How much time?

[casper]

We have many new members which join the forum who are doing research into wether they feel suitable or not to be a grey owner. I think one of the big questions should be do you have the time, commitment and patience to commit to one of these magnificent birds and give them the life they deserve.

 

I would say on an average day I must spend 7 hours with the greys. On a weekend this is longer.

 

On average they will get 5+ hours out of cage time during the week and on a weekend I try to give them 8+ hours.

 

Time is also spent one on one even though I have more than one grey, food preperation, cleaning (cages and room twice a day)

 

I for one never realised how time consuming they could be but now it is just a part of my daily routine and I dont give it a second thought.

 

How many hours do you spend with or looking after your grey and did you realise how time consuming it would be?

[Jason]

I never thought when i got my grey, Ernie last year that it would be so much work. Its honestly like having a child. However, I really enjoy it and do not regret it at all. I love spending time with him and teaching him.

 

When i come home from work each day (6pm), he gets let out of his cage and goes to bed when i do (around 12). So each day he would get about 5-6 hours out of cage time. On the weekend its more. He loves being out and watching tv.

 

Its so cute the way, he waits at the door of the cage to come out each evening. He really knows the routine now.

[danmcq]

This is a great thread to have started Casper!! :-)

 

On average, Dayo and our Jake are out of the cage 4 hours weekdays in the evenings after work. This can very down to 2 hours if a grandchilds baseball game or other necessary tasks are required to leave the house in the evening. Weekends and Holidays they are both out from 6am to 8pm.

 

However, out of cage time is not the only time spent on the birds, as all us bird owners know. There is food preparation and feeding each morning and night. There is cage cleaning each day. There is shopping for food specifically for them along with toy purchases, making toys, thinking up foraging ideas etc.

 

The above listed task take up at least one hour each day in addition to the out of cage time and sometimes much more time than an hour or two.

 

This is going to be a really good thread for potentially new Parrot owners to reference when thinking they have the time for a Parrot. :-)

[Jane08]

I also found them to need more time from me than I expected.

 

In the morning they have 1 hour out of cage time and then in the evening they come out about 1700 and go back in about 2100-2230. The weekends they are out of the cage about 8 hours of the day.

 

Like everyone said there is then more time spent doing other stuff for them.

 

One thing we also did the first year we had them was we didn't go out at night and leave them alone, there was always someone home. Now we have started to leave them alone at night in the weekends say if we want to go to dinner, partying etc. We put them in about 30min before we leave, have a light on. By the time we get home in the early hours they are fast asleep.

[judygram]

Yes great thread Caroline, karma coming to you for starting it.

 

Josey is out from the time I get home, it varies, to her bedtime which is around 9:30 or so, she is out on the weekends most of the day and some of that time is one on one time with her.

 

I know some of our members greys get more out of cage time and some get less but you make the most of what you have and your loved one gets used to the routine but one that is closed up all day with no time out is going to develop behavior problems.

[myafricanqueen]

Dalia is out of her cage pretty much all of the time when I am home.

Out of cage time should be AT LEAST 4 hours a day as minimum I would say.

I got a stand/perch with tray that I place right outside the bathroom door in the AM and leave the door open so she can watch me get ready for work. ( just don’t use hairspray,perfume etc)

 

Then I feed her soft foods when I leave for work and my hubby who comes home a few hours later for lunch takes out what food she may not have eaten and he lets her out for an hour over lunch as well.

I try and switch up her toys so she doesn’t get bored, she has a good variety to destroy. ( now I add an empty TP roll as well)

 

I get home a few hours later and I then let her out the rest of the nite till bedtime, usually btwn. 10pm-12am

Over the wknd. She is out pretty much all day unless I am doing certain chores and have the door opened or there is some other hazard.

 

She really just wants attention all of the time, like any baby would! I would also say that one on one affection time is very important too, Dalia has to have her cuddle time, she loves to sit in my lap and lay her head low get pets and rubs for a good hour while I watch TV. If I stop she pushes my hand and asks for more…whatta sweety….

[casper]

Jane, you bring up something there I always feel guilty about doing and I shouldnt really, going out on a weekend.

 

I cancel so many invites because I dont want to leave them but people will stop inviting me soon lol.

 

I will try this with them and see if this works. I am a big softie dont you think? My daughter is pretty good and can cover them for me so I think I need to slack off and live a little:)

 

Judy, you are so right, we all can offer different amounts of time with our greys, like anything I feel its quality time which counts dont you? This is whats important for them.

 

I look forward to everyones comments:)

[Raposa]

Good thread!

During the week, Jenna sometimes has out of cage time in the mornings and sometimes not. I spend about an hour with her, though, between cleaning her cage, preparing food, creating foraging opportunities to keep her busy during the day, etc. In the evenings she is out from when I get home until her bed time (around 9:30) so that is usually 3-4 hours. It can be less if I have to work late. Weekends she is generally out of her cage and with me most of the day, probably at least 6-8 hours and sometimes a lot more. I am also one of those who sometimes refuses invites to do things because of my bird, but I think I have to watch that, it leads to an unbalanced life for me. I will be going away for a long weekend for Memorial Day and I am worried about how Jenna will handle it, even though my mom will be home and give her lots of attention, and a friend who is good with her is staying in the house to keep an eye on my mom (who is wheelchair bound) and the animals. But I do need the break and have the opportunity, so I am going to go . . .

