Napping?

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Today is the third day we've had our two month old Nanday conure home with us as we just adopted him. The first night, he slept on his perch, and last night, he slept in his brand new Happy Hut. (He went to bed around 615 or so, about 15-30 minutes after his formula. He's down to two feedings a day, once in the morning and once at night and he also eats pellets, fresh fruits and veggies and seeds.) He woke around 7 this morning and took his formula. He had shoulder time with me for about an hour and then played in his cage until just now (almost 9 a.m.) when he climbed back into his Happy Hut!

Yesterday, before he had his Happy Hut, he was climbing all over and perching without taking a nap. Today, with this new Happy Hut, he seems inclined to recline!

My questions is this: Is this normal- napping like this? Our 'tiels nap on their perches from time to time during the course of the day but I was wondering if this behavior is within the normal range for a conure.

Thank you!
Laura

[jessica313]

shadow gets plenty of sleep during the night but he still likes to take naps during the day. he has a happy hut too and sometimes he likes to curl up in it, get nice and comfy, and then fall asleep. id say its normal.. but id like to see what someone else has to say cuz your baby is literally a baby and shadow is not.. i dont know if that matters

[jriley]

I'm sure that he probably needs a little extra rest today after all the excitement of coming to a new home and exploring his new surroundings. The Happy Hut is probably making him feel safe. Babies do typically need to nap after they are fed. Molly, my umbrella 'too, is four months old and is also on two feedings. I feed her around 8 am and immediately put her back on her cagetop. She will eat some of her pellets and then she naps for at least an hour. She takes multiple short naps throughout the day.

Several articles I read, as well as my vet's advice, was that you shouldn't play with babies right after they eat. My vet says that the best time for them to work on eating independently is right after a handfeeding and Molly does seem to do better with her eating at that time. After raising three children, I think of what used to happen if I tried to play with the babies when they had just eaten (usually ended up with spit up all over me!), so I figure a baby bird probably also needs to digest a bit and sleep off a big meal before playtime.

Conures are more active and wean faster than 'toos so your guy is probably different from my little girl. It sounds totally normal to me, though.

Julie

[tielmama]

Laura! I missed the fact that you had gotten a baby! Good luck to you and the new baby and the tiel fiblings. You sound like a good Conure mama to me. Oh, and I don't know nuthin' bout feedin' no babies.

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Thanks, Jessica313! I am glad to hear that Sunny's not the only one, but, like you, I'd like to see what others have to say since Sunny is still a baby. I appreciate you weighing in, though!

Jriley~ Thank you very much for your input! I appreciate it! Also, thank you for the advice about letting the baby eat independently after a feeding and not playing with them right after. Sunny is still very much a baby.

Tielmama! Thank you so much for your good wishes!!! You're so sweet! And I take it you're a Gone with the Wind fan, too!

[tielmama]

CforC, I wondered if anyone would understand what I was saying. You're so smart! Yeah, I have to watch Gone with the Wind about once a year.

[gbird]

LOL.....I take naps whenever I get a chance...LOL I think they are like babies, they need thier nappys.

Speaking of reclining Conures and huts,

this is what Pita does in the morning when I uncover his sleep cage. (which is in my bedroom)




And in his big cage downstairs

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Tielmama~ I am a major movie buff. Do you like Civil War themed movies? No movie for this but Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles was a WONDERFUL book. Yeah, the obligatory annual GWTW fest! We know about that in this house!

Gbird~ I'm glad you weighed in here as I've long admired your precious Sun! I still return to the Birdy Bread thread and laugh over Pita's photos. He is just precious and these new ones are right up there. You really capture his personality. Regarding the rope perch: I purchased one for my 'tiels and my female is deathly afraid of it so I cannot put it in their cage. So, I was wondering if Sunny would like it as your Pita has several in his cage, right? My main concern is their nails. Do Pita's nails ever get hung up on it? Thanks!

[Kooky's Mom]

My 2 Cinnamon GCCs love their Happy Hut and will be in and out of it all day long. When I'm home on the weekends I've noticed that around mid-morning they will snuggle in there to take about an hour long nap so I'm assuming they do this during the week too. I've got one that just loves to lay on her back snuggled up to her sister in the hut. So I would say napping is normal behavior because they've been doing that since they were babies.

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Thanks, Kooky's Mom. Other signs point to Sunny's health and well-being, too, so I am most reassured. He's been chowing down on his fresh fruits and veggies, pellets, and seeds and he's playful. He actually flew to my shoulder from his cage this morning. I was sitting close by but I was still amazed that he was able to do this without faltering.