What's a typical day like for you and your bird?

[MickeyandMe]

What's a typical day like at your house?

 

How often is your bird out of their cage?

 

How often are they put on a playstand?

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot?

 

What's your cleaning routine like?

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage?

 

How often do you feed them?

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc?

 

 

Just want to make sure I'm doing everything right!

[Tari]

What's a typical day like at your house? Go to work for two hours come home get out one bird. Two hours later the birds rotate and then two hours again rotate the birds. Till all three have out time. (TAG, RLA and the quaker) Sometimes longer sometimes shorter depending on what I need to do that day and how easy it is to catch the cat.

 

How often is your bird out of their cage? Every day for a couple hours. Wish it could be more but its a pain to catch my husbands cat so I can get the birds out.

 

How often are they put on a playstand? When they are out they are always on the playstand or me. I have dogs even when that cat is locked up I cant let them on the floor or anything else.

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot? About 10 to 15 minutes in your face time as I call it.

 

What's your cleaning routine like? Change paper weekly. In the summer I take cages outside to hose off monthly and spot clean with brush and bowl between hosing offs.

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage? I dont cover at all.

 

How often do you feed them? Once a day.

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc? No they do go in the car to go to the vet but in a carring cage. Sometimes I might take them to the club meetings or to one of the local retirement homes but she goes in a carrier for that too. Not taking any chances on my bird getting away even if she is clipped they can still get away.

[splint101]

What's a typical day like at your house? Get up at 6am go to work for 8 hours and back home in the traffic. Get home at about 5pm.

 

How often is your bird out of their cage? Every morning before we go to work for about 30min. And when we get back from work the whole of the eve he can do what he wants till bed time.

 

How often are they put on a playstand? His playstand is next to his cage so he hops on it and play and back onto the cage as he wants.

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot? About 15min in moring and a hour or more in the eve.

 

What's your cleaning routine like? Every moring a replace the paper and clean all his bowls. And once a week I wipe the cage down and clean the grid at the bottom of the cage.

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage? When we go to bed at about 10-12pm.

 

How often do you feed them? In the morning he gets mashed up veggies and in the eve and during the day he has his treats and fruit and seeds and pellets.

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc? He did go in the car with me for two weeks when we got him because he was on spoon feed three times a day. But now I have to get him use to the aviator harness.

[Talon]

What's a typical day like at your house? Get Talon up at 9am. Share my breakfast with her. Put her on her play stand for about 30-45 min. Take her into the bathroom while I shower. Put her back on her playarea, or play cage ( only for about 2-3 hours) if I go out.

 

How often is your bird out of their cage? Mostly the entire day, unless I'm out doing errands. I am fortunate that I work afternoons when my kids are home, so Talon can stay out while I'm at work.

 

How often are they put on a playstand? We have 2 play area's, so we alternate through out the day.

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot? Several times through out the day, & eating meals with us. And 1/2 hour at night while she has nightly noodle time.

 

What's your cleaning routine like? Change papers every 2 days. Clean playstands and cages weekly. Rinse out air filters weekly, and clean humidifiers once a week.

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage? Covered 9-9:30 pm. Uncover at 9am.

 

How often do you feed them? Talon eats all our meals with us. She also gets pellets/seeds in the am. She gets veggie's in the afternoon, and snacks on grapes, nachos, apples. And uncooked pasta for a before bedtime snack.

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc?

We have an adventure pack for her to take her outside. (I've had no luck with the aviator harness.) I put her in the adventure pack to go to the car, then I let her out so she can perch on whatever she wants when we go for a ride about once a week. She loves the car.

[Karla]

What's a typical day like at your house? Get up at 7am then go open Tequila. While I’m doing my morning stuff like brushing teeth and all that I talk to tequila and ask her how she slept and so on.

 

 

How often is your bird out of their cage? I take Tequila out of the cage as soon as I finished my morning duties. That’s round about 9:00am. Then she’s out of the cage for about the rest of the day. I put her in the cage when I think she is hungry or wants to eat and I leave the cage door open and when she wants to go out she can whenever she wants to.

 

 

 

How often are they put on a play stand? I put her on the play stand quite often to see if she feels like playing if she doesn’t want too she flies back to me. She likes me as a play stand because she finds my hair and ears amusing!

 

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot? Like I said she likes being close to me and sitting on me so I handle her a lot. She likes it when I talk to her and pet her and tell her what a pretty birdie she is!!

 

 

What's your cleaning routine like? I take out the old papers wipe the bottom of the cage with a wet cloth and make sure it’s nice and clean then I wash his bowls and put in fresh food and water. The toys I wash as soon as I see he made a poop on them or I just wipe it clean with a cloth. Once or twice a week I clean the whole cage meaning that I clean the whole thing from top to bottom.

