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Pionus daily routine?

Carina.317

Sitting on the front steps
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5/25/22
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19
Hello! I’ve recently settled on a pionus (specifically blue headed if that’s relevant) but I need to do a lot (and I really cannot overstate; a LOT) of research and I was wondering what sort of daily routines people have with their birds?

I know some basic information: pionus need to sleep for at least 12 hours a night and they need at least 4 hours outside their cage a day. More hours out of cage only if they can get it consistently. I did have a question about this: for those who go to work, do your birds stay in their cages all day as if you’re at work even on the weekends?
If your bird is in their cage from 8-5pm on weekdays do they stay in their cage during this time on the weekends too?

also, how do you know your bird is awake? Do they chirp when they’re awake? I know you’re supposed to cover the cage at night. What if I’m the morning you go to see if they’re awake and the action wakes them up too early?

lastly, do birds sleep in a different small night cage? If their Main cage is in the living room, should I plan on having them sleep in a small cage located in my bedroom? Or should they sleep in the big living room cage?
 

expressmailtome

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owlsthetic

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I work 7 hour weekdays (Mon-Fri 10am to 4pm) and my bird does stay in his cage when I work.

how do you know your bird is awake? Do they chirp when they’re awake? I know you’re supposed to cover the cage at night. What if I’m the morning you go to see if they’re awake and the action wakes them up too early?

I uncover my bird at 7am everyday (he is usually up a little earlier though at 6:30ish am) I know this because I can hear him rustling around in his cage but he won't actually chirp until he hears me walking around. My bird doesn't sleep for full 12 hours, he averages about 9-10 hours sleep at night.

I did have a question about this: for those who go to work, do your birds stay in their cages all day as if you’re at work even on the weekends?
If your bird is in their cage from 8-5pm on weekdays do they stay in their cage during this time on the weekends too?

My usual routine on weekdays is uncovering and letting my bird out out, checking for morning poop (usually he has already gone in his cage but if not I just make sure to be ready if I see him do his poop "motion"), weigh him, get his breakfast ready, he usually eats a bit and starts playing, flying, foraging for treats. At 8am I'll put him back in his cage where he eats more of his breakfast and I start to get ready for work. I'm usually in the room with him for about an hour getting ready (about half an hour), filling up any foraging toys in his cage to make sure they'll last for the day and moving his toys around or rotating them out (I usually try to change at least the positioning of his toys to make sure his cage is always a little bit different for him) and I make sure his food and water bowls are clean and full. I leave the room at 9am to head down to pack lunch and make coffee so I'll tell him "bye, see you" later and give him a seed treat.

I do have a camera set up so I can check up on him at work (I was very nervous about leaving him alone in the first few weeks) but so far everything has been good. :)

I usually get home at about 4:30/5pm depending and I get him out as soon as I finish washing up (which is about 15/20 min) and I bring him for his daily bath (he likes to bathe in the sink) and prep his dinner (chop, mash or freeze dried depending) and I hang out with him until his bedtime at 8:30pm. I don't eat dinner until after he's covered and gone to bed because lots of food I prefer to eat is not good for him and I feel guilty about caging him to eat (I'm a slow eater).

So on average weekdays my bird does get 4/5 hours out of his cage.

On weekends, I still try to stick to a general schedule (unless I have plans then I treat it more like a weekday). I still uncover his cage and 7am, do his daily morning routine but I usually keep him out until 9/10am, then I put him in his cage so I can go eat breakfast and run any errands or chores needed (I'll tell him if I need to run out anywhere). I usually check up with him a couple times throughout my chores, errands and let him out depending on how much time I'm able. I always try to get all my chores. errands done by 3/4pm though so we can have a longer afternoon routine for the day.

If I have plans I do try to plan for day time and within my usual "working hours" (for example brunch/lunch with friends and going home before 5pm at latest) so I can still stick to my weekday routine for my bird. So far I've haven't had to break my routine yet but I'll probably have to as holiday season starts rolling around.

lastly, do birds sleep in a different small night cage? If their Main cage is in the living room, should I plan on having them sleep in a small cage located in my bedroom? Or should they sleep in the big living room cage?

I think it would depend on your home really. For example, I have my bird in my room because I share my rental with my sister and the we have an open kitchen downstairs so if I put my bird in the living room he would constantly be exposed to cooking fumes since my sister likes to cook and bake a lot. Also I eat/cook after putting him to bed so I like being able to go downstairs to the living/kitchen area to have my dinner and watch TV and whatnot till my bedtime without disturbing him.

If you prefer to have the bird in your living area usually but there's a quieter area at night in another room where they won't be disturbed then a sleep cage in that other room at night might be the better option.
 

jh81

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I think, when your bird is young, they can adapt to any form of routine. I had my Pionus in my livingroom, no special sleeping place. When they are older, it gets a bit trickier. But i truely believe parrots are more flexible then we, in general, tend to think. You just have to pick a routine and stick to it. Not go to it at once, but start with their old routine and slowly get to your prefered routine.
 

L0ki

Meeting neighbors
Joined
5/8/23
Messages
21
Hello! I’ve recently settled on a pionus (specifically blue headed if that’s relevant) but I need to do a lot (and I really cannot overstate; a LOT) of research and I was wondering what sort of daily routines people have with their birds?

I know some basic information: pionus need to sleep for at least 12 hours a night and they need at least 4 hours outside their cage a day. More hours out of cage only if they can get it consistently. I did have a question about this: for those who go to work, do your birds stay in their cages all day as if you’re at work even on the weekends?
If your bird is in their cage from 8-5pm on weekdays do they stay in their cage during this time on the weekends too?

also, how do you know your bird is awake? Do they chirp when they’re awake? I know you’re supposed to cover the cage at night. What if I’m the morning you go to see if they’re awake and the action wakes them up too early?

lastly, do birds sleep in a different small night cage? If their Main cage is in the living room, should I plan on having them sleep in a small cage located in my bedroom? Or should they sleep in the big living room cage?
They definitely DONT need smaller cages to sleep in Birds can sleep on regular perches, or platforms
(at least that’s what my research shows to)
 

L0ki

Meeting neighbors
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5/8/23
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I also some questions, like when I first meet my feathery friend can they be introduced to the family in one room, and then be moved into another?:faint:
 

BirdyGirly

Meeting neighbors
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4/27/23
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35
I also some questions, like when I first meet my feathery friend can they be introduced to the family in one room, and then be moved into another?:faint:
When we had our Dusty Conure, Quinn, (he passed at 30 years old) he had his main cage set up in our living room, where he’d chill if I had to run out or could not supervise him, perches and playstands all over the house, and a smaller sleep cage in a spare bedroom upstairs (with a cage cover over it, also) as our house can be a little noisy at night… I’d take him out around 6:00 AM and we’d then start our day. I’ll be doing the same with our new baby Blue Headed Pionus, Honor, when she’s weaned and comes home - it worked so well for us with Quinn, and quality sleep for them is very important. I think it’s really whatever works for your family and household environment, that should dictate what you chose to do, IMHO.
 

L0ki

Meeting neighbors
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Is it OK if I have a separate cage where they spend most of the day but when night comes around I place them in a different room?

also, is it OK to change cases during the seasons like during summer, they spend most of their time upstairs, but during winter they spend most of the time downstairs?
 

WillowQ

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Heather Gerbyshak
Yes. A sleeping cage in a separate room is fine. And it’s ok to change cages from season to season BUT your bird will have to get used to the cage each time. I would move the toys into the new cage to keep adjustment easier.
 
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