How to have all day freedom?

[MagicalMerlin]

Hey guys!
I wanted to ask how you guys keep your macaws out of the cage all day..and still get things done?

I started working a ton, 7 days a week. My weekdays are only half days, so I'm trying to let Merlin out in the mornings before work and then when I get home at 3:30 until bedtime for him.

I can carry him around and put him on things and hes okay. I have a rolling perch, and he'll just chill on the couch with me. But there are times when i need to do things and I can't hold him, you know how it is.
He doesn't mind being on the floor, he will wander thru the entire house on the floor. He doesn't fly, but he'll climb down off of almost anything. He gets into things, thats why i don't want him just loose!

Do you guys just have gyms they can't get off of? Or do your birds run loose?
I was thinking about setting up some sort of bird station in each room, so I can just put him in/on it while I need free hands. But I need something he can't get off of.

I'm also just curious how people with multiple birds get anything done in their houses...with birds loose all the time? Those people are magical beings to me.

Thanks!

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Now, I know nothing about macaws or any larger parrots, but I usually have one bird on my shoulder as I do laundry or the dishes. Either Ducky or Kermit usually accompanies me downstairs. The budgies always stay in the bird room, because they’re too flighty and won’t sit quietly on my shoulder. The only time I have all four birds out is when I’m in the bird room and all my attention is focused on the birds. Right now Ducky is on my shoulder as I type this. Now, if the birds pose an inconvenience to what I’m doing (Kermit will sometimes hop down to my keyboard and play with the keys) I will simply put them in the cage, or ask someone else in my family to hold them. I would never just be able to place my birds on a stand somewhere in the room and leave without them flying to me. Sometimes my birds will just decide to take off and fly around, checking out different rooms and looking for people. There is no stand that they can’t get off of because they’re flighted. However, I’m not one of those people who always leaves the cage doors open. I always put them in their cages when I have to cook, because the kitchen isn’t exactly a safe place for birds with all the hot surfaces.

 

[wrench13]

Honestly I cant think of any design that a parrot could not climb off of if they really wanted too.At leastnothing that wouldnt be an eyesore in a home.

 

[MooshieBird]

I have a room bird proofed with next to no furniture(one chair that is way to big for a bird to move and a TV bolted to the wall) and no electrical cords with low bolted to the floor perching. Mushka goes in there if I have to leave and no one else is around. That's the best I could come up with. Sometimes they just need to go in the cage if you can't do that I think. Mushka is calm enough that I can do most anything chore wise with her on me except cooking and using chemicals. When I have to do those things there is pretty much someone around but Moosh would have to go into her cage or her room otherwise. She can fly well enough now I have to close the doors to the kitchen when I cook. As good as she is there are times when she has to go up, and I always put her in her cage for bed time.

 

[psychocircus91]

I just can't imagine my guy being completely loose all day everyday.
When he is out, he wants to be on me, and usually playing.
I consider things like cooking, cleaning, bathroom, and hazards that come with those things, as well as hazards of unsupervised time.

IMO, if you want him to stay put, there is not much of an advantage of him being on a stand vs in a large cage for short periods of time.

 

[Soyajam]

I'm not unlike Mooshie.

Remi gets into everything too and often after 5-10 minutes she gets bored of being put on a stand.

The room in which she has toys and her cage is "relatively" bird safe, so there's not too much she could get into. She seems happy enough chilling in there and coming to find me occasionally. So she goes in there, "loose" with me checking on her every 10-15 mins to make sure she's OK (since she's often dead silent! Suspicious!)
I will always start with her on or nearby me as that is her preference, but if she starts getting into mischief I take her out into that room. If she comes back, I give her the same opportunity to be with me, but if there's more trouble, out the back she goes again. If it's excessive and I'm just going back and forth, I put her into her cage until I can watch her fully again.

If there's something that requires my attention for more than 15 mins and my partner cannot watch her, she goes into her cage for her own safety. She still gets the enrichment of having people around to listen to, but that is the most definite way I can be sure she won't hurt herself when she is unsupervised.

Otherwise, things are done after bedtime. (It occurred to me long ago this also happens with parents of human children - after bedtime is like the shackles are undone!)

 

[Kiwibird]

Being a free range bird is highly dependent on the individual. Unfortunately, it doesn't really sound like your bird is really a good candidate. You say he likes to get off his stand, explore, get into things... All of these may be normal for a parrot, but they aren't conducive traits to a bird being allowed to be free without supervision! A dedicated bird-proofed bird room may be your best bet

 

[MagicalMerlin]

So no one really has free birds! That actually makes me feel better!
I was thinking Merlin didn't get out enough, and that me having to take him in and out of his cage to do things was a problem, but it sounds normal!

I do try to get all the things done either before or after I get him out, so I can dedicate the whole time to him.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Loz]

I couldn't risk Dora being free all day. Most of the time, she will either be on me or my child. Whenever she is out, she is always supervised! If I think anything I am doing poses a hazard to her, I'll return her to the cage till I am done. Last night, I accidentally shut her in the kitchen because I didn't realise she had flown off me, till I heard her calling frantically

 

[Sunnybirb]

My macaw is also a chronic wanderer. I've found that letting her check out every corner of a room for a few hours makes her much less interested. I haven't let her explore in awhile, as she loves to take chunks from my dresser, and she wanders a lot less because she's "checked it out" before. We also made a tall perch that she can't climb down from. She could glide if she was brave, but given that she came to me clipped and is unflighted, she has never attempted it. She loves to chew, so we added branches and dowels all over and a foraging toy. It keeps her relatively busy. Maybe try building a perch that has a lot of stuff on it, but no branches down low? Ours is about chest level and seems to do the trick, but you may need to go a little higher. I've been really surprised how much she likes being up there. I'm not sure if Merlin is a chewer, but it would be good to capitalize on it if he is! I also will tie cardboard boxes to it and that will also keep her busy. Eventually she will get bored, but by the time she does, she's tired and taking a nap! Wandering parrots are hard, since you want to let them free but they're so curious that it would be easy for them to get into something that might hurt them. I don't know if any of this will help, but it's always worth a try.