Changing Bedtime??

[MysticRealm]

So I get my new bird tomorrow. The breeder says that he generally falls asleep around 7pm. However when he comes to my house my schedule is such that I would have the most time to pay him attention late in the evening (7:30or 8:30 until midnight). How do I go about changing his schedule without making him too tired or cranky?

[linda040899]

Changing his sleep schedule is something that you are going to have to do slowly, probably in 30 minute increments over a period of a couple of weeks. Yours is still very much a baby and young birds get tired very easily. They have so much energy that they go and go and go. Then they crash, if you know what I mean! :)

[MysticRealm]

Thanks for your reply.
How do I tell when he is ready for sleep? The breeder said that he usually went to bed around 7 but his first night here he was still eating at 8:30ish. I thought he would have been extra tired from the stress of the trip, but maybe he also hadn't eaten during the drive so was really hungry or he was too nervous to sleep. I finally put the cover over him when he went up to his snugglie and stayed there a bit longer than before but after I put the cover on I heard him go back down and eat again. I think he did go to bed after that (I fell asleep on the couch).

[linda040899]

Eating will take priority over sleep so you need to make allowances for that. Since the breeder told you he's normally ready to go to sleep at 7 pm (sunset where I live), start there. Sunset to sunrise schedule is natural for birds and I use it myself. If you keep him up later, then make the allowance on the other side and let him sleep 30 minutes or however much time in the morning, if possible.