Two questions -- bedtime for Gregory

[gecko_dance]

As Gregory settles in, Christine and I begin to develop typical first-time-parent jitters. The two that arose today have to do with his bedtime.

 

Part une -- The consensus about grey bedtimes is that they are up and down with the sun and keeping them up much past sunset can cause stress. Since we both work full-time, that means Gregory would be hitting the hay (hitting the perch?) about an hour before we get home from work. Will giving him out-of-cage time after we get home be a good idea anyway?

 

Part deux -- We live in a typical NYC apartment in that it's heated through steam pipes that we do not control. Sometimes, it gets colder than we like, and overnight, it gets downright frigid. We thought covering the cage with an electric blanket on low would keep away the considerable chill. Does anyone know of any dangers involved with using an electric blanket around greys (aside from keeping the cord away from them of course)? Are there any dangers from fumes from a new blanket?

 

So many neuroses, so little time. Gregory says hi.

 

Michael n' Christine<br><br>Post edited by: gecko_dance, at: 2008/12/01 03:06

[Jane08]

No there is no problem with keeping them up past sunset. We also work full time and come home after the sun has set and let them out for 3-4 hours. They love to be out when we get home and are very active. They go to bed between 2100 and 2200.

 

I wouldn't use an electric blanket as these are not designed for birds. Some people use heat lamps which are bird safe or even heat panels.

[she]

I do shift work and that means my birds are up way past sunset. I let them out for a bit when I get home and they seem to enjoy it. I would not use an electric blanket near Gregory.If you really feel it necesary use some form of electric heater well away from him.I do not have heating on after I have gon to bed and my two are fine.I do put heating on when I am In work so the house stays warm enough.

[casper]

No, I wouldnt use an electric blanket. Do you cover him already with a normal sheet? Mine are fine through the night and my heating is only on until after I go to bed!

 

Caroline.

[Gryphon]

I know those jitters of which you speak! When we adopted Gryphon back in October, bedtime was a worry. He was used to putting himself to bed around 9 PM which I feared was too late, having read so much about sleep deprivation.

 

To make a long story short: I tried to gradually move bedtime to an earlier hour, about half an hour at a time. After a month of this, I gave up. He still puts himself to bed at 9 PM! I keep an eye on him for signs that he might not be getting enough sleep, but so far he's been fine.

 

Good luck and congrats on your baby!

[danmcq]

I with the others on using a electric blanket, do not use one. They can easily bite right through the electric cord\elements and electrocute themselves. You know how the love to chew and shred. :-)

 

A heat lamp, solid state element or a heated perch, which you can find online at any Pet\Parrot store will keep your Grey warm when the room is too cold.

 

Staying up past sunset is fine and most homes with Parrots are on a schedule similar to yours and the evening time is the time we spend with our much loved Parrots. They will still get their 10-12 hours of sleep in between night sleep and daytime naps when your gone and there's nothing to do once they have worn themselves out on the toys and foraging. :-)

[gecko_dance]

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone. We'll make a few rearrangements to make sure he stays warm.

[Mistyparrot]

I tend to go to bed quite late. Often after midnight and rise about 8.30 am.

Misty is up and out of his cage the whole time. He some times has a doze on his perch or on my knee in the evening. He seems very happy with this arrangement and is not at all stressed by his late bed times. At the end of the day he will tell me "bed time" so I put him back in his cage to sleep. I don't cover him so he will keep on with "Bed time" or "Bed time baby" until I leave the room and turn out the lights. IMO your bird will be very happy to be out with you for as long as you can manage. It might be a good idea to alter his routine gradually but I am certain he will be much happier to be able to spend more time with you in the evenings.

Greys are quite tolerant of low temperatures but definitely not cold draughts. Their feathers are very effective insulation.As danmcq suggests if there is any chance he could chew the blanket it could be a disaster. I would suggest a normal cover and gentle heating from a low power electric convector. Keep an eye on the temperature and as long s it doesn't drop below 60f he will be quite comfortable.

 

Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2008/12/01 18:58

[Kaedyn]

My crew is typically already asleep when I get home from work. They wake up when they hear me arrive and come out of their cages for several hours before I put them back in bed.

 

If I sense that they need more sleep or they didn't get a lot of sleep the day prior, I'll try to have them in their cages by 9:30, but there are many nights that they stay up till 11 or midnight. Just as Dave said, they make up for it during the day, while I'm at work.

 

Unless the environment prevents it, they'll usually go to sleep on their own, when they feel tired. They don't necessarily have to be in their cages. Rigel likes to sit on my arm when I'm watching TV at night. After a while, you'll find him with his head twisted back and his beak tucked under his wing. Sierra prefers that I lay a blanket on the ottoman. As soon as I do, she places herself squat in the center and complains if I don't cover her. She'll stay under there for hours sleeping. In her mind, she's out of the cage and near her flock, which is all that seems to matter to her.

 

In my opinion, not spending enough time with your fids it likely more detrimental to their well being than making sure they are in bed early. They can adapt very well, you just have to always be vigilant for signs that they aren't getting enough sleep.

 

Anyway, enough on that topic. I have a possible recommendation for your heating issue. Have a look at the Eco Heater: http://www.eco-heater.com/ One of their dealers (http://houseneeds.com/) has it for $119. It's a wall-mounted, "pet-safe", electric room heater and you can combine it with an inexpensive wall socket thermostat.

[gecko_dance]

I really appreciate all the great info, everyone. Like I said, we definitely have first-time-parent nerves, and I think we might be trying a little too hard to go "by the book." Most of the literature out there warns of sleep-deprived birds going stress-crazy and plucking themselves to pieces, but most of the real-world scenarios seem to point to what you all have been saying -- that they'll sleep when they're sleepy if they're able.

 

I think we'll be able to relax a little bit now and enjoy a few more hours together with him in the evenings.

[Acappella]

Dorian has what I call his tired birdy chirp. Sometimes it happens at 9:00. Sometimes he's up with me till 11:00. You'll get to know Gregory and how he communicates what he needs. As for the heater, I just add the normal caution about teflon coating, as some portable heaters contain small amounts of it.