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Dinner/Sleep Routine

zvezdast

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This question is for those with birds that are in one cage during the day and in a sleep cage at night.

What is your routine with dinner in the evening and then transfer to the sleep cage? Do you:
- feed them in the day cage, let them out for play, and then put them in the sleep cage,
- let them out for play, feed them out of the cage, and then put them in the sleep cage, or
- let them out for play, and then feed them in the sleep cage?

I haven't used a sleep cage before. I am trying to give my lovebird longer sleep hours by removing her from the living room at night. I've been wheeling her big cage across two rooms and into a closet, where it is dark and quiet. I've been doing it for couple of weeks, but I can see the transport of the big cage getting old pretty soon.
So, I'd like to have her sleep in the small cage that's easier to move, but I can't figure out what option for dinner would work best. Right now she gets 1-2 hours of playtime outside of the cage before going back in for dinner and then trip to the closet.
 

Bird_lover6

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They eat in big cage during the day, spend time out in late afternoon and evening, and then go to their sleep cages where they have treats waiting for them. I turn out the lights after about an hour to an hour and a half. They always have pellets and fresh water in their sleep cages, as well. I'm afraid they would be stressed without a food source readily available.
 

JLcribber

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Dinner, shower with dad, scream fest, bed time. :)
 

Irishj9

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1) Treats when dad gets home
2) Aviary hosedown part 1
3) Selected members moved out to the lawn to enjoy sun with new babies
4) Return of lawn visitors close to sunset
5) Aviary hosedown part 2, which triggers
6) Bedtime, where Papa is expected to assist special birdies to their nests!

the screaming is semi permanent lol
 

zvezdast

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We still don't have this down. :(

I was getting used to wheeling the big cage into the closet of another room, but she is getting more uncomfortable.
I try to do it once she is in her tent for 10-15 min and calm. I cover the cage first, and then slowly move it across the rooms.
In the beginning, she was staying in the tent by the time we reached the closet. It took 2 minutes and no problem.
But now as soon as the cage moves she jumps out, comes up to the top and starts pacing back and forth. She knows she is going to a dark closet. So now I leave the cage at the closet door in a low lit room, partially uncover it, and try to calm her down. Once she is back in the tent, I wheel the cage in and partially close the door. This sometimes takes 20 minutes.
The last two nights I just felt so bad for her, apparently being scared of going into the dark. So I didn't put the cage in the closet and just left it in that room. At least it was quiet. But, the thick cover I have doesn't reach all the way to the bottom and she woke up at least 30 min earlier than usual. Not good. I found a bigger blanket for tonight, but it's not as thick, so we'll see...

This whole cage wheeling thing sounds kind of silly. But she has always ever slept in that big cage and never spent more than 2 hours in the small cage. So I didn't try to change the routine yet. She is used to eating dinner in her big cage. She even has this cute thing where she takes few pellets at a time, climbs with them to the entrance of the tent and eats them there. And then she goes back for more pellets and repeats that over dozen times. And she plays a little in between. Her routine.

When I get home in the evening, she doesn't care about food - she wants out. After an hour, she is fine going back in. But it wouldn't make sense putting her back in the big cage to eat only to take her out again just to go in the small cage. So, she'd have to eat outside the big cage I guess? I don't even know where I would put her food. Put the food and water bowls on the table? The mess would be more contained than if I put it on top of the playstand. The little cage has just small plastic cups that she often throws down. Should I find a way to secure them, or get a ring for her big bowl (which I am not sure if it even fits through the door) to attach inside the small cage?
The small cage would be easier to cover, so I wouldn't have to put it in the closet, just move it to the other room. Should I move it after she eats, or before and just let her eat in the other room by herself, then turn out the lights after some time?

Sorry for rambling... I know different things work for different households, but we just can't figure out how to start making changes.
I want her to have at least 12 hours of darkness, because I've noticed how much it's beneficial for her over the last few weeks.
 

Mr Peepers

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I would move the cage to the other room without the cover and let her see what you are doing and where she's going so she doesn't freak, set up bed time at the same time nightly. I wouldn't bother putting her in the closet as she doesn't need that much quiet and darkness she needs to know there is life happening outside her cage to reassure her.

I would spend a few minutes with her in your room while you turn out the lights while talking to her and let her settle, have the hall light outside your room on so she can still see when you put the cover over her cage and she sees its bed time now.

Leave the room, turn out the final light in the hall, close the door to the room so she gets quiet and dark so she will settle in. She will get use to this.

.
 

greys4u

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:goodnight2:
 

zvezdast

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I would move the cage to the other room without the cover and let her see what you are doing and where she's going so she doesn't freak, set up bed time at the same time nightly. I wouldn't bother putting her in the closet as she doesn't need that much quiet and darkness
That was pretty much what I was doing once she started coming out of the tent. I would not cover her until she settled down in the new location.
I was putting her in the closet because otherwise she wakes up too early in the morning. The large cage is hard to cover on all sides so it's dark all over, and she wakes up early when she see's the light. I put her to sleep at 8 pm, and wanted her to sleep until at least 8-8.30 am, but this morning she started calling at 7:40 already. We'll see with the new cover tonight.

But I'd still like to hear from more people where they feed dinner before putting them in the sleep cage.
 

greys4u

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Valentine eats in her cage. When I change her papers at nite that's when I only leave her dish of peĺlets, she goes to bed at 9 pm every night, I use a microfiber sheet to cover the cage and she doesn't wake in the morning until she hears me coming down the hall, then she screams!
 

zvezdast

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Does Valentine eat dinner in her day or night cage? Where does she sleep?

Zuja spends the day in the big cage in the living room, but at night I need to remove her because we keep the light and tv on for a few hours after her bedtime. I leave pellets and water overnight, too.
 

greys4u

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She only has the one cage, that is her castle, she has no sleep cage. The sheet I mentioned, it's a queen size and it covers the whole cage leaving enough room for air and a little light. I too watch TV after she is put to bed, I recently moved to the living room so she is pretty close to me and the sofa. :cool:
 

zvezdast

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The sheet I mentioned, it's a queen size and it covers the whole cage leaving enough room for air and a little light. I too watch TV after she is put to bed, I recently moved to the living room so she is pretty close to me and the sofa.
That's a good idea about bedding - I have a flannel queen size sheet that might work, I have to check how opaque it is.

All our previous birds were sleeping in the living room with TV on and low light. But when Zuja started showing signs of nesting, to slow her hormones it was suggested to make sure she gets good night rest. Since she would occasionally chirp under the cover when she heard certain sounds on tv, I started moving her to another room.
 

rocky'smom

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i also use queen size sheet to cover Sweet Pea.
 
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