How long do you spend on the morning bird care?

I am just curious how long it takes everyone to take care of the morning feed/cleanings/ etc. I start my birds at 7:30 AM and it takes me until 9:30 to do all the water changes, food, fresh food, cage changes, etc. This includes washing all their dishes My non birds friends all think I'm exaggerating, but I wonder if I am just slow? I have 58 birds now, most of which are small guys like finches, etc.

None, I put fresh water and dry food in after they go to bed. I only have 3. I leave for work around 5 am.

Hmmm...so I didn't even think about that being an option to do it at night before they go to sleep. That would be alot easier as my husband is home at night to help. Thank you for the idea

Haha. Yeah, we only do food top ups in the morning. Although we've started cutting that out and just doing it all the night before.

All we do in the morning is uncover them and water change (if it's been 'messed') if not, it gets changed when I awake (later then my partner) or when I'm back from work

Everything is done in the evening then. Quick lining change, food+water....? 20/30 mins because I'm slow and play with the birds... :21:

I have to because I just don't have time in the morning. I wish I could give them fresh in the morning, but I leave too early and I don't want it sitting in there until I get home.

I start at 8AM sharp each and every morning, and am done around 9:30AM-10AM.

4 big birds can make a tremendous amount of mess..... :54:

Usually I have to change out my finches and budgies water twice a day as they are quite messy. I really like the idea of doing things at night, sometimes is so hard to get up and face 2 hours of changes. I appreciate hearing how others do things, as I just want the best for my babies, and sometimes I feel I go overboard on some things that I could make easier for myself and still be fine for them.
Any and all advice is appreciated!!!!!

FWIW my partner has finches (5 pairs) she has to do them both in the morning and afternoon, but that only takes about 5 minutes each. They are in one big flight cage together.

I do it all at night when I put my bird to bed, because in the morning I have to go to school.

It only takes me a couple of minutes to do his food and water but I only have one bird. If I had 58 birds it would probably take me 2 hours too! Wow!

I do mine at night as well, because I'm up well before the sun, and I don't want to disturb the sleeping beauties. My gf gives them fresh fruits and veggies when she gets up, though. But I'm the cage tender/bird player, so that's my evening "job".

Terry57 said:

I am just curious how long it takes everyone to take care of the morning feed/cleanings/ etc. I start my birds at 7:30 AM and it takes me until 9:30 to do all the water changes, food, fresh food, cage changes, etc. This includes washing all their dishes My non birds friends all think I'm exaggerating, but I wonder if I am just slow? I have 58 birds now, most of which are small guys like finches, etc.

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If I took that long to care for pets before going to work, I would have to either downsize or find a better way to do things.

Hmm, it takes me about ten minutes to get his food and water bowl ready, and another five to change his papers, another five minutes to clean his perches and grates, and I vacuum by his cage around five minutes. Maybe because he's still a baby, and a small bird, I don't have to do much. He doesn't seem to throw his food all over the place. . . . yet! I know I spoke too soon.

I think if you spend a little time each day cleaning up, then you don't have to spend so much time scrubbing perches and the whole nine yards if you wait a week. Poop dries quickly, and I like to clean it up before it becomes like superglue goop. I use vinegar in a spray bottle to clean his water, food bowl, grate, perches, etc. . .

Merlee said:

Terry57 said:

I am just curious how long it takes everyone to take care of the morning feed/cleanings/ etc. I start my birds at 7:30 AM and it takes me until 9:30 to do all the water changes, food, fresh food, cage changes, etc. This includes washing all their dishes My non birds friends all think I'm exaggerating, but I wonder if I am just slow? I have 58 birds now, most of which are small guys like finches, etc.

Click to expand...

If I took that long to care for pets before going to work, I would have to either downsize or find a better way to do things.

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I'm surprised it only takes you two hours with 58 birds.

I guess i should have mentioned exactly how many cages everyone is in. I have:
2 extra large flight cages with 7 pairs of finches in one, and 8 pairs in the other
1 cage with 3 lovebirds
1 large flight cage with 2 Rosey Bourkes, 2 Diamond Doves and 2 button quail
1 large flight cage with 2 canaries, 2 diamond doves and 2 Java finches
1 small cage with 2 finches that are bonding
1 large cage with 2 parrotlets
1 cage with 2 English Budgies
1 cage with 2 smaller budgies
5 large cages with my 2 amazons, pionus, conure and hawkhead

Thanks Maria, maybe I'm not as slow as I feel like I am

I think you are doing a super job with all those cages in only 2 hours.

I only have 4 cages (and 2 Java trees), and I told you how long it takes me.

Ok ok...so the fids keep me on my tippy toes cause they're all over the place in the morning, but it makes it interesting...to say the least. :30:

I only have Percy, the BFA and Jack, the budgie.

