Cages outside

[ceegull]

Does anyone keep their caiques (obviously not your aviary birds) outside? If so has it affected them in anyway? I know the conditions are not always suitable but I was thinking about it but it might be bad for the bird. Edit as in it might turn abit wild in the long run if not maintained properly.

 

[Irishj9]

I often put the 3 juniors outside to enjoy the sun and shout at the wild birds. They love it I partly cover the cages so that they can regulate their own temperature, and have a place to hide, plus I never leave them in the wind.

The only effect I can see is HUGE enjoyment

 

[Mallory]

I think bringing the birds outside in the day when the weather is nice and you can provide some supervision is a great idea! Your post makes it sound like you want to stick their bird cage(s) outside long term though. First issue is that metal bird cages tend to rust and not hold up outside, they are just not meant to be exposed to the elements. Your birds really should not be left outside year round either as almost everywhere in the world experiences some form of severe weather. This can be heavy rain, hail, snow, freezing temperatures, strong winds, and even intense heat. There are also predators to be concerned about and theft especially if your bird is in a visible location on your property. Raccoons can open any cage without a padlock and even if they did not grab your caique(s) the cage would then be open. Snakes could get through larger bar spacing as could mosquitoes and other pest insects. Wild birds will be attracted to the feed in the cage and dropped around it and could potentially expose your birds to disease. If you have the cage open, say to interact with the birds or change food and water, they are free to jump or fly off of you and could be lost. Remember that even clipped smaller birds can usually achieve flight if there is any wind. If you want to leave your birds outside in the long run, you really need an aviary with secure weatherproofed wire, at least a partial roof, a secure locked door and preferably a small heated "indoor" area for cold weather. Even then you will be spending less time with your bird than if they were inside with you, and that can negatively impact your relationship with the bird and ultimately its tameness.

 

[ceegull]

I have a patio at the back but its sides are not covered and was thinking of putting the bird there and taking it inside sometimes in the day. Caique will not be seeing me or what is happening inside the house most of the time so I don't know if this is bad or not. When the conditions are bad I was going to take it inside, I am in Sydney but our weather can change from steamy to icey pretty quick and if no one is home then this may not work. I have been reading pages of forums and it dont look like anybody keeps them outside.
Also not many people have parrots here, they are harder to adopt because people want a high price for their old caiques and other birds.

Edit. I dont know if I can put links here, that link shows a 3 year old caique going for $1500 AUD.

 

[Mallory]

Is there a reason you want to put your future caique outside? Parrots are flock animals and really enjoy being inside with their family (you). Plus our homes are safe from the elements and other threats and usually climate controlled. If you work and your parrot is outside, would you be able to rush home any time the weather suddenly changes to bring your bird back in? And what benefit would keeping him outside have for him and for you that outweighs the risks?

 

[ceegull]

Well I dont want the bird to get attached. My wife has 2 conures in the house and I can keep the caique in the living room (which is another room) to avoid aggressiveness of caiques to other birds. I am home mostly but have alot of duties here too. I know they can be quite individual if taught from the beginning so I am trying to decide what to do with it. I would love to let him run free like the conures but as you know... caiques are mischief. Maybe I should just get an amazon. I think the Sydney temperatures can work for a bird outside under a patio, of course with some tweaks. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks Mallory.

 

[Bandespresso]

If you don't think you can put up with mischief, a caique might not be for you. Caiques are adorable clowns who need a whole lot of attention! All they want to do is play play play so keeping them outside without integration would be extremely detrimental to their wellbeing. Caiques also have a serious case of Big Bird Syndrome so they don't usually do well with any other species....they also play too hard for most non-caique bird buddies. Why is it that you want a caique?

There are a lot of wonderful bird species that do well in an aviary setting that you should consider if you want some outside birds .

 

[SilverSage]

You don't want the bird to get attached? Parrots need attachments for security and happiness. If you mean you don't want the bird to start screaming at you when it can't see you, that is easily achieved without putting the bird outside. Parrots are very social and need a flock. I do not think keeping a single parrot alone away from the family is humane, and I suspect it will produce a wild parrot who bites you when you try to interact with it. If you don't want an "all the time" pet, please don't get a caique OR an Amazon.

