How do you put your bird to bed

[Bluejayandemmy]

Everynight when my little birds wake up they tweet at me. I think the blue one wants a belly rub before he goes back to bed. The purplish one wants me to pet her tail before she goes back to bed

 

[DQTimnehs]

At bedtime, Itsy and Tiki go in first (the "little girls"). Then Darwin and Quack last. As I put her on her door perch and set her t-stand down, she waits for head rubs. She leans her beak into my fingers of one hand and I rub her head and cheeks with one finger of the other hand. This is a nightly ritual. Then once she's in, she climbs to the ceiling hanging upside down and waits for "crazy bird" time. We ask her "who's a crazy bird?" or play a song she likes and she swings crazily and sometimes meows for extra laughs.

You shouldn't really be rubbing bellies or tails as that can be interpreted as sexual advances and can frustrate your birds. Petting should be kept to head, neck and feet.

 

[Bluejayandemmy]

At bedtime, Itsy and Tiki go in first (the "little girls"). Then Darwin and Quack last. As I put her on her door perch and set her t-stand down, she waits for head rubs. She leans her beak into my fingers of one hand and I rub her head and cheeks with one finger of the other hand. This is a nightly ritual. Then once she's in, she climbs to the ceiling hanging upside down and waits for "crazy bird" time. We ask her "who's a crazy bird?" or play a song she likes and she swings crazily and sometimes meows for extra laughs.

You shouldn't really be rubbing bellies or tails as that can be interpreted as sexual advances and can frustrate your birds. Petting should be kept to head, neck and feet.

Ok I will try to remember that

 

[Bluejayandemmy]

At bedtime, Itsy and Tiki go in first (the "little girls"). Then Darwin and Quack last. As I put her on her door perch and set her t-stand down, she waits for head rubs. She leans her beak into my fingers of one hand and I rub her head and cheeks with one finger of the other hand. This is a nightly ritual. Then once she's in, she climbs to the ceiling hanging upside down and waits for "crazy bird" time. We ask her "who's a crazy bird?" or play a song she likes and she swings crazily and sometimes meows for extra laughs.

You shouldn't really be rubbing bellies or tails as that can be interpreted as sexual advances and can frustrate your birds. Petting should be kept to head, neck and feet.

Some where it says that they can have belly rubs

 

[Mizzely]

Some where it says that they can have belly rubs

If you look at parrots in flocks, only the mate is allowed to groom anything besides the head. Petting the head and petting the stomach and below the wings are the difference between a handshake and a topless hug for humans. Sure they can be "done" but it's sending the wrong signal.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Anakin will usually just put himself to bed when it gets dark, so I can leave him to his devices. Luna is easy enough to get in her cage if you show her one of the food bowls in her cage. If I'm home, she will normally want to sleep in my shirt, and I let her do this if I'm home and not busy. At that point she's normally too tired to put up much of a fight, and will just hop onto her platform perch after I get her a drink of water.

 

[WallyLoopey]

I just cover my cages while saying, "goodnight..I love you.."
Some look at me like I'm crazy. Probably am.

 

[cassiesdad]

I just cover my cages while saying, "goodnight..I love you.."
Some look at me like I'm crazy. Probably am.

Are you crazy...not in the least.

My wife and I always say the same thing when we're covering cages...

 

[Mizzely]

When it's bedtime, usually the birds are telling ME. So half the time they are in their cages waiting for me to close them and turn off the light. I come down the stairs and say, "okay boys, time for bed!" And they fly home if they aren't already. Then I give them each a nutriberry, let them eat it while I talk to them and check toys for hazards, then close the cages and turn off the light when they're finished

 

[DQTimnehs]

At bedtime, Itsy and Tiki go in first (the "little girls"). Then Darwin and Quack last. As I put her on her door perch and set her t-stand down, she waits for head rubs. She leans her beak into my fingers of one hand and I rub her head and cheeks with one finger of the other hand. This is a nightly ritual. Then once she's in, she climbs to the ceiling hanging upside down and waits for "crazy bird" time. We ask her "who's a crazy bird?" or play a song she likes and she swings crazily and sometimes meows for extra laughs.

You shouldn't really be rubbing bellies or tails as that can be interpreted as sexual advances and can frustrate your birds. Petting should be kept to head, neck and feet.

I forgot to mention...I close the blinds and dark curtains. They have 2 night lights in case 1 burns out. I leave the hall light on and the door open for a few minutes while they find their way to their "bed perches". Then I say goodnight and close the door. They get about 11 hours work days and 13 hours on weekends and holidays.

Bed time used to be treat time so they had no problems going in. My bf has been giving them nuts downstairs in the evenings so they don't always get a bedtime treat upstairs but they are already used to the routine so don't have any issues going in. In the mornings (or early afternoons on weekends/holidays) they get their veggie bowls with a nut in their cages so like going in for that.

