How structured are your routines?

[Stitchthestitch]

I know routines are extremely important for a happy parrot. I know they require the same bed time and wake up time and meal times.

So I'm curious, what does your daily routine look like?

 

[noodles123]

Mine sounds super-specific, but it isn't really a science-- it is just what I generally do.

Weekdays-- wake up around 4:30-to 5---bird is in her own dark room still. Get her up between 5 and 5:30 (take her out on my hand, good morning my big girl etc etc). Take her to kitchen and put her on top of fridge-She watches me make her breakfast. We eat at the table together if I haven't already eaten (usually make mine before she gets up so she can be in the kitchen) --she has a perch on/near table.
She obsessively feels the need to wipe her beak on me (to clean it after breakfast--so I "wipe her beaky")-- then she gets some dry food in her perch cup. She bobs around and annoys me while I try to work some (sometimes I give her a "spray spray" (which is a quick shower with a squirt bottle)--sometimes she sits on me while I send emails or fix pin feathers. She sits on cage while I shower (I tell her that's what I am going to go do). Sometimes she watches me do my makeup from the fridge top. I am usually out the door by 7:30--but before then, I wash/change her water-dish, quickly clean out her cage tray/grate with f10 sc (because she sometimes goes down there to get things during the day), chop up a fruit/veg mix that will not go bad while I'm gone (put it in cage), turn on the radio, open curtains and show her outside (she walks on my arm and looks out glass) and then she goes into her house and I tell her I'm going to "worky" lol and "you you soon, be god quiet girl" repeatedly as I leave. I talk to her a lot in the morning- narrate what I am doing, tell her what day of the week it is etc. I use key phases to help her predict things even if they do happen in a different order. Whenever I am going to keep her in for a long time (work or sleep) the big lock goes on her main cage door, as she made tools to deconstruct the mechanism and can escape without reinforcements lol.

Home between 3-4---let her out, take her with lots of attention, into kitchen to watch me make her food, then we eat at the table together and she does the whole morning routine over again (but with more play and for longer) until she gets tired and demands to go to her room/cage. I make sure all wet food or weird things from the day are out of her cage. We play in the evenings more-- she likes to play this "I'm gonna get your toes"game, where she says "COME HERE" and then runs away from me when I do (over and over)--like tag.


I know she's tired because she bobs repeatedly (wherever she is) and complains and then goes into her cage, grabs a red pellet and bobs on the left side to let me know she is ready for me to cover her. I pat her on the head, shut curtains, radio off, cage locked and covered, "night love you see you in the morning" while I am covering and then I leave. Bedtime is set by her own whims, but she is pretty consistent. It is between 5-6 if she wakes up a 5---it is also earlier if it is a super-dark day (esp in the winter). 7-8 in the summer when I wake up around 7 and it is light longer.

That is like the very bare minimum interaction she could handle I think ^^^^ She is pretty well-adjusted, but we spend A LOT more time together on weekends.

For her- the most important things are times (sleep/wake-up within the same hour or so) and 12 hours of covered, quietish sleep. She gets an attitude and anxious when she gets less. She also uses meals as a marker for time (along with lighting), so I feed her some special plain oatmeal everyday around the same time.
Also, narrating things/ using familiar language to mark certain processes--- "going to work"= gone a long time, "going to the store" shorter time, "are you getting sleepy"= it's almost bedtime, "good night, see you in the morning"= it IS bedtime, "I'm going to sweep", "use the vacuum"---> OH!!! "I'm going to move this" (If I plan on picking up a large object like a chair--it seems to prevent her from freaking out as much as if she has no warning).

Some of the routine details are somewhat less important than the big picture, but something like an unfamiliar object on a chair in the room can disrupt her mood to the point of interfering with the routine, depending on her mood and/or the object. I had some X mas lights on a chair and she was pacing and wouldn't eat until they were gone. I don't always do little things in the EXACT same order, but I do try to keep wake-up, dinner and bedtime routines as predictable as possible. It also makes it easier if someone has to watch her for a day or so--she knows exactly what to expect and follows along better.