 

[ceegull]

Maybe less out of cage time? I know there are people on this forum from my research that dont give alot of out of cage time. I guess there arent many members with aviary birds here because I am sure there are a huge number of people that kerp single birds outside. Of course I would provide suitable conditions for the weather. These are things I am juggling around at the moment and am just seeking advice. I think a person has to decide aviary or pet. You guys make it sound like a parrot has to be handraised and pampered. I have been against caged animals for a loooong time so I thought a pet might be ok. Well we love our conures alot and they seem happy. BUT we all know about the adoption rates and such unhappy things happening to both families and parrots. I think when you take away a baby those parents dont have a chance at parenting and dont have the skill, also that baby now thinks its human, I can go on but we all know handraised has a very darkside. Keeping aviaries might be better for the birds rather than this whole handraising system. The keeper takes all eggs so he makes maximum profit , I think handraising may be better for emergency situations and then maybe the bird should be left a bird. I am not here to bash as I have birds and love the parrot species. I am trying to avoud an obsessed amazon or an aggressive caique because rehome and reform is not an option for me. So less out of cage time maybe? Do they really need that much attention? Help me.

 

[Ann333]

I would not recommend less out of the cage time unless you have an aviary. Your bird will be depressed frustrated and lonely. Locking a bird in a cage alone all day is a good way to turn your bird into a screamer or a feather plucker. Birds need interaction and love. It takes a lot of time each day to keep them happy and mentally healthy.

 

[ceegull]

Why do I want a caique? I think they are the most awesome bird out there. I believe they are the smartest. The breeder HIGHLY recommended them. What more fun bird is there than a caique?

 

[ceegull]

Problem is with caiques for me is not bird aggressiveness its that I believe they need constant supervision because they are the most non perch bird there is. Tell me it isnt so, tell me i can let him free roam when i am home. Conures will be safe no problem there. I am trying to align everything to work out and I hope it will.

 

[Ann333]

All birds are intelligent and like to have fun. But if you stick it in a cage alone on your back patio all the time then it won't bond with you or trust you and won't want to play with you. You need to make sure you are ready for the amount of time it takes to have a bird FRIEND instead of a bird locked in a cage.

 

[Ann333]

ALL birds need constant supervision when out of the cage. My conure gets into EVERYTHING if I'm not watching. No bird should be left out unsupervised, not conures, not caiques, not a budgie, or a 'too. They all need supervision.

 

[Bandespresso]

We are here to help don't worry! I apologize if I came off as anything but helpful. We want you to make a decision that is best for you, your family, and any future bird you bring into it. It's really awesome that you are researching and getting as much information as you can! There are a lot of members here with many different lifestyles for their feathered family. Some have birds that are literally never caged, there are a lot of users that work long hours and keep their bird cages while they are gone, and we all love our birds and give them the best life we can. I agree that the breeding industry is (for the most part...I know a lot of wonderful breeders and hand raisers who breed out of passion not for profit) can be really nasty. Have you looked into rescuing?

All parrots need interaction and attention no matter what their species or lifestyle. Wether that is a flock of wild parrots, an untamed breeding pair, a flock of aviary birds, or a single parrot interacting with their human family. A single parrot left in a cage will become aggressive, unhappy, and cage-bound. Youll likely have a plucking, screaming, and biting mess on your hands and that is exactly what it seems you're looking to avoid. There are many ways to teach a bird to be independent and nonaggressive but that will not happen by putting them alone outside. What exactly are you looking for in a bird? Like you said, you do have to decide between aviary birds or a pet. if you are looking for a pet, they need to be apart of your "flock" in order to thrive. The keys to halting obsessiveness/aggression is training, dedication, a good diet, and interaction. To avoid over bonding issues, introduce your bird to lots of different people and teach them to play on their own. Basically: yes caiques and all parrots (caiques especially) really really need that much attention.

Personally, my grey is very interactive and very much a part of my family. She doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body and that is because I have taught her different ways to communicate and I always listen to her and respect her body language. I set boundaries and she knows I will enforce them (she still tests them daily). Espresso goes with me to the store, hiking, bars, anywhere! But this is all because I put a whole lot of time and effort into her socialization. She is only caged for bedtime and if no one is home but, more often than not, she is out all day long.