 

[webchirp]

Elvis goes in with food and water first because Zia likes to ride around with me and Elvis does not allow others on the mom. At 25 with advanced heart disease, you would think he would not be at the "I-jump-you-and-kill-you" stage in life. But alas, he is a grumpy old man. Then off to gather bowls and switch everything out. Being a brat determines if you're next in line for getting your bowls first...ahem, Zephyr. Then it's around room I go, hoping by the end the elderly gang has has sufficient time to stuff their tummies (hoping for that extra gram of weight you know)...then off to run upstairs and give Tuck and Rue their pellets/nutriberries...back downstairs to turn out the lights. But mostly because they get fresh pellets and nutriberries, bedtime is fairly accepted.

 

[Princessbella]

The opposite happens here. Bella tells me to go to bed. Since my work hours are so crazy, Bella does not have a set bed time. When I am exhausted Bella will yell at me and show me her butt until I go to bed. But not before we have a cuddling session. Bella will put her head against my chin and grind her beak and then ask for scritches. Then she yells at me. As much as I think I run the house, it is actually an 85g bird that does.

 

[Tyrion]

At my house we get ready for bed time by closing the bird curtains around 3/4 of the cage and dimming the lights then Tyrion talks in a low voice for about 1/2 hr while Lagatha mumbles ..Harley has to be put right to bed or he screams during down time ..then a couple hours later they get fully covered and lights out

 

[Jaguar]

For the cockatiels, lights are dimmed about 45 to an hour before bedtime. I always remind them "Bed time soon" when I leave. Bedtime itself is a kind of ceremonious thing. Lots of excited "It's bedtime! Time for bed!"s and lots of kisses and scritches. They just love it, they come running to go to sleep. Half the time I find them already sitting inside the cage ready to go.

Puffy tells me when it's bed time. If I'm 5 mins late he sure lets me know.

 

[Begone]

Akela is allowed to settle in with me (the first 30 min on her own) in the living room for an hr.
After that hr she is stepping up on my finger, then she is stretching her first wing, and I kiss it, and then she stretch her other wing and I kiss it too. (yes I do that every night. )
After that I put her in her cage. She is the sweetest ever, never angry, and never refused to go to her cage.

Eliy is settle in, in Akelas cage (the door is open, she is sitting their because she wants it) when I cleaning her cage. (Yes I clean cages every day)
If I try to move her before she wants it herself she gets angry. ( I have no idea what they done to her before I got her, but I know that they have forced her to do a lot of things)
So I often ask her if she want to move to her cage and tell her that her cage is clean and ready, (yes I'm a slave but I know it! ) and more and more often she is reaching for my hand to step up too and then I move her to her cage.

They are both very good girls!

 

[safehaven]

All 3 snuggle at my upper chest/under neck for 30 mins or so with the lights off and watching tv. When I hear the beak grinds I know they are almost out. Then I place them in their sleep baskets in their hoodie bed, each have their own but Lotus is always in Ferns with her when I get them up in the morning.

 

[Reggie]

I usually put the budgies to bed first, because if Cooper sees what's happening he won't emergency whistle at me as much when I throw the blanket over his cage. I put mine down while singing an impromptu "it's a birbles beeddd tttimmmmeee" and they all respond with different noises, and I turn off the lamps next to their cages.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

I give Blu scritches about 30 minutes before bed. Then I start cleaning up the floor and cage, and as soon as I pull out the broom and dustpan, he always goes on to his soft cork perch and starts ripping it apart (that's the only time he even goes on there but he does it every night, while I'm cleaning, like clock work)

Then I turn on a little lamp and give him a piece of dehydrated fruit. As soon as he's done eating it I tell him, "I'm gonna turn off the light. You go night night"

Then I turn off the main ceiling light while the little lamp is still on. This gives him enough light to see and get settled.

As soon as turn off the ceiling light he goes into his cage (but his door remains open) and I pretend I'm going to sleep too.

As soon as the beak grinding stops, I turn off the little lamp (he also has a dim nightlight that stays on throught the night) and I stay for a few more minutes to make sure he's asleep and settled. Then I leave the room.

 

[BirdGuy21]

We start to tell all our birds that it's time for birdie bedtime, cover the cages halfway, and give them some love and attention one on one for a few minutes. After night time scritches are over, we put them in their cages and tell them love you and good night. I let them know when I will see them next, such as tomorrow morning or afternoon. I work early mornings and afternoons. So if I'm on a morning shift I am up at 5 and out of the house by 540, my girlfriend wakes them up and I don't see them. If I'm off the next day I tell them that and what my plans are with them.

For the Parakeets we have a slightly different routine. They come out for free flight time after the big birds have gone to bed, so we open the cage and they fly around for an hour or so. I wash cage bowls during this time and my one 'keet Azul likes to come over and get a bath in the running water. They get their exercise and one on one time (if they want it that night) and a treat or two. Then I turn down the lights and say its time for bed, and sometimes they will fly to their cage. If not they step up and I take them over, cover them and go to bed myself.