Can you manipulate a bird's wakeup time?

[daughterbirdlover]

After months of research, I'm ready to place a downpayment on a baby Panama Amazon. My husband's main concern is that the bird will wake him at 5am. We're not a family that sleeps late, but we don't get up before 6am on weekdays and about 7am on weekends. I plan to keep the bird's cage downstairs in the family room. Do cage covers really work? Is it true that birds will stay quiet until they hear activity in the house? (within reason ) I need to hear reality on this aspect of bird ownership, but I also would like tips if there is anything I can do to manipulate the wakeup time.http://www.birdboard.com/forum/image...eusa_think.gif

[kathleen]

I usually wake up at 5am on work days. Pumpkin, my quaker, will start making noise around 5:30 - 6:00 am. On weekends, I usually sleep until 7:00am. He doesn't start squaking until 7:30am unless he hears me. I normally put a cover over Pumpkin around 8:30pm. If I keep him up a little longer, say around 9:30pm, he will sleep slightly later in the morning.

[shortncrazy2]

my conure will be up but not make any noise until she hears that I am up.

[jimpierce7]

on work days we get up between 6:30 and 7. On weekends around 9. Zoey and Benji start quietly calling out around 8 or 8:30.

[Monica]

None of my birds are covered, thus all wake up when the sun starts to rise.

You can try and prolong the amount of time they should wake up by using a cover, but they WILL need 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Use a dark/heavy cover, and keep the family room dark until you get up.

If he starts making noise before you want to get up, then get up, prepaire him some breakfast to eat, then go back to bed for a bit more rest.

[Irish]

The Goons may wake up early, but they stay quiet 'til about 10 am, if I'm too tired to get them out to the aviary earlier. All bets are off after that, though!

At times, when I've been ill, they seem to know, and have kept quiet for as long as I needed them to. If 'zons are as empathetic as macaws, I don't see it being an issue. We cover their cages with sheets, which are more there for the psychological benefit of privacy at night than anything, as they can undoubtedly see any but the dimmest light through them. About 9 am they'll take them off and start "hinting" that they'd like out, now, please (if I haven't already taken them out). Come 10 am, they start DEMANDING to be let out. One doesn't tend to ignore 5 shrieking macaws and a Sun conure :-).

[ROYJOY]

mine dont make a peep till the cover comes off.

[Sally]

Chipper doesn't wake up until I uncover her. Usually at 9am. I sleep late.

[daughterbirdlover]

This is all very encouraging. Thanks. I've been a behind-the-scenes member since February and I've learned so much. The Panama baby that I'm considering hatched yesterday, but in a foster nest with CAG parents. The Panama parents layed eggs last month in freezing temps. and weren't keeping the eggs warm. We'll see if the CAGs feed the Panama even though it makes different sounds. I've heard that the babies get a much better start if parent fed for a few weeks.