How much time does your conure spend locked in

[charlyanderson]

...the cage?

I generally have mine out quite a lot but I do put her back for a while each day so she can have a sleep in her tent if she wants.

As mentioned yesterday she is biting alot and I think it might be cause she doesn't wanna go back in her cage. Maybe she thinks everytime I am picking her up I am gonna put her away, she literally bites and sqwarks everytime I put her away.

Someone suggested making it more fun to be in her cage. She has plenty of toys etc, are there any other tips people can suggest

 

[crimson]

well, if you think like a bird, I wouldn't want to go back in either.
what they don't realize is they have to go back in.
what worked for me was I offered a treat(grape,apple,peanut) as you put them back in the cage, they don't bite and they are rewarded for going in.
You could try getting your bird to step up on a perch and reward, then slowly put him back in the cage.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

As little as possible - Definitely not every day. Even staying with family right now, his cage there hasn't been locked in about weeks. If I were to go away for a whole day, like from wake up until evening, I would lock his cage. But the room where he is living right now has a giant glass door, so if I close the door, he can still see what is going on and so can we. If he glides the floor, he'll find some of his toys there to keep him busy on the bird-proofed floor.

A long time ago, I used to end up being the one to pick him up and put him in his cage. So I realized he was getting mad about that. So I made sure to start picking him up and just giving him a few kisses and hellos, then I would set him back down wherever he was before. I still do that. I want him to know that when he gets on my hand, he might be getting kisses.

 

[secuono]

I just found out my guy will eat more, eat different foods and soak his cereal if he is in his cage most of the day. So I've been leaving him locked up most of the time. Used to have him out 5+ hours, now just an hour or two.

 

[Bandit]

Bandit is only locked in at night. During the day he's free to wander in and out as he pleases

 

[lexx510]

I just found out my guy will eat more, eat different foods and soak his cereal if he is in his cage most of the day. So I've been leaving him locked up most of the time. Used to have him out 5+ hours, now just an hour or two.

So do you think he's happier being locked up most of the time?

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

I just found out my guy will eat more, eat different foods and soak his cereal if he is in his cage most of the day. So I've been leaving him locked up most of the time. Used to have him out 5+ hours, now just an hour or two.

Interesting twist. Not a choice that I would make though. Freedom rules.

 

[Peeko]

Peeko comes out for 2-3 hours per day, although depending on schedules, he sometimes comes out longer. But 2-3 hours per day is his average.
Before an angry mob comes at me...
The reason he spends so much time in his cage is that it isn't safe for him to be out without supervision (other pets that are dangerous to him, and far too many things he could get into), and as much as I would like to be able to spend all day with him, I cant. In fact, if he comes out for longer than one hour at a time, and more than three hours total in a day on average, he gets very cranky and nippy to the point where I'm forced to put him back in, if he doesn't go back in on his own, which is usually the case. Kinda like an overstimulated toddler. He's an angel any other time. He doesn't seem to mind being in his cage so much, either. He has a huge cage, crammed full of toys. He loves his toys - most of them are destructible and/or foraging toys - so he has a blast tearing things apart and munching on yummies He's always occupied and stimulated when he's in his cage.

 

[94lt1]

Starburst is hardly ever locked up... He's hardly ever in or on his cage.. We get up, we let him out.. Workout... He goes to jess when I shower, comes to me when she showers... Then he's with us just like monte and Seminole... We always have a bird with/on us... Benefit of working at home

But if we have to go somewhere and will be gone for a while.. They all get put in and locked up.. This rarely happens, one of us is usually always home..

 

[Kern2012]

Cooper only gets put in her cage when we leave to go somewhere and when it is time for bed. Other then that she is free and able to go where she pleases. Sometimes she doesn't even get put in her cage when we leave, we take her with us to get out of the house. But some people don't have this option available to them. I agree with a previous comment try to feed a treat to get her back in. Find something she/he loves and try that. Cooper loves the Lafeber Balls so I give her a couple at night time and she goes right in. Good luck hopes this helps... Worse thing about trying to get your feathery friend to do something is time.

 

[Peanutsmum]

Peanut spends at least 7 hours a day free flying when Im working and more when Ive got days off. He hates being in but I dont have a choice. He loves going out in the car sometimes!!

 

[BIRDLUV]

She spends 11hrs outside her cage. But, I've notice that she doesn't care much for food if she's outside her cage, because she just wants to play around.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Gilbert is in that cage my entire workday M-F and only out in the evening. On weekends he has a more flexible schedule because i'm home. I don't leave him free in the house when no one is home.
I keep a lot of toys in there for him so he stays busy, and the cage is fairly large, for a lot of climbing and activity. He seems to enjoy his cage time (he is in there right now, swinging from toy to toy, having a blast). He was out a lot today because i was off work.
Because of my schedule, i try to make sure i set aside quality time for him daily when i am home. i don't let myself fall into the 'i'm so tired today and just feel like lying down' routine because he needs me.

 

[tokensmom]

Tokens amt of time in his cage varies. I am finishing nursing school right now so some days he is locked in throughout the day but I open his cage as soon as I get home. It is funny because even when it is open, I catch him acting silly inside his cage...yelling from his sleep sack thing, playing with his favorite bell toy, pecking at his mirror...etc. I agree with the previous poster though, sometimes when I get him out, he does act over stimulated and has to be put away for biting and nipping too much.

 

[kentstar]

Sunny spends most of his time in his cage, but I do get him out several times a day and my hubby is home all day too. My hubby can't have him out all day though because of the medications he is on which makes him sleepy, so hubby takes nap during day. I do work during the week so I get him out when I get home, and days off he is out like I said several times a day with me. He may not be out of his cage for hours on end a day but he gets the equivalent of a few hours a day out at least when I get him out during the course of the day. Most of the time, Sunny lets ME know when he's had enough and wants to go back! lol He will look at me, like "Mom bring me back please" or he will fly off and land on his door and climb back in! He mostly loves being out with me because I let him get away with more than my hubby does lol. He loves when I sit down on the recliner with a blanket that he can climb under. He also loves climbing down my shirt and sitting on my bra lol! He feels nice and cozy and warm I'm sure.

 

[secuono]

I just found out my guy will eat more, eat different foods and soak his cereal if he is in his cage most of the day. So I've been leaving him locked up most of the time. Used to have him out 5+ hours, now just an hour or two.

Interesting twist. Not a choice that I would make though. Freedom rules.

He hardly ate anything. It doesn't matter if he is happy, yet starving.
He started flying back to his cage and spending more time on it freely last few days. So now he's out more often again, he'll fly to his cage, eat/drink some and then fly back .

 

[Beak]

Mine generally comes out around 1 hour in the morning, 4-5 hours after work so 6 hours a day he comes out, on weekends its more like 6-8 hours a day. But he generally just sleeps while were all in work / school as he is still young (1 year old). But others might sleep through the day too. :09: