]

No, no, momo, you don't laugh with a grunting/fart sound! It's definitely the boyfriend! LOL

Juanita imitates my giggle, which, from her, comes out sounding like a warble. It's a cute sound. She picked up the sound because I would giggle briefly after I kiss the top of her beak. (I can't help it--I hafta kiss her!) I'm always surprised I have two lips after I do this, although, she's nailed me a few times. Now, I know you're curious--yes, bites on the lips hurt. :)

[momo]

But the farting and grunting sound is hilarriouss!!!...

Thats cute that Juanita copies your giggle!!.. you will have to record it!
Sometimes I think I hear elmo say Thank You.. cause normally if she drops her toy and I pick it up.. I say.. Thank you.. and this morning I thought I heard the tones.. or I am just going insane.

I LOVE BEAK KISSES!!.. I nearly got a lip ring one day..it was kind of embarassing telling people.. on this on my lip.. the giant cut.. yeah my bird did that..

but she's all good now. She will come to my face.. run up my arm for a beak kisses.. Actually beak kisses started at bed time.. I would make kissy sounds to her and she'd put her beak through the bars and I'd kiss it.

[FuzzyAga]

It's so cute and sweet that Elmo comes to you for kisses. :)

I have to ask for mine; sometimes she'll indicate by turning away that she doesn't want a kiss. But if I wait a few minutes and ask again, usually, she'll sit still for one.

[Pips mom]

No, no, momo, you don't laugh with a grunting/fart sound! It's definitely the boyfriend! LOL

Juanita imitates my giggle, which, from her, comes out sounding like a warble. It's a cute sound. She picked up the sound because I would giggle briefly after I kiss the top of her beak. (I can't help it--I hafta kiss her!) I'm always surprised I have two lips after I do this, although, she's nailed me a few times. Now, I know you're curious--yes, bites on the lips hurt. :)

This I also know quite well! I've gotten biten on the lip too! No kisses allowed for pip! Also.....Pip makes a cute little grunting sound too.....he's always made this sound and it's a happy sound! he bobs his head when he does it, and he always does it at night when getting ready to turn in for the night.

[Enko_chan]

hehe. Benny P'let asks me for kisses: "Kisseees?", Says "Love you!", makes kissing noises, and kisses my lips...

and today he got carried away and gave me a bloody lip. Ouch!

[momo]

Omg I got a blood lip today too!! I knew that Elmo was after my skin to chew but I tried to over power her with my lips.. but she made me blleeeddd...