To cover, or not to cover?

[cfulhage]

I was just wondering who all covers their fids' cages at night, and why or why not?

I cover Ollie's. I occasionally (maybe once a month) have company stay over, and they sleep on the couch or somewhere in the living room, where Ollie is. I figure she will sleep better if her cage is covered... If I were a bird I think I would feel more secure with a covered cage. However, she throws a big fit at night time. I'm thinking about leaving her uncovered for a few nights and seeing how she does.

I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the subject.

[Monica]

I don't cover any of my cages because all the birds go to sleep with the sun and wake with the sun. There are times I may occasionally turn on the light in the same room as them but they don't seem to mind it.

It's a personal choice cause I don't have cage covers, sheets or blankets wont go easily over the cages, and two birds are cage-free.

[felisdomesticus]

I cover Scarlett just b/c that is what I was told to do. She sometimes continues to talk and whistle when she hears us walk past her room after she's been covered as if to say "ha ha I'm still awake!"

I also have come home from long days/nights after day trips or weddings or such and she is sound asleep uncovered in her cage.

I don't think she really cares about it either way. It does help me to keep her on a regular schedule though and to ensure she gets enough rest. I uncover her at 5:00am and she is in her cage and covered by 8:30pm.

[Freedomoflight]

I have only started covering my birds, and the only reason I started is because it has been getting colder then heck! I cover them with a flannel sheet each night, and although its a sheet, it does keep some warmpth in....
Guess I am not being very helpful... :D
But I never used to cover my birds for the same reason as Monica- and espicially during the summertime, when it gets sooo dang hot- I wouldnt want a sheet thrown over MY cage to keep the heat trapped in!!!!
I dunno.... LOL

[kensbuns]

Definately cover

[My Kiwi]

My bird likes it when I cover her cage at night. I say "nite-nite" and she goes to her perch and does a 'lil dance. I don't hear a peep until I uncover her first thing in the morn.

[Vankarhi]

I cover my birds when they are babies. Skye only gets covered now if we are having a late night and that does not happen very often. Rani gets covered because she is a baby and needs her sleep.

[FeathersNFur8]

I don't cover. I have a double macaw cage, which would take me forever IF I could cover it. But Kady has taken over the living room. So at his bedtime, we exit 'his room' and close the solid double doors. He gets a full 12 hours every night.

[kp_in_scott]

Well, I do both. The macaws, and amazon have a room of their own and we just turn out the light and shut the door. No problem. Seymour sleeps in his cage in the living room uncovered. We did put a partial cover over the dome during the summer when we were running the air conditioner and didn't want him in the draft. He pulled it through the bars and into the cage, so we just quit. Angel my CAG sleeps in the room with me and is always covered at night. She seems to like this just fine. Jesse is a new addition and in his previous home slept uncaged on a stand beside the bed. That's not feasible in my home, so I thought I would put him in a sleep cage in our bedroom. I covered him the first night and he freaked out. Just went to the bottom of the cage and cowered. Nix that idea. But it is cold in our room and I didn't want him in a draft, so I put 1 layer of newspaper over the top. He accepted that. After about a month and it is getting cooler in our room at night I added a towel and let it drape down over the sides and back of the cage. He's ok with it. Each parront has to take into consideration what is best for each bird, and like at our house what works for one bird isn't necessarily the right thing for another bird.

[Winged_Victory]

We do not cover our birds as they seem to like without. They go to bed a 8PM and get up between 3:30 - 4:00AM.

Gary