***When I first got her, we did things a bit differently because I couldn't touch her to put her back in her cage (so mornings on a time-crunch meant no risking getting her out and getting stuck. Consequently, I waited until 10 minutes before I left to uncover her, change food etc but I had to be quieter because I didn't wake her up until 7:15 and she would start to stir if she heard me. Later wake-up meant I kept her up later at night so she was still getting about 4-5 hours out of her cage in the evenings (I opened the cage as soon as I got home and let her do what she wanted without being locked up in there)---when it was dark and she was tired, she would climb into her cage without me forcing her and I would cover her etc).

She was also an adult re-home and very anxious/OCD when I got her. She is off anxiety medication now (has been for years at this point), but she did come with some baggage---she can handle changes, but she is calmer overall when her routine is somewhat predictable (much like a pre-school child). Sure, there are days when I am home a bit late, or when she doesn't eat until 6 (very rare- but life happens), or when someone else has to put her to bed...she handles it. I am talking big-picture predictability. Plus--- I have an Umbrella Cockatoo and they are kind of wild-cards lol.

When introducing a new set of behaviors (e.g, going on a road trip)--initially I always tried to keep things predictable so that she would buy-in more due to familiarity--- almost like singing along to a familiar song. If you don't know what lyrics come next, you are less likely to participate. She is kind of the same way when adjusting to new processes.

 

[chris-md]

I think you’re going to get different answers from different people. Most people here are just workaday folks with 9-5 jobs, so the structure is inherent to their day.

I’ve also heard bird trainers say the best thing you can do to have well adjusted, nonphobic birds is from an early age to be predictably unpredictable. This way they learn more readily to go with the flow. But you likely can’t do that with adopted adult birds, you have to raise them under those conditions. Granted this speaks well beyond just wake up/bedtimes and meal times. And it makes sense in a way - happy wild birds aren’t exactly on a routine, now are they?

 

[Stitchthestitch]

I work 9-5 monday- Friday, it's why I was asking about routines.

@ Chris-md : When you talk about being pradictably unpredictable, how do you mean? Are you meaning for example, not doing housework in a set order at a set time on a set day? Or am I missing the point?

 

[SailBoat]

Being unpredictable is a reality of life, as they say: Life Happens!

The predictable part of this combination is the Humans taking the time to communicate what is happening and when it will return to normal... Example: I'm going outside, a short bit later you show-up in their view of outside. The When part is a timeline, I'll be back in (stated time).

The joy of returning home; Humans are commonly boring when we come home... Our Parrots are celebrating our arrival and they believe we should as well.

There are tons of examples of everyday life tied around a Parrot. With the majority of us, it becomes part of everyday life.

Routines and timing: Predictably unpredictable, also is shifting what and when things are done. Most of the time its the order in which things are done... Note: Feeding schedules with a New Arrival Should be as precise as possible. This assures the Parrot that starvation is not ever going to happen in this home. As time moves on and you have a better understand of what and how much they eat and when, adjustments can occur. Feed abundantly with a New Arrival.

The Wild Bird example, above, is a great clarification... Each day is different, but there are still fundamentals that occur each day, but the time will shift.

What should not change is the way you interact with your Parrot. Introduction from afar, arrival along side, etc... And, with new arrivals, Always Assure that Only Good Things Happen when Humans are around...

 

[Stitchthestitch]

Thank you every one, for taking the time to answer my questions. It's really appreciated as I want to be the best parrot mum I can possibly be.

 

[chris-md]

Look at Steven getting all meta over here! better than I could have ever explained it!

To build slightly on above, it also speaks to ensuring something new is coming at the bird every day. Feed in a different location (ok, not always practical), take him to a new place every day, introduce him to a new object every day.

This veers away a bit away from what your asking, which is the basics of stuff like “should I feed him the same time every day? And put him to bed the same time every day”....but life is so much more than just the basics, routines extend beyond the basics. The idea is getting them comfortable with...I want to say discomfort, but that’s not quite right. But the sentence flows, so I’ll stick with it: keep them comfortable with discomfort.

 

[Laurasea]

My birds have the same get up, and go to bed time every day.

 

[chris-md]

My birds have the same get up, and go to bed time every day.