 

 

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage? I cover the cage when I go to bed, that’s around 10:30pm or sometimes when I see him sleeping I’ll cover him a little earlier. I open her around 7am in the morning.

 

 

 

How often do you feed them? I give Tequila her formula in the morning. I also put in fresh seed… (Parrot mixture). I also give her dried fruits for snacks which she really likes as well as peanuts. From next week I’ll be introducing her to fresh fruit and veggies. At about 6:30 I give her formula and then put another mixture of parrot feed in her bowl that has in some peas and corn and some mixed seeds as well as fresh water.

 

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc? I take her with me outside if she is sitting with me and I have to go outside. I haven’t taken her in the car yet. I also haven’t been on vacation since I got her so I’ll see when I get there.

 

Now I just want to say to Mickey and me….. This is really an interesting post. I like reading things like this, seeing how other people’s life’s are with their feathered friends. Thanks!!!

 

{Feel-good-000200BB}

[CeasarsDad]

What's a typical day like at your house?

I'm up at around 6:30. Ceasars light goes on at 7:30. Out he comes and over to his play stand he goes. Like Talon does he comes in the shower with me mostly every day..

 

How often is your bird out of their cage?

Ceasar is on his play stand all day just as long as someone is home.. If no one is home he is back in his cage..

 

How often are they put on a playstand?

As above

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot?

Ceasar is around 6 of us so it's likely he is getting lots of human interaction. I use to play video games with him on my shoulder.. Since I have been spending lots of time here I don't play video games anymore. So now he sits on my shoulder and watches me type..

 

What's your cleaning routine like?

Papers are changed daily as Anna is a clean freak.

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage?

Ceasar is not covered at night. His light comes on at 7:30

 

How often do you feed them?

Ceasar gets fresh veggies every morning. I hand feed him some veggies as he has grown accustomed to this. His pellets are topped off and he's ready to go for the day.

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc?

Ceasar's wings are still clipped so he comes with us in the car mostly every morning when we go for Starbucks.. He likes the car. I'm not sure what I will do when his wings grow out because I'm not gonna clip him again. Perhaps I'll try the harness everyone here seems to love..<br><br>Post edited by: CeasarsDad, at: 2007/06/07 01:11

[Ice]

What's a typical day like at your house?

I get up at 6:00 and if she's awake I take off the covers and talk to her.

 

How often is your bird out of their cage?

As soon as I opened the cage and she eats, I leave her on her perch which is on top of her cage for the whole day

 

How often are they put on a playstand?

All het toys are on her perch with her food, so she's there from about 7:00 till 20:00

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot?

About 4 hours a day.

 

What's your cleaning routine like?

Take out papers everyday 2nd day, wash cage weekends

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage?

At around 21:00 - 22:00

 

How often do you feed them?

Veggies and formula in the morning and fruit and veggies again at night. Dried fruit when I come off work.

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc?

When its warm enough she goes outside with me. She goes to Welkom with me every weekend to my fiance, but in her cage, she loves it.

[Caspersmum]

What's a typical day like at your house?

- I get up at 7, then get Casper out about 7.30 for a poo and breakfast. He plays on his play stand and gym while I sort out his food. If I'm having a shower, he comes in too. I go to the hospital at about 8.30

If I can come back at lunch time to let him out for a bit I do. If not, it's when I get home at night, and he's out while I'm cooking dinner and studying

 

How often is your bird out of their cage?

Most of the time I'm at home - about 5 hours/day

 

How often are they put on a playstand?

If he's out of his cage he's either on his play stand or his cargo net. Or the floor. Or my knee!

 

How much time do you spend actually handling your parrot?

I pick him up loads, but usually to move him around and out of harms way - or to stop him chewing the furniture! We also have afew cuddles during the day - especially when he pootles over to see me - and of course before bed time - it seems to be a good way to calm him down for bed time.

 

What's your cleaning routine like?

Since Casper refuses to poo in his cage, I clean it out twice a week. I clean out his dishes every day, and replace his water at least once a day - more often when he (regularly) drops stuff in it.

 

What time do you cover/uncover their cage?

I uncover him at 7.30, and put him to bed at 10ish - but it can vary a bit. I'm not too rigid, as I don't think its good for either of us

 

How often do you feed them?

Casper has pellets in his cage all day, and he has another pot on his play stand, so he can have a munch whenever he wants. He'll also have a bit of whatever I'm having for breakfast (fruit and fruit juice), lunch (houmous) and dinner (could be anything!). He also gets banana chips for being a good boy - especially when he goes back in his cage - it might not be the best thing psychologically, but he knows that he'll always get a treat when he goes back in his cage, so he never minds going back in.

