Do your cockatoos like to go to bed at night?

[macawpower58]

Sweden tells me when she's tired. She starts saying over and over again "night, night, little webird". She does like to stay up fairly late though, as my birds sleep late during the day. My work schedule has them on a later cycle. I'm up for work at 3:30 am (so they wake and eat very early), and get home about 1:30 pm.

 

[Angelicarboreals]

Wesley can throw a hissy fit when she wants to. Usually if she knows we are going to bed soon after she is then she isn't so bad, but if she goes back to the bird room and we are still up watching TV or we have company over she will yell in the dark because she just has to be where the action is, even if she is sleep deprived.

 

[SallyQZ]

My galahs will start saying "Good night birds!" over and over again when they are ready for bed. I usually turn of their lights and close the door to the bird room at 10:00pm (give or take a few minutes). If I forget, I'll hear them saying "good night birds!" and remember.

I am NOT a morning person, and I've managed to convince all of my animals that sleeping in is great behavior to exhibit. The galahs will sleep in until I get up at 8:30AM. Well, they prob. aren't sleeping, but they don't make a peep until I open their door and open the blinds in the morning. I am very spoiled - no screaming parrots in the morning!

 

[hockeymomwood]

I am so jealous Loree! Sleeping in for me is 5:00 am these days!

 

[SallyQZ]

I am so jealous Loree! Sleeping in for me is 5:00 am these days!

Yikes!!! 5:00AM is still night time, that's not even morning yet!

 

[hockeymomwood]

That is why I have cockatoos! I hate to sleep in. NOT

 

[Wthensler]

Miss Coco whines a little when we throw her blanket over her cage (unless she's really tired). She actually likes a little bit of background noise and will grind her beak until she's asleep. We tried placing her in another large cage in a quiet bedroom, but she wanted nothing to do with it She likes her cage and surroundings She generally goes in around 8:00pm and is up at 7:00.

 

[melissasparrots]

Ariel and Cassie don't like having to go back to her cage. However, actual lights out usually comes shortly after the major evening feed with the dry food that everyone loves best. So none of mine pitch much of a fit about bedtime. Full crops tend to make them content and sleepy.
Melissa

 

[wolfysluv]

My husband wants to cry everytime we got to bed and Tika calls for us. Years, and he's still not used to it. He keeps asking me, "But, we could maybe put a perch by the bed. She would give anything to go to bed with us." Lol. I have a little travel cage I could probably put her in, in our little bathroom (no room in the bedroom, not to mention I"m asthmatic), but I'm telling ya it doenst matter if she's 100 foot away for 10 foot away .... she wants "us". She's still not gonna want to go to bed. Lol.

 

[RAE]

Ok, I have to chime in here...new G2, 4 months old, and is a dream EXCEPT at bedtime. At which point my relatively quiet well behaved baby turns into a crying hissy fit prone monster. Oh my...the crying and screaming that goes on in this house. I tell him...night night, and then we leave him alone. He is not happy!!! Last night he cried and screamed for a good hour...finally he either gave up or was too tired to continue. My husband and I were upstairs alternating between snickering at him and feeling sorry for the little baby...but of course, we had to be very quiet otherwise he would start again. Lil brat!

RAE

 

[wonderb]

Rae, it sounds like maybe he's crying to be fed. Cockatoos especially often regress in their weaning when they go to a new home. I would get some hand feeding formula and feed him. It is important for their confidence and sense of security!