Sorry Laura, this gave me a huge giggle in strong contrast to mine and Stevens post, gave me a great smile.

My boy is hormonal right now, so for all the talk about being unpredictable, he does have roughly the same wake/sleep times every night to help keep hormones under control. The life of an Ekkie owners!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Erm, I lean perhaps to more extreme than Chris in terms of unpredictability.

Cairo knows he gets two meals a day. Sometimes he gets snacks in between, sometimes he doesn't. His two meals don't have absolute set times. Breakfast is roughly either when I get ready to go to work or when I hear him wake up on the weekends. Dinner is sometime in the evening. If he's acting hungry, he gets an early dinner. If he's not asking for food, he gets dinner the same time we do normally. But if he's outside with us, then he either gets dinner when we do or, if he prefers to nap, then he gets dinner when we get home.

Sleep schedule wise is also a bit rabak.... tbh English doesn't quite have the word for it. But if Cairo tucks himself into bed, then I let him even if it is insanely early. Otherwise, his bedtime can vary by an hour or two. That being said, if he does to bed 'late', I try to make sure he gets to sleep in late.

In the morning, he'll wake up, grab a bit of breakfast, head back to sleep, then wake up for the day. It's due to my terrible schedule. In the country where I live, work hours are 9am-6pm with typically a one-hour commute each way, and that's not including the fact that working overtime is normal.

Cairo is mostly chill with unpredictable things. He doesn't get upset if he has breakfast in his carrier while on the way to a friend's place. He's chill with having a dehydrated fig for dinner in the middle of a crowded park. He'll happily nap in the middle of Starbucks. He's learning to make friends and whatnot, asking him to step up for new-ish people. I take him for walks every other day and put him next to new things I see along the way, talk him through new sounds we hear along the way.

He doesn't get spooked easily anymore. If a stranger tries to grab him, yes, he'll spook. If he hears the sound of a skateboard (or similar rolling wheels), he gets spooked. And he doesn't like hairy arms (but hairy faces are ok). Otherwise, that's it.

I guess I do take his chill attitude for granted. But I do consciously try to gently push his boundaries - I don't force him to face his fears, but I do try to expose him in a positive, reassuring way (many treats, give it a name, normal chatting, reassuring positioning).

So yeah, not very structured.

But we definitely do have names for each thing we do! "Fly-fly", "walk-walk", "shee-shee", "bathey-bathe", "makan", "water", "night-night", "sleepy-sleep", "wait", etc. And he's slowly using the words he finds important to him (mostly fly-fly).

 

[wrench13]

We have a daily schedule with Salty, but its variable.
Wake up is at 10AM maybe a b it later, by my wife.
breakfast is as soon as he is up an uncovered
He has cage play time until 1 or 2 PM, when he is out every day, and lunch is served.
I am home by 4:30 or so and he gives me a big HI Daddy and I give him a big Hi Salty
Dinner is 6-7:30 depending on what we are having.
Training time is the only hard and fast time , 8:45-9:15 and I try to not vary that much .
Nite Nite time is 10:0 PM maybe a bit later if we have folks over.

 

[fiddlejen]

Since I work, an occasionally-variable schedule, I decided to always leave TV-OFF and Classical Radio ON when I go to Work. Or, anytime I expect to be gone more than appx 6 hours. (This is because, cars going by outside can sometimes flip my TV off.)

If instead I leave for a few hours or less - to go to store, errands, church etc -I put on a youtube aquarium video. I've done this since I had the birds and I think it works well.

( After you have your bird, you may find you have routines that you didn't know you have. When leaving for Work, if I forget something I normally do , Sunny lets me know about it, loudly, until I "fix" it. )

 

[Kalel]

No structure whatsoever. Everyday is different. I didn't want my birds to be used to a routine. Literally chaos in this house with respect to structure or routine . My bird sitter (who is also a bird rescue guy) did mention that all of my guys are well adjusted and have no phobias and I do believe that my lack of structure has lots to do with this!

