grmarshall
Checking out the neighborhood
- Joined
- 7/20/20
- Messages
- 4
- Real Name
- Grace
Hi everyone! I hope this is the right forum to post this in, I'm new to the site. I'm considering getting a bird (either a GCC, Caique, or MAYBE an African Grey if the right older AG comes along needing a home) and have some questions about planning out quality time along with sleep schedule. I'm a vet tech, and I work on a 4 10s schedule (currently 7:30-6:30 including an hour for lunch, 4 days/week). I've seen quite a few posts about working a regular 9-5 and having a parrot, but I haven't come across anyone who works longer shifts.
My specific question is about sleep schedule. In the research I've been doing I've heard rather conflicting statements. Some sources I've read or watched say that birds need strictly 12 hours of sleep per night, absolutely no less. Some say that between 10-12 hours is fine. I don't know which to believe! Ideally I would like to wake my bird up at around 6:30 and bed time around 8:00 to allow me to spend at least 1.5 hours of out of cage time on days that I work. Of course on my three days off I would spend much more time with the bird - I'm really excited about trick training, recall/flight training, harness training to go on hikes, etc. Would that kind of sleep schedule seriously mess with a bird's hormones? Or does it depend on your specific bird?
Also, if there's anyone on here who works longer than standard shifts and has advice or wants to tell me how they've made it work with a parrot, please chime in! I would love any general advice y'all have to offer. I want to really think this through before I adopt a bird. I know it's a very big commitment and I want to make sure this can be done responsibly and enjoyably for both me and a feathered friend. Thanks in advance for any advice!
My specific question is about sleep schedule. In the research I've been doing I've heard rather conflicting statements. Some sources I've read or watched say that birds need strictly 12 hours of sleep per night, absolutely no less. Some say that between 10-12 hours is fine. I don't know which to believe! Ideally I would like to wake my bird up at around 6:30 and bed time around 8:00 to allow me to spend at least 1.5 hours of out of cage time on days that I work. Of course on my three days off I would spend much more time with the bird - I'm really excited about trick training, recall/flight training, harness training to go on hikes, etc. Would that kind of sleep schedule seriously mess with a bird's hormones? Or does it depend on your specific bird?
Also, if there's anyone on here who works longer than standard shifts and has advice or wants to tell me how they've made it work with a parrot, please chime in! I would love any general advice y'all have to offer. I want to really think this through before I adopt a bird. I know it's a very big commitment and I want to make sure this can be done responsibly and enjoyably for both me and a feathered friend. Thanks in advance for any advice!