Jackie is easy - cage cleaned every morning (replacing liners), food and water bowls emptied, washed and left for tomorrow as I have double sets. So the clean set from yesterday is then filled with his seeds, a tiny bit of leafy veg (the only fresh stuff he will eat) and water. It all takes about 10 minutes tops.

Percy is a different matter. I spend an hour or two most nights making up foraging and shredding toys for the next day, so that is already a chunk of time.
In the morning (6am sharp) I chop and fill his fresh veg bowl (removed after dinner the night before and washed), clear out, wash and refill his dry food bowl (pellets, etc), clean and refill his water bowl. After he's eaten most of his his fresh stuff, I will hang the foraging and shredding items for the day and head out to work. My mom is retired and she will clean his cage (replace liners) around 8am after he's done making his "initial eating mess" and morning poop.
Mom removes the fresh food bowl around 8am too, to discourage the ever present gnats. He then has his dry food for the rest of the day till dinner time, around 5pm when I make him another bowl of fresh stuff. After dinner, his cage liner gets replaced, fresh food bowl removed and he is tucked in for the night (I hate the idea of him sleeping in a 'dirty' cage).

I don't know really how much time it all takes but it doesn't seem like a lot. I am also very lucky that my mom is available to refresh his cage throughout the day so he's never near a dirty cage. She also kindly sweeps up any mess he makes around his cage and playstand.

His and Jackie's cages get scrubbed down and sun dried every weekend.

Yeah, I guess I am a bit anal about it all but I only have the two birds and Jack really is zero effort so I can afford the time

I feel better about my time management now, thank you Sundays are a different story as we completely scrub each cage then, which takes us around 5 hours to get cleaned and dried. Almost all of my birds are rescues, with the exception of 10 or so. The worst were most of the finches, as well as 1 of the budgies. Their conditions were so terrible it is unbelievable. We got 3 owl finches and the female had plucked all the feathers from her chest. When I went to clean the cage, I found her mates dead body in the nest that she had been sleeping in. The budgie was in a cage that had poop clear up over his only perch, and his mates body was underneath the poop. The larger birds also had many issues, and new cages and diet were only a part of it.When we get a bird, I always ask myself if I can provide a better home, and if the answer is yes, we take it.
I would like to manage my time a bit better , tho, and so appreciate all your input.

Terry57 said:

I am just curious how long it takes everyone to take care of the morning feed/cleanings/ etc. I start my birds at 7:30 AM and it takes me until 9:30 to do all the water changes, food, fresh food, cage changes, etc. This includes washing all their dishes My non birds friends all think I'm exaggerating, but I wonder if I am just slow? I have 58 birds now, most of which are small guys like finches, etc.

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Oh Terry, let me help you with this!!, ha ha. I had over 50 birds myself, and between my daughter Sarah and I it took almost an hour just to feed them, and change the papers.
that does not include how much time I spend washing the zillions of dishes, a real downer, let me tell you!!

>>all my finches/canaries are now in one large aviary, which reduced 5 smaller cages into one.
>>I also hung up outside bird feeders(they were purchased brand new) and filled them with seed.....a huge time saver.
>>they still have fresh water daily, along with veggies.
>>I have timothy hay on the bottom of the cage and change weekly or when soiled, another time saver.
>>I also feed my birds at night after dinner, or while making dinner(if time permits) which freed up my time in the morning.

It's a real juggling act to do sooooo many birds, and I know you are not exaggerating one bit.

since Safari's death I have downsized substantially, either selling or rehoming over 20 birds, it's less stress, and my time is not so dispersed.

Terry57 said:

I guess i should have mentioned exactly how many cages everyone is in. I have:
2 extra large flight cages with 7 pairs of finches in one, and 8 pairs in the other
1 cage with 3 lovebirds
1 large flight cage with 2 Rosey Bourkes, 2 Diamond Doves and 2 button quail
1 large flight cage with 2 canaries, 2 diamond doves and 2 Java finches
1 small cage with 2 finches that are bonding
1 large cage with 2 parrotlets
1 cage with 2 English Budgies
1 cage with 2 smaller budgies
5 large cages with my 2 amazons, pionus, conure and hawkhead

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I didn't see this post here...you can combine some of your birds like this and see if it works....

are you good at building???, build one LARGE aviary for all your finches, canaries, and java finches. then sell your cages and make back your money you put out on the aviary....sweet eh??

combine all your diamond doves together with your rosey bourkes(love them btw

you could also try combining your english budgies with your regular budgies, sometimes they will fight, but should settle within the week.

as for your amazons etc....I could keep them as is.

I hope this helps, let me know, I'd be interested in hearing from you