Day Cage and Night Cage?

[Sparky]

Okay, I know some people do this, having a day cage in a main room of the house and a night/sleeping cage in a back, quiet room. I'm thinking about moving my gcc Kiwi's big cage to the living room and putting her old, smaller cage where she is now in my bedroom, and making that a sleeping cage. I've never had room in the living room for her before, she's always lived in my bedroom (she's 11), but she used to spend a large chunk of each day out with me, or on her playpen in the living room. In recent years she's started preferring to be in her cage for most of the day, but constantly calling us to go visit her back there. Well I got a self-storage unit recently and now it's possible to bring her big cage out here, and so let her be out here with me during the day - but in her cage if that's what she prefers. Then take her back to the bedroom to sleep. I don't believe she'd like to sleep out here as I stay up late watching TV and working on the computer etc.

But I'm wondering a few things. Anything special I can/should do to get her used to the idea of having two cages? Of being taken out of her big cage and put in a small one each evening? Might she get upset at me if I do that? What about her Happy Huts, I have two, but should I not even have one in her big cage? I hate to take it out of her big cage, but will having one in there confuse her? Also, I very recently got her a Zoomed avian sun lamp since she doesn't get any sun to speak of in the bedroom, but if she's out here she will be near a window. Should I keep using the lamp with her? Does anyone know if I can use it with my snake instead? I'd hate to only get a month's use out of it.

Any tips in general? I'd like to hear experiences from those here who have a day and a night cage for their fids. Thanks! :)

[Lori~D]

Well, hmm. I would just do it and see how she is. Take her out to the day cage and into the night cage on regular schedules. Keep her huts - they like to nap in the day. keep all the toys she likes but different, and more, in the day cage. Keep the light by the day cage as UV does not properly work thru windows anyway - maybe put it on a timer so it comes on only for about six hours a day. Feed her in the day cage and just water in the night cage.

[shosh]

Off topic,.....How do you and your bird like the zoomed lamp?
I saw it in a store and it looked rather flimsy which kind of scared me off since the lamp and bulb came to 100 bucks. ( I know you can order it online for cheaper.)

[hollyhawkz]

I have snuggle huts and corner buddys in each cage of the four cages (we have two conures). They are just fine with it all. The living room cages are large play tops, and the bedroom cages are med size (no playtops). I keep food, water, treats beak blocks etc... in both night and day cages. The light is by the day cages (the proper rays do not come through glass). And I change toys around occasionally.
You could try having her in her smaller cage just before bedtime and read a book, so she gets the idea this is the sleeping room. It sound like she is used to sleeping in this cage anyway so it should work out fine.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by shosh

Off topic,.....How do you and your bird like the zoomed lamp?
I saw it in a store and it looked rather flimsy which kind of scared me off since the lamp and bulb came to 100 bucks. ( I know you can order it online for cheaper.)

The local bird shop had the lamp and bulb for something like $70, so I figured that was a good deal. Lol, Kiwi *hates* anything above her, so she pretty much hates the lamp. :) But she's getting more used to it. I haven't noticed anything "different" (health-wise or whatever) about her but it's early, and I don't know if I would notice anything anyways. Yes the lamp is flimsy. It hasn't broken yet. :P I've read about the on/off switch breaking, so I may pick up some kind of...maybe an extension cord with a foot-pedal, like for Christmas trees. So I don't wear out the switch on the lamp.

Well I moved her out here about an hour ago, because my brother was on hand to help (helping in his case meant just sitting with Kiwi and trying to keep her calm as I moved big objects around, I did all the actual gruntwork, lol). Then Kiwi acted like she wanted to go back to her cage, dancing towards the bedroom, so I put her in the big cage out here. She was very confused! She's finally sitting on a perch, not clinging to the side any more, and she's actually grinding her beak. This cage *does* have a playtop I've never used; if I do use it I guess I have to move the Zoomed lamp out of the way so she can't reach it.

Thanks for the advice about sitting with her in the bedroom before I cover her up and leave her to come back out here. I am going to keep both food and water and also Happy Huts in both cages.

What is now her "night" cage is *way* smaller than her current cage. It always seemed like it was big enough for her when it was her regular cage (she spent most of the day out with me anyways) but man, compared to her current cage it's tiny. :P But I guess it will do. I could get her something bigger if I really have to, but we're quite broke right now.

I'd welcome any more advice, and will update this thread when I see how she's doing with the new arrangement. She's repeatedly yelling "Kiwi!" loudly at me now, lol.

[Izzy]

My birds both have sleeping cages, in my closet actually! They really like it, and my cockatiel will actually tell me when it's time for bed by flying into the hallway to go to her cage.

You still want to use the light, as windows block out the good UV rays (unless they're really old windows from before the 1940's!).

[Sparky]

Well, it's been several days since I made this change, and Kiwi seems very happy. :) She no longer wants to be in her cage all day; my brother thinks maybe her deal with always wanting to go to her cage was that she was afraid that if it was out of her sight, someone else would move in, lol. Anyways with the cage only a few feet away she is spending more time out on her playpen (although she still wants to go to her cage sometimes). I was afraid the first night that she may have thought she was being punished when I moved her from her big cage to a much smaller one, but now she dances towards the bedroom in the evening and goes right into her night cage when I take her back there. She wakes me up early to be moved out front but then she's quiet so I can go back to sleep for a while if I want. ;)

The only thing about her being out here is that she's easily frightened by things moving around so if I want to vacuum or sweep or something I'm going to have to throw her cage cover on, but that's not such a big deal. Anyways as outlined in a different thread she had started plucking back in July, and now she's covered in pinfeathers so hopefully the new routine will help keep her from pulling those out again, we'll see...

[pookiepooblue]

Hello, i have only been a bird mom for 2years of a lutino indian ringneck. I have a screen porch with a large cage with most of her toys for the day. In the living room i have a smaller cage for her to sleep in but sometimes she likes to hang out there in the day also. Even though i cover her cage at night i worry about her getting good enough sleep because of the t.v.. Sometimes i let her sleep in her outdoor cage on the screen porch but i am concerned about snakes, racoons, etc... Even though i cover her outside also. I don't want to keep her in the the bedroom because i read an article once about bird owners developing lung problems. The study was done in russia, i guess alot of people have pet birds there. The article went on to say that they hadn't determined the cause yet but suspected it could be either the bird dander in the air or more possible bacteria growing on the fecal matter and becoming airborn. I keep her on the porch as much as possible but iam also worried about some plants: Orchids, mangroves, fern, elephant bush, hens & chicks, pencil cactus, money tree, hydrangea, pony tail palm and hibiscus. I keep getting conflicting info.