JDS5607 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hey everyone I'm interested to know what everyone's night time routine is? I've noticed that if we don't keep Sully on a STRICT (I'll explain) routine at night time, He gets NASTY! Screams, bangs his beak along his cage, etc. Just wondering if anyone else is like this and what kind of routine (that to anyone other than a Grey owner would seem silly) you have? Sully has to be covere at about 10 after 10. Any later than that, and ooooh boy. He gets picked up off his door, and I take him into the bathroom with me to get him some fresh water. He boop boops to himself in the mirror, and gets to turn off the light switch. We go back to his cage and I give him kisses, and he makes the noise back, and he goes onto his boing... NOT HIS PERCH- HIS BOING! lol. Then, he gets his peanut, I put his fresh water in his cage, and he brings his peanut over to dip it into the water (I guess to soften it?) I cover him, tell him night night, and off to bed! Morning time routine doesn't seem to matter nearly as much. He doesn't care if he's uncovered at 5 am or 8, just as long as it's quiet. Gotta love 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Night time routine? They decide when to fly back to their respective cages in the early evening when they feel like it. I shut off the main ceiling light approx about 8 PM or so ( that's when it starts getting dark outside and they see it in the window) As it gets darker more quickly depending upon the season, I still shut the main light off only when it gets darker ( they see that in the window too.). I then put on a 15 or 25 watt bulb for the night so they can have a bit of light in case they wake up during the night and sometimes fall off their perches. I sometimes give them almonds depending on how busy I am. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I would never get into set routines with any of them. Since they're wild animals,the only* routine* they go by is what the outdoor wild birds do as evening approaches. They've got plenty of things to do during the day. I would be basically spoiling them if I got into routines with them. They always have decent water in their bowls so it's not necessary for me to bring them anywhere to get any water before sleeping. So, that's the routine. I rule the roost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tODDski Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Great post Dave, I was wondering if Grey's had to have such a routine. My other birds certainally didn't have any type of routine. I like the night light idea as well. I'm reading like a mad man out here as my bird day is really close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Great post Dave, I was wondering if Grey's had to have such a routine. My other birds certainally didn't have any type of routine. I like the night light idea as well. I'm reading like a mad man out here as my bird day is really close. The worst thing that you can do is getting into any routine with a grey or other wild bird. They already have a built in routine that was obtained from nature. Your routine is the one that counts. If a birds yells or nips, walk away. He'll learn that it doesn't do any good. As far as feeding something, they eat all day and don't need a bedtime snack. There's gonna be those days when a person doesn't have that *special* peanut around. Im my opinion, you're doing the right thing. You're the boss. Contrary to public opinion, you're the one that owns the bird, not the other way around. I'll change my mind about who's the boss when 1--the bird pays the mortgage 2--the bird brings home the best food from the supermarket 3--makes the car payments 4--provides me with my toys. 5--makes sure the taxes are filed properly. 6--makes sure the AC temp is right. Etc Etc As far as light, greys are clumbsy and sometimes fall off their perches when sleeping. They sometimes fall off their perch while sleeping and a big crack of thunder explodes so a tiny light helps them climb up to the perch again. Happens sometimes. I've seen bad things in the past with birds who've been allowed to get into rigid routines including people who've changed things around so that the bird is happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I always look forward to your posts Dave. Some times they make me laugh but you are so honest in what you say. I love them all (well most of them)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDS5607 Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 It doesn't interfer with my routine... so it doesn't do any harm. Plus, I don't cater to it... I'm a creature of habit and am usually headed off to bed about that time... We both enjoy it, and it's been a great bonding experience for the two of us. He knows when it is bed time, and I think it has given him some stability during hectic times. As far as the water, His water is pretty dirty after being in there all day, and he enjoys turning the light off in the bathroom after it's filled up I don't see there being anything wrong with it- and I rule the roost as well, and all my fids know it, but I think it's fun and helps bonding to have SOMETHING I do with him every night... Many bird owners are on more of a routine than they realize. (Feeding the birds at the same time every day, or letting them out of their cage at a certain time in the morning or evening.) Ours just happens to be at night The rest of the day is kind of a free-for-all... whatever happens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I can also tell when Babalu is tired, it usually happens on the weekends when we stay up later. He starts mixing his vocabulary together and makes louder sounds. He gets put in his cage around 830-9pm during the week, sometimes with an almond, then he gets covered until 630am. On