# Leaving birds alone for a day



## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

I'm going away for approx 24 hours this weekend (shortest holiday ever) and I'm wondering if that's ok? They will be unattended during this time, home alone. I have no one I could ask to check on them. I'll leave lots of food and water but I'm mainly worried about them hurting themselves somehow and I won't be there to help.... Has anyone else left their birds alone for a day or more? It's really stressing me out, I've never been away from them for more than maybe 10 hours at most. Also they've started venturing to the floor of their cage to walk around and I'm worried they'll eat poop which might make them sick since it will have been sitting there for a whole day. I took the grate out because clumsy babies kept falling* and the grate was hurting them. Basically I'm just stressing out about the whole thing I don't think be able to enjoy the night away at all! I opted for one night instead of more because I hate leaving them.

*they were falling when hanging upside down flapping and they'd lose their grip. Broke blood feathers this way but otherwise they don't fall.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

They'll be fine, I just did the same last weekend.  

If you're worried about night frights, leave a light on for them the whole time. They'll sleep even with it on and it won't hurt them to have 24 hours of light. Also, eating poop is a natural behavior and won't make them sick. Unlike humans, birds don't have anything pathogenic in their poop unless they're sick to begin with.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

They always have a nightlight at night so that wont be any different for them  i glad to hear it's not an uncommon thing to do, I don't think I could go more than 24 hours though I'd just be a nervous wreck the whole time! Buttercup has very watery droppings about 70% of the time lately but when I took her to the vet she said nothing was wrong but I'm still sceptical so I'm iffy about the poop eating... I feel better now though, thank you.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I think it's just a comfort level thing that comes with time. I used to get panicky about leaving my birds to work because I'm gone for 10-12 hours at a time. But the more you do it, the less anxious you'll feel.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

We leave Joey alone for 24 - 28 hours at a time, on occasion. I make sure he has a full food and water dish, a millet spray and a treat stick, which is far more than he will eat during that time. But it makes me feel better, so I do it. We leave his radio on for company, and a night light. 

We haven't left him overnight since moving, but now we have a next door neighbor we trust to look in on him, who used to have a tiel of his own, and adores Joey.Although I would still worry, I feel better now, knowing someone can check on him, and most likely pop in from time to time just to play with him. Joey took to him immediately the first time they met, which is rare. Joey is all about stranger danger.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

TamaMoo said:


> We leave Joey alone for 24 - 28 hours at a time, on occasion. I make sure he has a full food and water dish, a millet spray and a treat stick, which is far more than he will eat during that time. But it makes me feel better, so I do it. We leave his radio on for company, and a night light.
> 
> We haven't left him overnight since moving, but now we have a next door neighbor we trust to look in on him, who used to have a tiel of his own, and adores Joey.Although I would still worry, I feel better now, knowing someone can check on him, and most likely pop in from time to time just to play with him. Joey took to him immediately the first time they met, which is rare. Joey is all about stranger danger.


I only use millet for training if I left a whole millet spray in his cage him and Loki would eat it all before eating anything else.Also have you tried the egg treat sticks Rocko loves them the brand is Vitakraft they make lots of good treat sticks.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey only gets millet once in a while as a treat. I will hang a spray, or half a spray if it is a long one, and let him have at it. Then he doesn't get another for a while. When we go away for the night, I feel guilty leaving him and he definitely gets one then. I haven't tried the egg treat sticks yet, but will check into them.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

I'll be leaving everything for them! They're so set in their routines already that I worry that maybe they won't eat if they aren't sticking to it. For example they don't like to eat before I weigh them in the morning, they'll just sit there and look at me like "um, forgotten something?" Until I weigh them and then they'll eat straight away after. And theyll turn thier noses up at 'old' food, aka pellets from the night before and wait for me to give them new stuff before digging in..... Spoilt brats really. Sometimes I just take the dish with the 'old' pellets out, turn around so they can't see and just swish it around so it sounds like I'm putting new ones in and they fall for it haha. Hopefully they get past that stuff and eat whilst I'm gone without too much drama


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Even if they don't eat while you're gone, one day won't hurt them.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

thanks heaps, I feel way better about going now after reading all of your replies.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

enigma731 said:


> Even if they don't eat while you're gone, one day won't hurt them.


Even knowing one day won't hurt them, I think the reason I leave the millet is because I know Joey will eat that even if he doesn't touch his food while we are gone. Mama's emotional comfort/easing some guilt for leaving him leads to extra treats.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

Well I went and I came back and oh boy.. They were terrified! When I returned they were doing their skinny bird poses with their crests impossibly high, one hadn't eaten at all from the looks of the droppings and her weight and it took them both a few hours to even start acting somewhat normal again. No signs that anything had actually scared them, no signs of a night fright or disturbance in the house.. it looks like they just got really scared from being alone for a whole 24 hours. One had learnt a new scream which she did a few times that quite obviously was a "I'm scared as heck" scream, she had never been properly scared before so she'd never done it before. I feel super bad for leaving them. Next time I go away I'll bring them with me I think.. Need to start looking for bird friendly accommodation!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Don't feel bad. They might not have liked it, but nothing with really terrible consequences happened. It's tough, but being alone for short periods of time (like an overnight) is something our birds need to learn too, because it's just not realistic that we'll be able to be with them at all times for 20-30 years.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

enigma731 said:


> Don't feel bad. They might not have liked it, but nothing with really terrible consequences happened. It's tough, but being alone for short periods of time (like an overnight) is something our birds need to learn too, because it's just not realistic that we'll be able to be with them at all times for 20-30 years.


I agree with that. Also., now that they have seen you've been away for a while and came back to them, next time will be a bit easier. We try to not leave Joey very often, but in the year and (almost) 7 months he has been with us, we've been away probably 8 nights. He doesn't even seem to give us the cold shoulder for a couple hours after returning, as he did the first 3 or 4 times.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

It just really troubled me to see that one hadn't eaten and, judging for where their poop was, they hadn't moved from one spot on the perch the entire time. I suppose you're both right though and they need to get used to it but I still feel bad.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

It is understandable to feel bad. I don't blame you for that. Even knowing Joey will eat while we are gone, and play some, I still feel bad when we have to leave him. Parental guilt gets us every time.


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