Sorry this post is a whole lot of babbling!! You definitely seem to have a lot of heart and the right idea....just the wrong idea about how to go about it all. Which is why we are here!!!

 

[Bandespresso]

Problem is with caiques for me is not bird aggressiveness its that I believe they need constant supervision because they are the most non perch bird there is. Tell me it isnt so, tell me i can let him free roam when i am home. Conures will be safe no problem there. I am trying to align everything to work out and I hope it will.

Caiques are really awesome! One of my favorite species!!! Unfortunately they absolutely positively need constant supervision when out of the cage. Some birds you can trust to hang out on a playstand (like my grey) but caiques are troublemakers and guaranteed to get into everything they aren't supposed to.

 

[ceegull]

Okay maybe a more independent caique then, I will do some research in that area and see what comes up. I am under the assumption that parrots bond and they over obsess and scream all day, thanks bandespresso. I am 40 years old now so I can see ahead better now than that 10 year old who wants a puppy. We have 2 conures who keep each other company, the sun just does his whole own thing when he isnt with the GC and doesnt want any attention - I think the breeder didnt socialise it enough I dont know because don't I have that much experience with parrots. I know there is a few major factors here like the genetics, its experience as a baby in its first 10 days and after that too, the way it was brought into the house aswell. Our conures arent together alot and sometimes they free roam sometimes they perch and sometimes the GC just wants to hug. They pretty fiesty for little birds I believe and I know that a caique is like a GC on supercharge. All info is taken and thanks for taking time out.
Not many birds in Sydney for adoption, in fact its very very limited, there is 2 adoption facilities in the Sydney area and they literally only have less than 10 birds each and not birds I am into. Its more like you want a caique? pay $1500 AUD then you can have it even if its young or old in good condition or not.
I did adopt a quaker and could not keep it because of the lifestyle it had before and I didnt like the bird much to reform it. It was bonded to a man and it immediately bonded to me and ever since it would screech all day unless it was on my shoulder, it was out of cage all day too. It would sit there staring at me all day and scream louder if I was on the phone. I sat there with my wife once hugging and it came all the way from the other side of the house and attacked me. Another time my wife tried to take it off my shoulder and sliced a beautiful razor cut an inch long. This was all in 2 weeks. Anyway lesson learned and the smarter I am now. The bird went back to the owner who gave it to a rehome facility.
I do have a friend who has a cockatoo who when they brought it home showered it with love for weeks and now it has its food changed and water changed, it gets exited when the door ring but thats about it, the poor thing is missing feathers and it sits in the garage alone mostly. There are alot of factors at play and I want to minimise the ones that cause an unhappy bird as much as possible. Thanks and sorry to anyone who I bored but education is SO important to avoid all this. I will continue my research. Cheers all.

 

[Irishj9]

Problem is with caiques for me is that I believe they need constant supervision because they are the most non perch bird there is. Tell me it isnt so, tell me i can let him free roam when i am home.

100% correct. Publish this EVERYWHERE, as an alternative to the happy hopping hugging clips on you tube

 

[Peppo]

I think if a bird can't be in the wild and flying free then it should be an all the time,pampered, bonded part of the family. Why add another bird if you don't want the attachment? Just curious, I don't understand your reasoning. To me, the all the time relationship is the best part.

 

[ceegull]

I can't commit like that, I admire your commitment and being there all the time for your bird but if people are not careful and they cant commit then we have a screaming plucking bird. Some people like more of a casual thing, Bandespresso raised some good points above about training and routine work to not make the bird so dependent. No human can replace a birds partner, it is impossible to. That is one of the reasons we have nasty bites, the bird is expecting something or trying to tell us something. The bird has been pampered, loved for years and all of a sudden the bird gives a chomp and digs its beak one inch deep somewhere on our skin. It wouldn't do that to its bird partner now would it?
I didn't know until I actually got parrots that they were such lovers and affectionate creatures, I wish humans could love and commit like that. I think I speak in general for us males when I say this that woman are better partners for parrots. I can't pinpoint why but maybe its a mother thing maybe woman can commit better maybe woman are just better lovers or can return love better. Men are more hunters and gatherers by instinct.
2 caiques are better than one I have been told. Nothing like seeing a bird give its freind a kick in the face or a dropkick in the chest,