 

Do you take them outside, in the car, on vacation etc?

I've only taken him in the car when I've had to take him to friends' to look after him, or to the vets so far - but that's because I don't have a travel cage for him yet. I'm planning on getting one once I've got come spare cash. I also plan on getting him a harness so I can take him outside for walks. Even though he's clipped I wouldn't risk it without a harness.

 

As I'm sure you've gathered from all our different respnses, while there are wrong ways of looking after your bird, there's no real right way - you just need to make it work for you!

 

Julia

[Guest Lidia]

As soon as it gets light and Joshua wakes up he contact calls me until I emerge from my pit and let him out of his cage, whereupon he does a truly magnificant and very squishy poo.

I go through my 2-hour morning routine with him on my shoulder: brush teeth, squeeze blackheads, shower, make tea and toast (I get one and a half butterered slices, he gets half a buttered slice), clean his cage thoroughly, including washing the grid, give him fresh water (which he gets hot in the morning because he likes to have a cup of tea when I do and he drinks (with one eye on me) when I am drinking). I top up his food (I top this up whenever it needs topping up, not at set times, as some days he eats more dry food than others), vacuum the flat, etc. Then he goes back into his cage.

I go off for my day and he is in his cage for up to seven hours almost daily. I have found over the years that so long as we stick to his routine he is absolutely fine with this. He has never plucked or shown any signs of depression or frustration. The routine allows him to nap and play as he chooses, and these birds would naturally sleep half their day in the wild, so this works well.

He has lots of toys in his cage to amuse himself with, and I change and/or rotate these quite often so he doesn't get too bored with them).

As soon as I come home, around 3pm or 4pm, he comes out and remains out until I go to bed around midnight.

In general, as long as he is part of my routine and I stick to that routine, he is happy. He lets me know he is unhappy (as when I occasionally break the routine and go out at night, or am away longer than usual) by attempting to bite the hand that feeds him. But he can be bribed easily enough with a treat.

As I am working on my PhD at the moment, I travel quite a lot and am away in general twice a year for about 6 weeks at a time. He then stays with his vet (who adores him and spoils him rotten). This costs a fortune, but is well worth the money for the peace of mind. The vet lets him sit on his shoulder and walk around the surgery with him, the nurses let him join them for lunch (and eat off their plates!). He lives in the surgery reception, so he gets to see everything that goes on and talk to loads of people and see lots of different animals. He is often quite dusgruntled by having to come home to boring old me!!!

As to food, he eats along with his seed and nuts dry mix, a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, loves peas, beans, nuts, green stuff, etc0. He tends to have some of whatever I'm having, and particularly likes sweet yoghurt, pasta bolognese or carbonara, cheese and apples. He loves lettuce, but only if it's got dressing on it! Unlike me, he does not automatically overeat.

In the evening, he sits with me as I work at my desk or watch telly. He usually has a toy which he wants me to try and wrestle away from him and this makes it more fun for him, especially if I say, "give me that", in which case he fluffs up hedgehog-style and turns his head away so I can't take whatever he is holding in his beak. He also still likes to play peekaboo (he is nearly eighteen!). He's very very playful.

One thing that seems particularly important is making eye-contact with him. This really comforts him, and he quite deliberately makes eye contact a lot of the time. I suppose it's that flock mentality thing.

I hope this is helpful.

Lidia

[MickeyandMe]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer my questions. It was so interesting to hear about your day!

[Talon]

Mickey

 

This was a fun thread. I find it very interesting how different everyone's schedule is, but how very much alike we are in the care & love of our birds. It seems to work no matter what your life schedule is. Thanks for starting this, and I hope it continues! {Nature-00020095}

[Guest briansmum]

i know i'm a bit late but i thought i'd add my little bit too lol... brian landed on my keyboard just as i was about to do this.. i'll let him tell you

 

What's a typical day like at your house?

i sit quietly on my perch and wait for my mum to get up. i know it's morning i can see the light peeping from the bottom of that big brown thing she puts over me on a night, she thinks she's tricked me but i'm always awake waiting for her. it doesn't matter though i'm always really excited when she uncovers me. mum always says "good morning gorgeous, how are you today?" i can't say it back yet so i make whistly sounds and funny noises, which she does back at me and we go on like this for a good ten minutes, it's my favourite part of the morning. she insits on giving me "fresh water" and "breakfast", i'm beginning to think she wants me to eat these before i can come out to play so i do try, but it's hard to concentrate on eating when there are far more fun things to be doing!

