Cage-free living

[Pepperoni]

My conure has a cage, and tonnes of toys and perches and playgrounds all around the room, but I never close her cage unless it is for transportation or safety reasons. She has the whole room to roam. She chooses to sleep on the closet and the room has an East facing window so she rises with the sun and falls asleep with the sun. If hormones are a problem I can put up blackout curtains. Is this set up okay or is having a bird cage free like this a problem? I feel absolutely terrible caging her because she has a TONNE of energy and flies around all day

 

[Shannan]

I think there are lots of factors that should be taken into account. There are several on here that have bird rooms and they may chime in with suggestions. I don't have that luxury since I have cats, so our conure has scheduled out of cage times as well as a huge flight cage with lots and lots of toys. I, personally, feel better that our conure is caged at night so I know he is safe and I could easily get to him in an emergency but that is a personal preference. Just do your due dilegence as far as safety and make your own personal choice. Do think of safety such as escaping, places where your bird may chew (like cords and unsafe surfaces which might contain toxic ingredients such as lead, zinc, etc) as well as being able to get to your bird in an emergency (such as a fire). Make sure there are no ceiling fans that could be accidentally turned on, etc. Sounds like you really love your bird and want to do what's best for him.

 

[Pepperoni]

I think there are lots of factors that should be taken into account. There are several on here that have bird rooms and they may chime in with suggestions. I don't have that luxury since I have cats, so our conure has scheduled out of cage times as well as a huge flight cage with lots and lots of toys. I, personally, feel better that our conure is caged at night so I know he is safe and I could easily get to him in an emergency but that is a personal preference. Just do your due dilegence as far as safety and make your own personal choice. Do think of safety such as escaping, places where your bird may chew (like cords and unsafe surfaces which might contain toxic ingredients such as lead, zinc, etc) as well as being able to get to your bird in an emergency (such as a fire). Make sure there are no ceiling fans that could be accidentally turned on, etc. Sounds like you really love your bird and want to do what's best for him.

The whole room is completely bird proofed! Pepper is very well trained to fly to me when I ask, but you are right it could be troublesome in an emergency. Ideally I'd want to set up a cage where she naturally prefers to sleep and train her to go into it, maybe

 

[Lady Jane]

If you feel confident in the safety measures you have put in place why are you asking for advice? It is a risk to let a bird free fly in a room. The bird could be frightened by a strange noise outside and fly into the walls or ceiling. This you cannot control unless you pad walls and ceiling plus windows.

 

[Emma&pico]

The whole room is completely bird proofed! Pepper is very well trained to fly to me when I ask, but you are right it could be troublesome in an emergency. Ideally I'd want to set up a cage where she naturally prefers to sleep and train her to go into it, maybe

How long as she been in that cage though ? She won’t chose to sleep in a cage or a perch until she knows that’s her environment sorry if I am wrong but it sounds you have let her have the whole room and she chose her sleep spot rather than let her get use to cage as her sleep spot if that makes any sense

a friend of mine came around and I quick answered door leaving birds in bird room just before it was there bedtime it was dark by time my friend left half hour later and the birds were in their cages right cages well part from indie who was in pico cage (where she would prefer to be with pico) but what I am trying to say is they know that’s their cages by me training them to go home I say it everything they go in and they get a treat

you have to train her to know that’s her cage her safe place find her own sleep spot in that cage if that’s what you want to do

but if you are happy having her out free that’s ok but as @Lady Jane said night frights are a real thing and being out in all that space she could really hurt herself that’s only thing I would be scared off too and her chewing something she shouldn’t light fixing etc

 

[sunnysmom]

I had a bird who lived cage free during the day but I did have him sleep in his cage at night for safety reasons. I look at the birds I have now and think there is no way I could do that with any of them. But it worked for with my bird Sunny. I think so much depends on the bird. Again, I could never let my current birds do that. There would be either to much destruction or too much of a safety risk. I think the big thing is making sure that the room is bird proofed really well.

 

[Pepperoni]

How long as she been in that cage though ? She won’t chose to sleep in a cage or a perch until she knows that’s her environment sorry if I am wrong but it sounds you have let her have the whole room and she chose her sleep spot rather than let her get use to cage as her sleep spot if that makes any sense

a friend of mine came around and I quick answered door leaving birds in bird room just before it was there bedtime it was dark by time my friend left half hour later and the birds were in their cages right cages well part from indie who was in pico cage (where she would prefer to be with pico) but what I am trying to say is they know that’s their cages by me training them to go home I say it everything they go in and they get a treat

you have to train her to know that’s her cage her safe place find her own sleep spot in that cage if that’s what you want to do

but if you are happy having her out free that’s ok but as @Lady Jane said night frights are a real thing and being out in all that space she could really hurt herself that’s only thing I would be scared off too and her chewing something she shouldn’t light fixing etc

She's been caged before, and is used to the cage, the cage free thing is recent

 

[Emma&pico]

She's been caged before, and is used to the cage, the cage free thing is recent

Aww ok maybe she just prefers to sleep up there then if your happy with your setup and it suits you both I would maybe make sure you have curtains so if she gets a night fright she doesn’t go straight for window especially if there’s street light (only light in room )

 

[Zara]

Well, you can't let emergencies hold you back. An emergency could occur during the day when your bird is out of the cage anyway. Same for spooks, a bird could just as easily get spooked during out of cage time.
If you have a night flight prone bird then I would cage them for bedtime.
Same for birds that live in the same house as cats and dogs.
Maybe even cage for guy Fawkes night, new years eve and all those holidays with fireworks.
If your birds live in a room that is theirs and completely birdproofed, for eg a spare bedroom or drawing room set up just for birds, then why not?
In an ideal world when I'm able to buy my own home and stop renting, I dream to have a room that belongs only the birds and not cage them while they are indoors.
If you can do it safely, kudos to you.

 

[Emma&pico]

Well, you can't let emergencies hold you back. An emergency could occur during the day when your bird is out of the cage anyway. Same for spooks, a bird could just as easily get spooked during out of cage time.
If you have a night flight prone bird then I would cage them for bedtime.
Same for birds that live in the same house as cats and dogs.
Maybe even cage for guy Fawkes night, new years eve and all those holidays with fireworks.
If your birds live in a room that is theirs and completely birdproofed, for eg a spare bedroom or drawing room set up just for birds, then why not?
In an ideal world when I'm able to buy my own home and stop renting, I dream to have a room that belongs only the birds and not cage them while they are indoors.
If you can do it safely, kudos to you.

I have spare bedroom for birds but too scared to leave them out when I am not in there with them not sure why because it’s bird proof totally they playground
I feel like when I am at work or out I know they are safe
When I am home they are out normal flying around house

 

[Emma&pico]

Maybe I should try but I know pico would definitely go back in his cage to sleep