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No foraging where they sleep?

orphansparrow

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Hello all.

So I have gotten back into the habit of making Duckie's food & treats (excluding wet foods) only be accessible through foraging.

I re-read that foraging primer today and remembered that in the wild, parrots don't forage where they sleep and that it's preferable for them to have separate places for each.

So I'm thinking that maybe I should start feeding her/letting her forage for food, on her play stand instead of her cage. It may take some getting used to for her.

What do you all think? Does anyone here do that? How does it work?

Thanks!
 

TikiMyn

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You could use a sleep cage for her, or barricade her sleep spot a bit. For example, you could enclose it with soft cuddly toys for example. My lovies forage in their room and sleep in a high spot, a bit away from the main area. I have never had problems with that, but I am getting them used to a sort of night ‘cage’ in my closet, it has their favorite swing with think perches and two cuddly platforms hanging from the top.
 

orphansparrow

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Thats a good idea @TikiMyn However, we are about to adopt another (maybe 2 others), and I don't think I have the space for each of them to have a day cage AND a sleep cage. I'll consider it though, depending on how things work out. Duckie used to have a sleep cage a few years ago, and when we moved, we got rid of one, and she just transitioned into having one cage and a couple play areas.
 

lotus15

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Is she out of the cage for the entirety of the day? If so, I think you could do that, but if she spends any time in the cage during the day time, I think it's important for her to have foraging opportunities in the cage for stimulation and to prevent boredom. I encourage Lola to forage in her cage as much as possible so that she is being kept busy when she has to be in there.
 

orphansparrow

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@lotus15 Her cage door is OPEN 5 days a week, all day (From about 8am to 7pm. Besides that she is covered for sleep). (I work from home 5 days a week, and take classes online). But out of all of the hours, she only voluntarily leaves her cage about half the time, or less. Sometimes it seems like about a third of the time. On the weekends when I'm gone about 6-7 hours a day, I set up foraging inside her closed cage.

One of the reasons I've been trying to get her to forage for food exclusively is so that she'll want to come out more. I thought if her main feeding area were her play stand where she could forage, she would be more motivated to get out more. Of course all this could change when we introduce a new flock member.

I'm also just curious about how others do it, and if any of you do foraging exclusive for feeding.
 

Mizzely

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I do foraging everywhere lol. They are usually within 5 feet of a foraging opportunity. I have noticed they do MOST of their foraging in the cage. Cages are open Sunup to Sundown 7 days a week 99% of the time. Bobber is in his cage 80% of the time, but Jingo is only in his maybe 20% of the day.
 

orphansparrow

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Thanks @Mizzely That sounds like a pretty good deal your birds got! I just read that in the wild they almost never forage where they sleep, and that is to be recreated if at all possible. And that sleeping spaces should be just for sleep. (From what I read in the sticky on the Foraging Primer). But for Duckie, that will be a transition I'll have to make. We'll see. I guess I'll start with setting up foraging opportunities everywhere and have her transition from there. :)
 

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lotus15

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@lotus15 Her cage door is OPEN 5 days a week, all day (From about 8am to 7pm. Besides that she is covered for sleep). (I work from home 5 days a week, and take classes online). But out of all of the hours, she only voluntarily leaves her cage about half the time, or less. Sometimes it seems like about a third of the time. On the weekends when I'm gone about 6-7 hours a day, I set up foraging inside her closed cage.

One of the reasons I've been trying to get her to forage for food exclusively is so that she'll want to come out more. I thought if her main feeding area were her play stand where she could forage, she would be more motivated to get out more. Of course all this could change when we introduce a new flock member.

I'm also just curious about how others do it, and if any of you do foraging exclusive for feeding.

That's so great. I wish I could work less or work from home :( It sounds like your idea of only out of cage foraging feeding might work well. Lola also forages for most of her food (in the cage), but I still find it tricky to do anything really challenging with fresh foods more than just covering it with paper or putting it in a simple acrylic foraging toy.
 

TikiMyn

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My fids forage for all their seeds and pellets and are busy with that up to 6 hours on good days. They do easy ‘foraging’(eating it with me, of a skewer or chewing through a covered boel) for their veggies and fruit. If they have bird Bread I just hang it in the middle of nowhere(if I can find an Empty spot lol!) so they really have to work to get at it.
 

Familyof12

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Mine sleep in different places. Some have huts (they don't chew them) and others have their favorite perch. I always check their poops in the morning to make sure they're healthy. They eat in their huts where they sleep. They'll drag millet and nutriberries in there with them and eat in the evenings. So, I'm unsure of that.

Charlie has taken millet into his sleep box and sleeps on a soft towel and a toy. He never poops on his towel or in his box. The only birds who seem to poop in their sleep are our smaller fids, such as our lovebird, budgies and parrotlets. Neither Charlie or Magic poop in their sleep huts. But one eats in his.

Everyone is out of their cages unless it's sleep time. Seven days a week.
 

orphansparrow

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Thank you!! :heart: Glad I could help!
Of course! :highfive:

It sounds like your idea of only out of cage foraging feeding might work well. Lola also forages for most of her food (in the cage), but I still find it tricky to do anything really challenging with fresh foods more than just covering it with paper or putting it in a simple acrylic foraging toy.
Oh, an acrylic foraging toy is actually a good idea for fresh foods. I haven't thought of that. Duh. :)

My fids forage for all their seeds and pellets and are busy with that up to 6 hours on good days. They do easy ‘foraging’(eating it with me, of a skewer or chewing through a covered boel) for their veggies and fruit. If they have bird Bread I just hang it in the middle of nowhere(if I can find an Empty spot lol!) so they really have to work to get at it.
6 hours is awesome! Good work! :) And I like the idea of hanging the bird bread in the middle of nowhere. I'm not sure if Duckie would go for that, but maybe over time if she can get the hang of more difficult foraging!
 

Hjarta5

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I have a plastic foraging toy hanging near Luna's favorite perch, a little paper cup wedged in the corner near the the cage floor farthest away from his perch, a small patio shelf that I attached a sea grass mat to the floor where I hide other treats, and A plastic toy pail hanging next to his door perch. I place little treats in all these places so I keep Luna moving about his cage.
 
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