the weekends it varies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Uh Oh and LOL at the same time to Daves post. We are and have always been very routine oriented since we got marrid just a few years ago, like 40.... We do and say the same thing to all our pets in the mroning waking time and the evening go to bed time. Jake the conure just flies to his cage and climbs in it whenever he wishes, which is usually right as the sun sets. Dayo however, will not even think about going to bed for the evening until we do, whether early or late, he wants to be with us until the night gremlin sings. Our dobies go to their respective beds as well when we go to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I especially enjoyed Dave's second post. Hee-hee, imagine Beaker buying groceries and Marcus paying the mortgage, hahaha!... I remember once thinking I would like to get my boys into a routine at night, and for a week or so I sang them songs and tickled their heads and stuff and made a big deal out of "Bedtime" (maybe in the hopes that one of them would pick up on one of the various words I use to describe that time of day, but nothing doing!). Anyway, I'm generally pretty wretched with routines, so that fizzled out pretty quickly. Lately my new 'routine' is to just change their bowls and clean their papers and then announce it's time for bed. Maybe I'll go back to cleaning their papers in the morning in a couple of weeks, instead, who knows? But I can see how it could become an issue if the parrot expects and therefore demands certain activities at a certain time, or if they get too upset if the routine is ever out-of-whack, for whatever reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly Yokum Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Marcus, you make a good point. I use to feed the macaws their breakfast every morning at 8 am, right before I got Austin up for his pre school. Now that school is out the Macs, will set off a maddening alarm to let me know that their breakfast hasn't arrived by 8:30. No such thing as sleeping in. They will scream until I get their breakfast. Sometimes I put a couple of nuts in their dish, to hush them up until I get it ready. Then by all their fuss they have woken Austin then he is saying breakfast, breakfast..... So I can forget about going back to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I'm not a "routine" person so my birds aren't so much routine either. Somehow they have learned to wait until they hear someone moving around in the morning before they "call". It can be anywhere from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. Nighttime they just settle whenever they are ready. We are still up watching TV in the next room. I can see them from my chair. Their room is dark but we still have lights on in here and they are not covered. It seems to work for the whole house. They are 19 and 17 years old and don't seem to complain. (Not greys. A Hahn's macaw and African Senegal.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 As far as the water, His water is pretty dirty after being in there all day... Well, why leaving water all day? I change it several times a day, especially if Zak soaks his veggies or fruit in it. IMO it has to be changed. We don't go to sleep at the same time every day, nor do I think it would change anything because Zak wants to mingle till the very end. Sometimes I pick a moment when he comes in the cage to eat, I close it and praise him for being a good bird and then I anounce it is bed time and that that is why I closed him. Other times I put him in the cage from wherever he is and say we need to go to bed. The only thing that is routine in our "house" is when I gradually start diming the ligts, I'll say "Good night beautiful birdie", sometimes "sleep tight" before I cover his cage. In the morning when we are up, I uncover him and say "good morning pretty birdie". He always says "Good night" when we are off to bed, but in the mornings he may yust ask "Who is a preety bird?" I respond "Zak is a preety bird" and then he does the wolf wistle..hihi He knows I'm off to work so he can't get out before I come back so when I'm in other room he calls "Morana, come here" and most of the time I pop by to say "I'll be there in a second" or "comming". I come to him to eat and mingle and off to work I go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tODDski Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR THESE POSTS, thanks forum and OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezron Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Jimpster, the quaker puts himself to bed according to the level of darkness. Brutus and Pancho HATE to go to bed! I usually put Pancho, the amazon, to bed once it starts getting pretty dark. He objects and growls, but, it is bedtime after all, and he goes. Brutus usually stays up a little longer to hang out with me. Sometimes, if he stays up too late he gets obstinate, and flies to a high window sill where I cannot reach him without a ladder, so then I have to get the ladder out and he comes down willingly at that point. I do sing him the same song every night. Silly, but that is the extent of our routine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDS5607 Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Well, why leaving water all day? I change it several times a day, especially if Zak soaks his veggies or fruit in it. IMO it has to be changed. . Sullys water is changed in the morning and evening, but keeps it pretty clean during the day... Plus, he has a water bottle that he's been using more and more (finally!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I'd like to have one of those water bottles!:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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