 

[Stitchthestitch]

Thank you so much for this insite, I know how personal routines can be and what works for one may not work for another. Less structured will work for us better I think as I am more of a "get ready for work at the last minute" "organised chaos" kinda person. My hubby wonders how I can get 8 dogs groomed in my 8 hour shift with how disorganised and chaotic I appear. Same with cooking. My kitchen looks like a bomb site during the process.

 

[ParrotGenie]

Pretty much none as don't want my birds to get use to routine it can cause behavior issues, plus life in general is unpredictable and that is reality of life. I find even when training birds it make them more resilient, harden as don't get spooked easily anymore and adapt easier to changes and accept training and changes better as a result. I took in three cockatoos that everyone feared before as they would attack and bite anyone that came near, to the point now anyone can pet and handle them without getting bitten and fully free flight trained. Two of which were adopted as adults and one still a juvenile.

 

[noodles123]

I agree with changing up minor routine details, but the whole sleep-time and meals thing is important---in nature birds DO go to bed and wake up at the same time daily (following the natural light cycles in their oft-equatorial homes).

 

[ParrotGenie]

I agree with changing up minor routine details, but the whole sleep-time and meals thing is important---in nature birds DO go to bed and wake up at the same time daily (following the natural light cycles in their oft-equatorial homes).

I do make sure they get the hours of sleep needed. Yes they do follow light cycle and more to that topic as I built custom light controllers and LED lighting for breeders, so very aware of how important that is. It actually how you can help curb breeding/nesting behavior. Same goes with diet and vet visits.

 

[bigfellasdad]

I have 3 average days
1. working from home (3days per week)
2. working from office (2 days a week)
3. Weekends.

Enzo and I have different days in each scenario, but the 3 things that remain constant are breakfast, shower time and bed time.

Breakfast, first thing i do is go and say hello and uncover her, place some newspaper under the top flap of her cage and let her out. She always greets me with a beak rub and then she does her morning HUGE 'toilet'. I clean her bowls and start preparing her food for the day whilst she explores the worktops for anything that shouldn't be there. If any think is found she throws it on the floor... Once her breakfast is ready, she eats from the bowls on the kitchen table and enjoys a warm camomile tea or warm cordial whilst I drink my cordial.

I then go take a shower and she sits on the shower glass and chats away to me, same songs 'adams family theme', she tries to guess if im working form home or not im sure, she will say 'bye' in a dramatic female voice and ill say bye back or 'no bye', im sure she understands. When I walk to the bedroom to dress she always waits until i reach a point on the landing where she will fly to my left shoulder, always.

Night time is always the same too, it takes me at least 10 mins to get her settled, longer on the weekends as she spends less time alone with me as I always have a house full. She will go to the oven extractor hood and preen a little and expect lots of scratches. When she is ready she goes to my shoulder and climbs to my forearm for a little cuddle (she pushes into my arm). She then allows me to take her to the cage where she takes a drink. She will then 'loop' around the inside of her cage 3 times.....not twice, not four but three times, no whistles or noises, just saying night night every 'loop'. Everybody thinks im mad the way we act lol.


There are many other routines but it will take me all day to type, and pretty trivial such as the first time i take her upstairs (she spends most of the day upstairs, she loves chilling in the bathroom!) she has to be on my right shoulder and i walk up whereas any other time i go upstairs she flies and waits for me at the top.


I think Enzo is all about routines, maybe this is a common parrot theme?

 

[Kalel]

I agree with changing up minor routine details, but the whole sleep-time and meals thing is important---in nature birds DO go to bed and wake up at the same time daily (following the natural light cycles in their oft-equatorial homes).

Yes! This part I do follow. My birds do get 12 hours of sleep per night as I know that's important for hormones and general health.
What I meant was that my day is never the same. As an example, I once met a breeder who told me they must have the exact same out of cage time each day to be happy. She told me to strictly take them out at that time and then put them back in their cage after x hours. Stuff like that, I don't do. A little bit of structure is ok as long as it's not too strict, I think

 

[bigfellasdad]

Nobodies life has that must structure surely! I can't even let enzo sleep when we lose light as sometimes during the year she wouldn't interact at all as the days in winter are so short... surely a balanced healthy life is more important.