Day and Night cage advice

[parrot mullet]

My family will be picking-up our baby CAF late next month and I have a cage question for you experts here.

I understand that these birds need 10-12 hours of sleep and they also like to be part of the family. To balance this, I was thinking about having a night cage in a separate room so that he can get the rest he needs without being disturbed by the family as he tries to sleep. If this is a good idea, when should I start this habit as I have read that one needs to slowly introduce the bird to their new environment and also to change. Do I start with routine day one or is it okay to have him sleep in what will be his regular cage and slowly transition to the two cage deal?

Thanks in advance.

[parrot mullet]

and to add...should one put toys, food, or water in the sleep cage? I don't want to deprive but if it is truly a sleep cage, it makes sense to me to ensure there are no distractions.

[Congobongo]

If you can provide a sleep cage in a spare room that would be great. Yes, they do need a lot of sleep. I would only put water in there. They should sleep, not play or eat. But even we sometimes need a drink of water at night. You should also tell him 'night night' or something so he knows it is bed time.

[parrot mullet]

Thanks for the quick reply. any thoughts on the timing of the sleep cage...day one, after he's used to us...?

[Scritch]

Bit late to the post here, but I'd say go ahead and introduce the sleep cage on day one. It should be a comfortable place for the new baby, and might as well get him used to it right away. Also, depending on what your particular baby likes, you might want to put a snuggly-type toy or two in the sleep cage. A lot of baby parrot like to cuddle against fabric or soft rope toys, or safe stuffed animals, while they sleep.