Sleeping and Barbering

[Ekkietiel]

So Charlie has been so amazing with letting all his feathers grow back for the first time in two years. We?ve been extremely diligent in keeping his routine the same. The only thing that fluctuates is how long he stays asleep due to work. As well as when he goes to sleep, if we?ve been home we wake him up around 9am and put him to bed 5-6pm (whenever he starts getting cranky or falling asleep on his own). When we work we have to wake him up at 5am and put him to bed 830-9pm. We verbally tell him ?we?re going to work tomorrow? or ?we?ll be home tomorrow? before bed and that has been helping him get an idea of how long he?ll get to sleep that night. It also has made waking up easier for everyone involved.

A few mornings ago we woke him up to find he started barber again. It?s pretty gut wrenching as he?s been so good! It only seems to happen when he?s in his sleep carrier, not really even when we?re at work (that we can tell but everyday is a surprise). Which has one perch and a water bowl. Nothing else as we didn?t want him to avoid sleep and eat/play when he?s in there. We?re starting to rethink that strategy. We cover him with a thick blanket for light/sound blocking. I know these are the longest days of the year and that likely plays a role in all this. This has been an amazing few months for Charlie. He?s eating more than chop than ever and growing his feathers back. But this set back makes me want to reevaluate what we could be doing better or differently. You all are so knowledgeable I was hoping you could help. Thanks!

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[fiddlejen]

he only thing that fluctuates is how long he stays asleep due to work. As well as when he goes to sleep, if we?ve been home we wake him up around 9am and put him to bed 5-6pm (whenever he starts getting cranky or falling asleep on his own).

So sleep from 5 or 6 pm until 9 am is about 15 or 16 Hours...

When we work we have to wake him up at 5am and put him to bed 830-9pm

...whereas sleep from 830-9pm until 5 am is only 8 or 8 & half hours.


So just brainstorming here, but that seems like a really wide swing to happen frequently. I would tend to think the 15-16 hour nights might be too long. Maybe he is just napping at 5 or 6 pm and then maybe wakes up hours later in a dark cage? Maybe?

...NOT saying this is so. My own Sunny is happy to sleep 14 hours nightly if I let her. (However my Jefferson does not agree with this.) So I'm not saying this sleep pattern can't work. BUT if you're brainstorming for a possible cause, with the info you've given, that's my first guess.

 

[Ekkietiel]

Thank you. You are totally right. The swinging sleep schedule is a lot. Using the same verbal cues every night has helped a lot. We were going to try a full calendar but this was working so well we never got around to the calendar. Sadly the days we work there isn?t much that we can do and we try to allow him the time to catch up on sleep and until the other day it was working well. We are starting to allow him to stay up later on days we don?t work. This whole sleep cycle has been working really well but it seems to not be anymore sadly. Do you have any food or toys in the sleep cage with your birds?


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[chris-md]

Where is so a couple things:

You are absolutely right in noting the longer days, which with them bring hormones. Check your diet and make sure your feeding a low sugar and low fat diet. Low to no fruits, etc. I hope you aren’t feeding pellets?

The other aspect that grabs me is, as you note it only happens in this sleep carrier. Can he be kept in his main cage for sleeping? Wondering if the environment he sleeps in could be contributing, maybe even night frights.

 

[Ekkietiel]

He does get TOPs but that?s less than half his diet. The rest is chop which contains a small amount of fruit but mostly veggies. Unfortunately his cage is in the main living space of our house. There is no way to control noise or light. So he sleeps in a different area of the house where sound and light are minimal. Never thought of night frights. Is there any reason to not allow toys (was thinking a shredder toy) in his sleep carrier? Is there an idea size for a sleeping cage? Or any defined idea of if one is too small? Thanks for your help!


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