Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    We routinely cover all cages in our house leaving one side open
    for light and air. We do it in a way the light doesn't directly
    shine into the cage. Hope this helps
    
    Lise

    I cover my cages to keep the temperature more steady and to insure
    against drafts.  I feel it also keeps the birds from being disturbed
    as much if a light is turned on during the night.
    
    Doug

    
    I do not cover my cage, and I do keep a night light on. I have two
    in one cage and Harpo is not the most cordinated bird in the world.
    He tends to fall off his swing and this freaks out Ziggy if I do
    not keep the light on. I guess she isn't sure whats flying through
    the air if the light isn't on for her to see its only Harpo.
    They do get up around 7am. Even on saturdays
    
                                      
    

    
    We have never covered our macaw's cage.  He does not seem to have a
    problem.  We might have a problem, since he thinks that the household
    should be up and taking to him around six in the morning, but that is
    our problem not his....
    
    He sleeps fairly soundly, if someone comes down to get a drink (the
    cage is in the family room, next to the kitchen) he sort of cocks an
    eye and then goes back to sleep..
    
    -dick

    
    I cover the cages during the cold season.  The second the bird lights
    are turned off all bird shut up.  I have not had any problems from
    drafts.  I start covering in early fall and stop in mid spring.
    
    
    Karl......

    We too cover in the cold season, our 2 Greys & 2 Cockies. The rest of
    the year, they are fine uncovered.
    The male Grey is funny when woken from his nocturnal sleep. He takes
    about 3 minutes to wake up, and during this 3 mins, his expression &
    posture say "..nnnnn... who put the ***** light on....nnn...". His eyes 
    are very dilated - all yellow & no (black) pupil. It's like he's seen a
    ghost.
    You feel apologetic on occasions like this.
    It's after about 5 mins that he screams to get out for his morning flap
    about the room.
    
    Jim Burke (& Basil the heavy sleeper)

    Well, it's been about a week now that I haven't been covering the
    cage (except for on Sat and Sun AM - they get covered around 5:30)
    and we don't seem to be having any problems.
    
    Why do people cover the cage in winter?  If I keep my house the same
    temperature day and night in the winter, will I still need to cover
    in winter?
    
    	-Nancy 

    covering in winter vs summer
     Covering your birds in winter will keep any drafts off them.
    When we cover all our caged birds, we plugg in a night light just
    so they can see around their cages and not get spooked by anyone
    that will walk through the kitchen during nightime hours.
      The birds have always been covered, and the Amazon is learning,
    that when we cover them it means quiettime. We use this method when
    any of the birds are screeching at the top of their lungs, we cove
    the cage and within minutes they quiet down. when they have been
    quite for a few minutes we take off the cover.
    
    So the birds learn that when they are covered it means quiet time
    
    Lise

    
    I to cover my Yellow Nape..and he knows what the cover is, is he
    is being noisie I tell him " I'll cover you " and she shuts up.
    
    Also I hear from alot fo floks that if they are not covered, they 
    could see shadows in the night,,get frighteded and die of a hart
    attack..they only have lil' hearts and they scare very easy..
    
    Louisa (Reggies Mom)

    My new cockie doesn't like cages.  He is a had fed cockatiel and
    has never been kept in a cage.  He just likes to walk around the
    house in the day time and sits in the climbing tree on top of his
    cage at night.  He sleeps in the tree also.  My question is, is
    this o.k. or what?  I don't like putting him in the cage because
    he isn't happy in there, I can tell!
    
     Thanks, 
       Glen J.

    why do you need to cover him?  if he gets startled at night he will
    not be able to get his bearings and will probably start thrashing.
    
    Thrashing is when the birds flys & flops around the cage to the
    point he/she breaks feathers.

    Is it o.k. that he is out all of the time?  It seems that everyone
    puts their birds in cages but me.
    
    Thanks,
    Glen J.

    Think of the future. If you allow him to get used to this way of life,
    then caging him (eg. for transport) will stress him more than necessary.
    
    I remember an extreme example of this, with an old lady's Grey. She
    went on holiday and put him with a bird-keeper. The bird had plenty of
    companions (other parrots), but it was torture for this Grey. It
    plucked every feather that it could reach, and by the end of the
    'holiday', it was eating very little and deteriorating fast.
    The poor parrot had rarely seen anything other than the owner, and had
    travelled little, up to this 'holiday'.
    Hence; prepare your bird for the future.
    
    Jim Burke

    I also would be worried about what he could get into when you're
    not available to supervise.  For example, chewing and electrical
    cord wouldn't be too cool.
    
    Laura