[Tycos_mom]

I work 24 hours a week and I'm planning on cutting that to 18 hours within the month I work wed to sat 5pm to 11pm my birds get up at around 930am and are let out of their cages on the days I don't work they are out pretty much until bedtime because I really don't like to go out on my days off. the nights I work they are in their cages at 430 pm and don't get covered until I get home at 11:30pm but I do turn off the lights before leaving except for a small light over the kitchen sink so when the sun goes down they can sleep. In the morning it takes a good hour to prepare their breakfast and fresh fruits &veggies for the day for breakfast if its an egg morning they get either freach toast on 12grain with sweetpotato mixed into the egg., or an omlette with broccoli redpepper and a little grated cheese, or scrambled with 12 grain toast. some time I will make them fruitsalad for breakfast and mix it with granola cearel just depends on what morning it is. then after breakfast I fill their bowls with veggies and leafy greens. at dinner when I'm home they eat what I eat an the nights I work they will get bean and rice mash, or squash,sweetpotato with mixed veggies cooked either fresh or frozen if I make myself a pasta salad for work then before I put the onoins and dressing on I will give them pasta salad for dinner which has red peppers,orange peppers carrots, celery,and parmasan cheese init along with colored rotini cooked pasta witch they just love. all of these things take at least 45 minutes to prepare and feed not to mention the hour a day to wipe down the cages and change the paper and the 2 a week major clean that takes a good 2 hours. Then of course there is the one on one time that they all need it helps allot that my birds get along with each other so well so I can spend time with 2 or more at a time and there is no jealousy with Adaya she needs me more right now being a baby so she gets up an hour before everyone else and we have cuddle time. then around noon I take her and another bird for a walk around the neighbourhood for about 45 minutes when we get home its bath time after a quick bite to eat. I would say that because I have quite a large flock that most of my time revolves around them. I do love it and wouldn't have it any other way but they are allot of work. Thank goodness I have a job that I can go shopping for there food while I'm at work or I'll do it after work so when I do come home from work I don't have to go anywhere else. I need another day off so I have even more time to spend with them:laugh:

[she]

I always feel very guilty that I cant spend more time with the birds.During the week they get on average 3-4 hours out the cage, more of a weekend.I also turn many social invites down because I just could not leave the birds.I did have a good idea how much time and work is involved in having a grey before I got Charlie so got no big surprises.It is very hard at times, especially at the moment for me with my mum being ill but I am coping, JUST. I had a night out the other Saturday and I really enjoyed myself,it was a real girlie night out with friends and done me the world of good.I think the aviary is good for giving the birds a change of scene and gives me a chance to clean up.

[chimaysmommy]

Chimay is out of his cage just about all of the time that my boyfriend and/or I are home...He's out of his cage from about 7:00am when I get up to get ready for work till 11:00am when my boyfriend leaves for work. Depending on my schedule, he comes back out of the cage at either 6:00 or 7:30 until bedtime at 9:30. So all in all, between 6 and 7 hours total on the weekdays. He's out a lot on the weekends. He gets at MINIMUM one session of one-on-one time per day during the week, and sometimes 2 or more on the weekends.

 

Then of course there's the produce shopping, toy shopping and the ever-wonderful poop patrol. Ha ha. Thankfully we did plenty of research before deciding on a grey, and had a pretty good idea of what we were in for when we got him.

[Luvparrots]

My birds are out of their cages when I am home. I let them out around 9:00 am and they are out until 9:00 pm unless I go to the store, kids, appointments, etc. But are immediately let out once I come home!!!

[Jane08]

Casper I know what you mean about the guilt. We always spend as much time with them outside the cage before we go out. I also put an extra treat in the cage for them. The first year we only had Rangi so I couldn't just go out and leave him by himself. Once we got Kea for him I felt better about going out as they had each other.

 

You are a big softie casper but I totally understand when their little eyes are looking at you begging for attention. You then have to think that you need a break as well.

[Natasha]

Boesman is out as soon as I wake up he then is every where I am at home say about from 6am - 7.30am when I leave for work I get home at 16.30 in the afternoon and his out till bedtime depends on the time we go to bed sometimes early sometimes late but he goes to the cage if he is tired and then I close him up weekends he is out from the time I get up till late depends on if we are going somewhere ect. Casper I also turn down invites because the one weekend he had to stay with my sister in law we had a wedding and slept over I specificcaly told her to please NOT OPEN him up as he bites other people he doesn't know!!!! I took him about 3.00am the afternoon and went and picked him up 7.00 the next morning she politly told me she flicked him on his beak because she opened the cage door and he bit her!!! Man, I was furious I told her if she would like it if I flicked her daughter on her mouth? Well we had a huge fight because to them it's just a bird to me it's my baby!! So no staying at other people anymore and if Boesman is not welcome I am not welcome :evil:

[SamsDad]

Sam comes out when I get home from work at 4pm during the week. He goes to bed around 10pm. On weekends he's out from the time we get up until bedtime, unless we have to be gone for several hours. Each evening he gets 1 - 2 hours of lap/shoulder time while I watch tv or do some chores like feed the kitties - last night it was over three hours of lap time. I scratch him and he preens me, then himself. Last night he wanted to play with my fingers so we goofed around for a while - it was cute.

 

Tom