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Sleep cage or cover cage?

Srohe

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Just curious who covers their bird cages at night compared to who moves them to a sleeping cage? The vet recommends 12-14 hours of quality sleep and darkness for our G2 to help her barbering she’s been doing. Her cage is huge so I use two king size sheets (which don’t cover the entire cage) and her cage is in a active part of our home so we may have the tv on for a bit, or get stuff out of the kitchen etc. if she wasn’t so timid of new things I’d think about a sleeping cage.
 

Tiel Feathers

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My birds all have their own small sleep cage in a very dark closet in a bedroom. They love it and I like giving them somewhere more quiet to sleep.
 

Shezbug

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I cover about a quarter of the budgie cage but not the whole thing. They would never settle with the whole cage covered so I tried just part of it which they took to.
Burt does not like being covered so I don’t cover his cage.... probably a blessing for me given that it’s much easier to cover a budgie cage than a macaw cage! The few times I have had to cover Burt regardless of it being half or all his cage he grumped and carried on for hours longer than he would have done with the lights left on in his area all night..... he grumped and carried on basically until he had got most of the cover off then he settled.
 

Mizzely

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I don't do either :lol:

It really just depends. My quakers I used to cover as they would scream all night otherwise, but my other birds haven't needed it. I did have sleep cages for a brief time and I didn't hate that, but it just doesn't fit into my life anymore
 

Mantis64

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I dont do either also I used to cover my bird every night a few months ago until I realised he trys chewing the blanket so I haven't been covering him for the last 5 months and hes fine with it. He was also very scared of the blanket but after a while he got used to it. As long as they have somewhere dark and quiet the birds should be fine. I own an Indian ringneck if it's a bird that can get night fights like a cockatiel than its recommended that you cover the birds. A sleeping cage would be good if it can be placed someone dark and quiet to help your bird.
 

sunnysmom

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My tiel Scooter has a sleep cage. Supposedly, it was the cage he lived in for many years, but it's way too small for a full time cage. So I moved him into a bigger cage but he seems to like the comfort of going back into his smaller cage for bed. He and Rosie, my other tiel, also go to bed in a separate room upstairs. Elvis the goffin gets completely covered- he won't sleep otherwise. But he stays downstairs. I move his cage into the dining room and shut the pocket door between the dining room and the living room. Eventually, I'd like him to move upstairs to sleep but I'm worried a little that he'll scream and frighten the tiels
 

Tanya

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Rhubarb had a lot fewer behavioral issues when we started moving her to a sleep cage in a bedroom. She is covered in there and gets 12 hours a night of dark time. She even knows what "Go night, night?!!" means and will fly herself to her sleep cage to be tucked in for sleepy time!
 

paul65k

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Our Umbrella Cockatoo "Yogi" has his own room that we are able to get dark at bedtime and he typically sleeps for about 12-14 hours a night, based on the time of year.

He's been doing this for over 30 years so he's got us pretty well trained:cool:
 
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