Out of cage time question

[FieryPhoenix]

I feel silly asking this question but here I go.

Is there a rule of thumb for out of cage time? Mine come out for training five days a week and also for playtime for a couple of hours 5 or 6 days a week.

However there are given days where I am out most of the day and don't have the time to let them out, Saturdays in particular in which I leave relativeky early in the morning and come home when they are getting ready for bed. Is this bad for them? They are usually well occupied with television and stuff. They also have each other since they are buddies.

Another question is that when I go away, I leave them with a family member who doesn't let them out because she is not keen on bird poop. I am usually away a few days at a time a couple times a year. She interacts with them but just doesn't let them out.
Obviously, I know that a bird staying in a cage 24/7 with no human interaction is a not a good thing but everyone I know who has birds says they are out every single day for long hours.

I am just wondering what people who work all week do. I work remotely during the week so i can have them out with me in my office, but prior to working remotely, they didn't get as much out of cage time.

 

[Squeekmouse]

As much as you can manage... but quality is always better than quantity. It's not much of an answer, but it's the truth. All of us feel like we should do more, spend more time, give more, train more, etc. I love my boys so much, I don't think it would ever be possible to do as much for them as I feel they deserve.

Trained Parrot Blog - How long should my parrot spend outside its cage

How much times does my parrot have to spend out of the cage? This article discusses the qualitative rather than quantitative answer to this question. Parrots needs enrichment, training, and the chance to fly. Simply spending time out of the cage with nothing to do is barely better than inside...

trainedparrot.com

 

[ravvlet]

I take mine to a boarding facility that doesn’t let them out either when we leave town, so I imagine the family member not letting them out isn’t too different than that. It sounds like it is relatively infrequent anyway! I am struggling with a nasty cold right now and haven't been able to give our boys the kind of quality out time I prefer to either; life happens!

 

[Laurasea]

as much as possible. My friend has behavior problems and consulted a parrot behavior , they had her get up a half hour earlier to spend time together in the morning before work. Realky helped her parrot and she said she grew to treasure thst time together before her day started. Mornings are important to parrots. Wild flocks are loud and reaffirm bonds in the morning.

So I copied when I worked, we made abd shared breakfast together abd a little cuddle. But now Ta-dah really enjoy about 8 30 pm cuddle session she chose this time by banging on her cage and throwing fits, till I excepted this is our evening time, and she tells me about her day ( even tho I'm right here ! All day)
Find a routine and time that works fir you guys and try and stick with it as your special time. That they can count on.

 

[FieryPhoenix]

Thank you for the responses. I briefly had the out yesterday when I came home.

They have an early bedtime so it is not easy on a day when I am away all day. Next Saturday I will be out from 8 in tbd morning till 8 at night.

 

[Squeeing_Onion]

Thank you for the responses. I briefly had the out yesterday when I came home.

They have an early bedtime so it is not easy on a day when I am away all day. Next Saturday I will be out from 8 in tbd morning till 8 at night.

I’m self employed, so my schedule is always changing according to where I am working - in the garage casting, sanding, or polishing pewter orders, in the storefront selling stuff, and sometimes outside doing lawnwork or etc.

Birds are creatures of routine, but they can also be taught to accept variety - some days my little Bongo is out aaaaaall day long from the time I get up to the time we both go to bed… and some days she spends most or all the afternoon in her cage entertaining herself with toys and foraging and maybe comes out on my hand for a few seconds here and there whenever i pass by and stop to say hello before I have to scoot back to work.

Quality over quantity, and being cautious of teaching them TOO strict of a schedule - they will then come to both expect and demand a taught routine, which can be difficult for them if you have a day where you’re out and busy on errands or hanging with friends, boarding, etc. Sometimes I hang out in the same room with Bongo but she’s still in her cage, just to help teach her in cage time isn’t bad, and she’ll happily play and chirp and beep by herself.

 

[Katrina38]

I work from home 4 days a week (in the office all day 1 day a week) and even though I leave Roscoe's cage open all day - he tends to go into his cage a lot throughout the day to play with toys and talk to himself. I do find that his cage is a lot cleaner on days he is in all day - I really think he sleeps most of the day when we aren't around/ doesn't really shred toys etc. He doesn't seem effected by the days he is in all day, maybe just does a few extra flight laps around the room the next day (I imagine a toddler that just needs to get energy out). I wouldn't be too worried.. a couple days here or there isn't going to be a big deal imo.