i LOVE it when mum opens my cage door, i have a big cage but theres nothing like that first morning flap! it feels so good that sometimes i just stand there flapping and flapping. it makes mum laugh and she calls me "crazy bird!" which i like, and if she's not watching me i make gargly noises to get her attention. it's no fun being flappy when theres no one to appreciate it. when i'm fully flapped and flown out i like to strut around on the carpet, i know what i am and what i am not allowed to chew, nevertheless i give everything a good beaking.. it's always satisfying when mum says "i buy you all these toys and you insist on chewing the curtains/carpet/sofa/wires etc". after a while i do get hungry and take myself back to my cage for refreshment, mum says i am a good boy for doing it all by myself, i like being a good boy and always give a little whistle when she tells me i am. after i've eaten i come back out and sit on my play gym for a good preen, all that flapping i do puts a few feathers out of place and i'm very particular about where they should go. ask my mum, she'll tell you! i'm lucky that i get to go in and out of my cage as i please when mum or dad are home so i spend the rest of my day flying between my cage and play gym depending on what i feel like doing.

sometimes theres no body home and i have to stay in my cage on my own, i don't like it when that happens, but mum always puts me a special toy in to play with. occasionally we go to my grandma's, mum makes me go in my little cage to go in the car.. i like the car it makes me fall about and i get all excited! when the weathers nice mum puts my harness on and we go in the garden, the harness is ok as long as i forget it's there, i'm still not sure what to make of the garden, that green stuff is cold and soft under my feet and the wind ruffles my feathers which i dissaprove of as only i'm allowed to ruffle my feathers.. or maybe mum if i'm in a good mood.

i get lots of tickles and scratches during the day and even a cuddle if i feel like it, my mum is very obliging. while i am out playing mum takes all the poop paper out of my cage and puts clean in, she has a mini dustpan and brush that she uses to sweep up bits of food and things.. i like to attack it!!!

my afternoons are pretty relaxed i go into my cage a couple of times when mum puts "dinner" and "tea" in other than that i just like to sit and watch telly.. and preen some more.

at first mum had to put me back in my cage when it was bed time, but now i'm getting bigger when i get sleepy i go to bed by myself i've heard mum telling people that i get tired about 9 o'clock but she doesn't cover me up till her and dad go to bed a little while later. i yawn for a while and mum says i look wierd when i'm doing it, i think she looks wierd all the time and when i learn to talk i'm going to tell her so!

thats pretty much my day to day and i rather like it!

 

thats brians story.. boy he has a lot to say! <br><br>Post edited by: xxbeccyxx, at: 2007/06/12 23:30

[dblhelix]

Kip gets up when we do...often around 0800, but on weekends may be after 1000! She is flexible and may babble in the morning if we are not up yet but shes usually not to loud or needy. Once we are up she comes out for ~1 hr in the morning on her kitchen play stand as we make breakfast, prepare for work. We will share toast, cereal, fruit etc for breakfast. Her cage paper gets changed in the AM and we will ensure her pellet/seed mix bowl is topped off, fresh water and fresh food bowl is added in addition to fresh veggie skewer before leaving to work. Fresh food bowl usually has small scoop Gondenobles bean supreme, 1 tsp pine nuts, 2 grapes, 2 almonds, carrot slices, fresh sugar peas (in the pod), 1 dried fig, 1 tsp sunflower seeds, 1 or 2 broccoli flowers, slice of orange or apple or watermelon etc. Skewer is almost always 1/3 fresh corn on the cob, a broccoli flouret, 1/4 carrot and some leafy greens (red leaf lettuce or collard greens are favs). Radio left on low during the day.

 

Then she is alone for ~ 8-10 hrs until we get home, usually around 8PM. Once we are home she comes out, during dinner, hangs out on play area in living room while we watch TV, gets treats, sits with us, sings, talks, whisltes, plays, gets scratches etc etc etc. Shes currently learning her A B C's song! She then puts up strong protest when its time for bed. Bedtime is usually around 11:30PM-1:30AM depending. So, she is usually out of the cage for ~ 4 hrs per day.

 

We do not cover her at night. Showers with spray bottle about 1X/week and sometimes does her own bath in water bowl! I am taking her into the shower gradually to get used to it, but she's still a bit unsure. I have taken her on some car rides to parents place, pet store etc. Shes getting comfortbable with it. I also plan to get a flight harness so she can go outside safely. Currently outside things only happen in her travel cage. We try and get her outside for some time at least once per week. She's a good girl! Here is a shot of her right around 6 months old, now shes 1 yr and talking up a storm!