Bedtime Habits

[ZephyrFly]

Soo...
Our bedtime routine with Pazu is we put him away and has half an hour (30min) to eat and chill, after that we turn off then light and close the living room door. Is this a good routine?
We've had him for 2 full weeks now but he just wants to be out with us and has very little interest in his cage. He likes bells, he likes his tent swing (its a hanging perch with a cloth tent on top, not closed in) but he'd much rather be out with us.
He'll settle down for the most part after being away awhile but as soon we leave the room he calls. Once we leave the room for a while he settles again until we come back or he can hear us. As soon as we turn the living room light off he calls again, and again will calm down eventually and sleep (he's a bit less sound sensitive after that).
As for him keeping busy, he does interact with some of his toys but it must be mostly when we're out as we only see him play with his tent and the bell that's attached to it; oh and eat in his cage, he doesn't eat unless we put him in his cage or bring the food to him, stop the presses if he has to go to the food.

How do you guys do nighttime? Are we wrong put him away then stay in the room for 30min before lights out?

 

[drj130]

I do the same thing with Pat and cover 3 sides of his cage as well. Once that 30 minutes is up, I cover the rest of the cage and turn off the lights. Never had an issue with him doing this.

 

[weco]

We do pretty much the same thing with our lot, though if we forget to close their door, one of them usually reminds me.....

Good luck.....

 

[veimar]

Same here - I usually dim the lights, and that's a signal for them to go to their cages and have a final bite of food. Sometimes one or two budgies are still out, and I just let them step up and put them into their cages. Then I cover all the cages.

 

[ILoveBirds44]

I have always covered my birds: a Sun Conure, "Buddy," and a Cockatiel, "Pokie." Someone told me that covering my birds is a form of punishment as the birds perceive it. But I cover my birds at night in order to give them a sense of privacy, security, and a warmer environment.
Has anybody else heard this? If it makes them feel like they're being punished, I'll stop covering them.

 

[ILoveBirds44]

Oops! I see that I need to edit my profile picture!! LOL!

 

[Kiwibird]

We do a similar routine. Usually put him up about 8:30/8:45. He eats and then lets out a holler because he's tired and needs a kiss before bed. Bedtime kisses are imperative around here, no joke, no kiss no sleepy bird. Once he feels loved, he'll go over to his roosting perch before the cover goes on. We just cover the cage and keep noise to a minimum though, as it would be highly impractical in a 1 bedroom apartment to shut down the living area at 9pm Kiwi goes to bed once the cover is on even if the lights are on and there is (light) noise. Every so often, I'll hear him eating or moving, but for the most part the cage is quiet for the rest of the night. And every once in a while he will fall asleep before bedtime and gets so grouchy when we wake him up to put him home. "What, I can't sleep on your leg/on my swing/on the couch?!"

 

[ZephyrFly]

Thanks everyone! We were worried that we should just be putting him to bed and leave him straight away, to avoid him having to stare at us through the cage and running around to get out.
We understand that parrots are social animals, but he has to go away eventually (which he does when we cook, and when both my boyfriend and I have to leave the room and he can't come with, he doesn't like it).
He'll get over it a bit eventually, these are still early days.

 

[hacatta]

when it is time for them,i go lay on my pad and watch something on my ipad,it's their signal that they have an half hour to eat,and trust me they know.
then i cover their cages put out my main light and leave a small one one.
When they are all settled in i put out the light and and go to sleep myself.
if am am on my computer instead off going to bed they refuse to sleep.
According to them the whole flock sleeps together.
i cover the cages since i have to leave for work early and this way they will sleep a bit longer while i am up and about.

 

[kimn818]

I have always covered my birds: a Sun Conure, "Buddy," and a Cockatiel, "Pokie." Someone told me that covering my birds is a form of punishment as the birds perceive it. But I cover my birds at night in order to give them a sense of privacy, security, and a warmer environment.
Has anybody else heard this? If it makes them feel like they're being punished, I'll stop covering them.

Loco, my yellow sided green cheek knows that when I say "time to go nite nite" it's time to be covered and after kisses he climbs into his happy hut and is asleep soon after hes asleep... so I think it's all about how you cover them.. show them love and happiness and I don't think they associate covering them with punishment.