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Blanket over cage

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Blanket over cage

Postby Jon » Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:56 pm

Do any of you put a blanket over your bird's cage at night? if the answer is yes, how do you take it off in the morning without him freaking out? I got my cockatiel two days ago and both nights I put a blanket over his cage, but in the morning when I take it off he flips out and starts flying around in his cage and hitting the cage walls and perches. Should I just not put a blanket over it?
Jon
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 4
Location: Raleigh N.C.
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Cinnamon Cockatiel
Flight: Yes

Re: Blanket over cage

Postby Wolf » Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:14 am

Hi Jon This is the first post that I have seen from you so I would like to take the time to welcome you to the forum.

I don't normally cover my birds at night, but that is because I live way out in the country on 6 acres of forest land so I do not have any artificial light coming in my windows. And that is the deciding factor as to whether you need to cover your birds at night or not. I am not referring to just the light coming in through your windows, but any light that comes into the room that they are trying to sleep in. If you make certain that there is no artificial light entering their sleeping area, then you should not need to cover the cage.

Since I do not cover my birds, someone that does cover their birds will have to share with you how they put the cover on and remove it without scaring their bird(s).
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Blanket over cage

Postby Jon » Tue Jun 28, 2016 9:10 am

Wolf wrote:Hi Jon This is the first post that I have seen from you so I would like to take the time to welcome you to the forum.

I don't normally cover my birds at night, but that is because I live way out in the country on 6 acres of forest land so I do not have any artificial light coming in my windows. And that is the deciding factor as to whether you need to cover your birds at night or not. I am not referring to just the light coming in through your windows, but any light that comes into the room that they are trying to sleep in. If you make certain that there is no artificial light entering their sleeping area, then you should not need to cover the cage.

Since I do not cover my birds, someone that does cover their birds will have to share with you how they put the cover on and remove it without scaring their bird(s).


I live in moderately rural neighborhood so there is absolutely no noise or light coming in. I read in a book a while back that you are supposed to have a night light on for them so..... I do have a nightlight on for him and a fan on for me (he sleeps in my room by the way.) so should I take away the nightlight?
Jon
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 4
Location: Raleigh N.C.
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Cinnamon Cockatiel
Flight: Yes

Re: Blanket over cage

Postby Pajarita » Tue Jun 28, 2016 10:00 am

Well, unless you go to bed with the chickens (4 pm in the winter), it's not a good idea to keep a bird in a human's bedroom because they, unlike us, need to follow a strict solar schedule. As to the cage covering, I only cover one single cage, the cardinals and quails', because it's placed in front of a bay window and there is a lamp across the street. I put it on when it's already night and the birds are asleep and remove it when dawn is barely beginning to break - they are used to it and it doesn't bother them at all.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Blanket over cage

Postby Wolf » Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:20 pm

I really don't know how to best answer the question concerning the night light, except to play it by ear. It the cockatiel does fine without the night light it is better to leave it off. Some cockatiel seem to get night frights and you might need to leave a very dim night light on for them. No one knows why some cockatiel get these night frights, or which ones will get them. I think that it may have something to do with being a single bird instead of part of a flock like they were meant to be.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Blanket over cage

Postby Pajarita » Fri Jul 01, 2016 10:52 am

I think night frights have more to do with husbandry and cages than anything else because mine never had a single night fright when they did not live in cages and, once I moved out of the Pa and had to put the ones I kept out of the large flock (I kept the old and handicapped) in a flight cage (versus a small individual cage), they only had them when the light from the street lamp was shining on them at night. So, personally (and aside from the consideration that light at night is very bad for a bird's endocrine system), I think that the very common advice to leave a light on for tiels is, actually, counter-productive.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


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