Cover my birds cage or not?

GogosKira

New member
Jun 1, 2013
19
0
Parrots
Plum-headed
I have read a lot of member's post saying that they cover their birds cage..
What should i do? Shoud I cover it too? If I cover it what should the cover be?
Also its "Summer time" here in greece..
(My parrot is plum-headed female )
Thank you.




(Sorry about the number of my posts i just have a lot of worries and questions )
 

UMARKHANMARDAN

New member
May 20, 2013
206
0
If you keep the bird,s cage indoors in winter then no need to cover the cage.i mean if your rooms are warm during winter.no need to cover the cage in summer.ensure good ventilation in summer.
 

critterman

New member
Jan 1, 2011
230
2
Maryland
Parrots
Crimson bellied conure.
I cover my crimson bellied conure with a thin sheet at night. I only cover 3 sides of his cage and the top. It gives him a sense of security and privacy. If it rains or lightening at night he can't see it through the windows so it doesn't scare him. He doesn't seem to mind it at all and he goes right to sleep once he is covered. In the end it's a matter of personal preference. Some will say yes and some will say no......it''s really your decision.
 
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GogosKira

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Jun 1, 2013
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Parrots
Plum-headed
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I would try it buddy and she may feel more secure :) Thanks a lot :)
 

Mayden

New member
Apr 22, 2010
2,540
12
UK.
Parrots
Merlin & Charlie (Senegals)
I do the same as critterman. I covered 'most' of the cage but leave a little slit on the lower part of the front so as light can get in.

I user a lighter thinner sheet in the summer and a thicker one in the winter to avoid any chills that MIGHT creep in when cold, and to keep the light out in the early morning. (4:10am sunrise, dawns chorus, no thanks!)


Also, ask away, it's what we're here for! :)
 

HalfInsane

New member
Dec 23, 2011
420
0
British Columbia, Canada
Parrots
Pixel: female senegal, hatched Dec 15, 2011
I cover Pixels cage so I can set her 'night time' hours. I work until 4 pm so I like to keep her covered longer in the morning so she can be up later in the evening for more interaction time and still get 10-12 hours of sleep. Also, this time of year we only get 5/6 hours of darkness a day, and I do NOT want to be woken up by squawking at the butt crack of dawn.

It is also good for those of us with female birds to limit daylight hours, since longer days can trigger hormones ;)
 

SandyBee

New member
Oct 5, 2012
1,455
1
Coquitlam BC, Canada
Parrots
DYH Amazon-Rescue- Bosley (36),
African Brown head-Rescue- August(9)
Covering cages is a decision that you can make. There is no.need to do it if you don't want too. Some birds like it, my amazon actually squacks till I put his cover on, makes him feel secure I only cover 3 sides, leaving the front open.
 
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GogosKira

New member
Jun 1, 2013
19
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Parrots
Plum-headed
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If I cover her now that she is still a new member of the family would it be faster for her to get used to me ?

Thank you eveeryone :) :)
 

ct92404

New member
Oct 14, 2012
153
0
California
Parrots
My first bird was a parakeet named Buddy (passed away November 8, 2012). My newest friend is a parakeet named Chipper.
I would say that as long as your house stays a comfortable room temperature, then you don't really have to cover the bird's cage. Just be sure that the cage isn't too close to any air conditioning vents.

I cover my parakeet's cage at night, just because I think it's easier for him to sleep that way...so light from passing cars or other lights on in the house, etc don't bother him. You can use a thin sheet, or most pet shops should have a cover specifically for bird cages. They're not that expensive.

Whatever you use, just be sure there is enough air flow. Use a thin material or just leave some space around the cage so air will get in. But it's up to you and what you think will help your bird sleep better.
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
I used to cover all my birds when I first started then I found my birds hated to be covered as they all chewed holes in the towels, sheets, whatever so I quit covering them. But I do leave a night light on for them. The only time we brought out blankets and covered all of our birds here is when we lost power during a snow storm and was fixing to take them all to my family's house that still have power. But power company came out and fixed the issue after 5 hrs being without power. The house was at high 50's and emergency heat kicked in once power was back on and it got nice and toasty.
 

Nocturnal

New member
May 15, 2013
207
0
A secret place
Parrots
||Mika, 23 yo senegal parrot||Cayenne, 5 yo sun conure||Katana, 6 yo cockatiel||Monk, 4 yo peachfaced lovie||Onyx, 8 yo BH caique||Pluto & Neptune, 4 yo budgies||Tauntaun, 17 yo U2||
Onyx's cage is in my room, so I cover it at night so she doesn't start banging around at the crack of dawn, LOL
 
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GogosKira

New member
Jun 1, 2013
19
0
Parrots
Plum-headed
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I used to cover all my birds when I first started then I found my birds hated to be covered as they all chewed holes in the towels, sheets, whatever so I quit covering them. But I do leave a night light on for them. The only time we brought out blankets and covered all of our birds here is when we lost power during a snow storm and was fixing to take them all to my family's house that still have power. But power company came out and fixed the issue after 5 hrs being without power. The house was at high 50's and emergency heat kicked in once power was back on and it got nice and toasty.

That should be hard for you, i am sure this is your nightmare xD
 

littlebirds

New member
Mar 1, 2013
15
0
We've always covered our cockatiel's cage as she's in the living room. If she's tired and in her cage and we haven't covered her yet, she gets all angry at her toys and bangs them around a bit. Once she's covered we can hear her happily beak grinding away. I think she feels better about being covered.

We leave a section uncovered for ventilation and so that she can see her night light overnight.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
I live in an area where we get at least 9-14 hours of darkness, depending upon the time of year (and that doesn't include dusk/dawn). My birds are subjected to temperatures ranging in the 50° F to the 80° F. In fact, night temps could be in the 50's and day temps in the 80's, but it really depends upon the time of year as to how warm it will get in their room.


I don't cover cages and when the weather is on the warmer side (i.e. temps at night generally stay above 50°), I tend to leave the window open just a crack 24/7. In the winter it stays *mostly* closed unless we have warm days.
 

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