"They are extremely intelligent and outgoing and they often learn to eat by themselves so quickly that many breeders mistakenly assume they are ready to be weaned by 8 or 10 weeks. This outward show of confidence usually collapses as soon as the baby finds itself in a new environment, and it may react by whining and crying – which can quickly turn to screaming - if its needs are ignored. A baby Goffin’s that cries is telling you that it is worried and upset about the changes in its life. It needs reassurance that you will take care of it – even though it may be fully weaned and perfectly capable of caring for itself. A young Goffin’s, regardless of age, should always be offered hand feeding once or twice a day when it first goes to a new home. This is to reassure it that it is loved and wanted and should continue for a week or so until it is settled in and eating well. Unlike many parrots, cockatoos are not particularly motivated by food. A stressed, unhappy baby may become depressed and uninterested in food if allowed to remain hungry for any length of time." Goffins Cockatoo, cacatua goffini - Hornbeam Aviary

 

[wonderb]

Double post

 

[RAE]

Hi, on the hand feeding...I was actually doing that for the first 4-5 days he was here although he was totally weaned before bringing him home...however the piglet really doesn't want the syringe, he just wants the attention and will eat the formula out of a bowl. I weigh him every single morning (in grams) and the piglet hasn't last a gram since the first day. So, I was phased out the hand feedings. I think it is an emotional thing VS a physical thing...do you think I should go back to hand feeding him EVEN if he is eating very well on his own and only cries at bedtime?

 

[wonderb]

I would just give him a feeding at night before bed since that is when he is crying. Many people will do this for months, it is a "comfort feeding", not necessarily for hunger. It is good for them psychologically. I'm sure you'll find that he goes to bed more easily after that. Do it until he stops begging. Birds don't wean on a schedule, and each one is individual.

 

[RAE]

Totally agree on the schedule..I get that and have hand fed other parrots. However my concern was that I fix it and he doesn't want it. SOMETIMES he will eat it from the cup but then still cries when we turn out the lights. On your recommendation, I will offer him a feeding tonight and see if it helps however he has cried every night since he has come to live with us. He HATES to sleep....

RAE

 

[Somebirdie]

I've noticed this too...

The Alexandrine and Eclectus go to bed between 6-8pm on the dot, and god forbid you disturb them (e.g. maybe getting a bowl out to wash)


But my cocky would stay up all night, and is always asking for a pat no matter the hour!
Doesn't seem to get grumpy at night either, which the others do!

 

[Bokkapooh]

If you have a baby cockatoo that cries at night, he needs to be fed. Emotional support is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for every cockatoo. They trust you to understand that need. Most "comfort feedings" are not for physical support, but emotional, "I'm here for you baby, I'm here".

 

[Mystics Mom]

mine are very flexable..they just go with what ever is going on...my birds switch from day to day i just roll with it,read their body laungage and and give them time when they need it...

 

[amylee1]

Flossy starts to show that she is tired at about 8:30/9pm, so I put her to bed! She is covered and moved to the spare room in her smaller "sleep" cage until 7am the next morning. She stays up later if I've just gotten home and want to talk with her though (otherwise she's up socialising with my family)

 

[danadear]

Rae, it sounds like maybe he's crying to be fed. Cockatoos especially often regress in their weaning when they go to a new home. I would get some hand feeding formula and feed him. It is important for their confidence and sense of security!

"They are extremely intelligent and outgoing and they often learn to eat by themselves so quickly that many breeders mistakenly assume they are ready to be weaned by 8 or 10 weeks. This outward show of confidence usually collapses as soon as the baby finds itself in a new environment, and it may react by whining and crying – which can quickly turn to screaming - if its needs are ignored. A baby Goffin’s that cries is telling you that it is worried and upset about the changes in its life. It needs reassurance that you will take care of it – even though it may be fully weaned and perfectly capable of caring for itself. A young Goffin’s, regardless of age, should always be offered hand feeding once or twice a day when it first goes to a new home. This is to reassure it that it is loved and wanted and should continue for a week or so until it is settled in and eating well. Unlike many parrots, cockatoos are not particularly motivated by food. A stressed, unhappy baby may become depressed and uninterested in food if allowed to remain hungry for any length of time." Goffins Cockatoo, cacatua goffini - Hornbeam Aviary

Totally agree..we just brought home a baby G2..well 4-5 months old who is fully weaned however wants comfort feedings which we will give her no matter how long it takes. I hope to avoid some of the problems I've read about with insecure toos. besides..the hubby and I cannot stand for her to cry, it just breaks our heart.