# Do I keep him out too much ??



## [email protected] (Oct 25, 2014)

Our Charlie likes to be out of the cage and usually sits on his play gym or my shoulder. Keeps himself amused. In the last week has started to fly down to the floor and then wandering around the floor exploring. He also will flutter from spot to spot. Flight although low is getting longer. Has broken a few tail feathers along the way. Have I let him have too much free time ?? I do not want him flying about but i hate to leave in the cage. I am new to all this. Charlie is approx 14 weeks old. glad for any advice
:wf cinnamon:


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Our cockatiels also spend a lot of time outside their cagers,but we live in a small apartment with mesh in all our windows.We are always checking on them.The only rooms they dont spend time in are the kitchen and bathroom,unless they are having a shower and/or spray bottle bath with us.When they are hungry/thristy , all they have to do is to fly into the cages and help themselves.We believe they are very happy littlesouls and fill our lives with joy . Your Charlie is a young bird,so I would advise you to carry on supervising him at all times,but if you have the time to spend with him,let him fly free-thats what they do in Nature.They need this exercise lots of cuddles and head scratches,combined with a varied / balanced diet and lots of toys to be healthy and happy . If you have any doubts about his food,there is plenty of threads on nutrition here,with lots of info for you.Good luck X x Teresa


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

I have mine out all the time I'm home and mum has them out when I'm working, so I don't think their can ever be too much out of cage time 

Why don't you want him flying about?


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

My guys are out of their cages all day, every day.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

I was also going to ask, why don't you want him flying about? He's a bird. 

I don't think there's such a thing as too much time out; they're not meant to be cages to begin with.


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

I do things a little bit differently with my birds. They have a reasonably large flight cage. I let them out for two periods every day: first thing in the morning, for about an hour and a half. Then, they come out in midafternoon for a couple of hours or so.

I find that is the amount of time that I can comfortably supervise them and deal with them flying to my computer, trying to remove the keys, and otherwise trying to destroy things. I usually go out for about 2-3 hours midday. I feel keeping them to that routine, even on the days I am home, keeps them acclimated to a schedule and used to not being out all the time.

I would love to have them out all the time. I agree with the philosophy that they are birds and it is unnatural for them to be in cages. But, I find I really cannot deal with it all day. And, I don't want to have issues getting them back into the cage when I need to go out.

I do really love them and enjoy them. I want what is best for them, and I want them to be happy. I love how excited they are when it is time to come out and have their fly around. They just can't contain their excitement as I am removing the cover in the morning and then opening the door.


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## Peetenomax (Nov 23, 2013)

My birds are spoiled rotten. If we're home they're out. 
My parrotlet zoster around our small condo. Early on we had window/mirror concerns. Yes he had a few bumps, he learned about them quickly. I also took him around frequently to show him glass & mirrors. THE mirrors we the toughest to deal with. We have 2 antique 11' tall mirrors. We had to cover them for a while.

My tiels don't fly on their own. Benny is a baby with a severe wing clip (not happy about it). He's going to need watching once his wings grow out.
Dexter I'm actually teaching him how to fly. A rescue, he's got badly healed wing & I think he was cage bound.


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## RowdyTiel (Jan 24, 2013)

I don't think there's any such thing as 'too much' out-of-cage time. 

All of my birds are flighted and are out of their cages 8-10 hours a day as long as I, or someone else, is home and able to watch them. 

May I ask why you don't want him flying?


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## mohum (Sep 5, 2014)

Peppy is out all day. I would like him in the cage more often but he creates when put to bed. My last bird treated his cage as his territory and wouldn't let anyone near it. I only had to say "bedtime" and he would go in. I wish Peppy would do that especially at mealtimes.


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## [email protected] (Oct 25, 2014)

i am scared he will fly off. he comes outside on our shoulder . Hangs out the wash etc. Inside is ok but I guess will just have to stop the great outdoors. He is not a good cage eater either so we encourage him to be out. Early days,and I do want him too be very happy


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

He's clipped right? But even then it's not the best idea for him to be outside without a harness or inside something secure. I don't cages myself. I don't think birds should be in them, which is why I'm building the aviary (although in actuality, it's just a massive cage ), but we only put them in them to keep the danger _out_. So yes, I agree, he's a bird, birds fly, it's up to you to make sure where he is flying is safe. No open windows, no other pets... then he can fly if he likes. 

I don't ever believe there is such as thing as too much out time, birds were never really meant to be caged in the 1st place, but there is such a thing as too much in cage time. That's why it's important to let them out to exercise.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

CaliTiels , I could not agree with you more.You summoned it all . Thanks X x Teresa


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## Shockadine (Sep 2, 2014)

I obviously don't believe there is too much out of cage time. Most of my tiels are in their own bedroom. I switch off on who stays in my room. There are currently 5 tiels in my bedroom. Only 2 are flighted. Not sure I could handle 5 fliers at once in my room. The other 3 were clipped when I got them, and we're still waiting on their molt. I lock up the birds that are in my room at night just so they don't wake me up too early, but besides that, they are out at all times. You just learn to do a better job of hiding things you don't want chewed. They pretty much stay in the same areas, so poop is pretty manageable. I don't mind picking up a few stray poops during the day. They annoy me a lot throughout the day, since they all want to hang around me and walk on my keyboard and push things off my desk, but I'm used to it. Just because I put up with it doesn't mean I think there is anything wrong with caging them when you can't watch them, or simply need some undisturbed time for yourself, but I do think there is a such thing as locking them up too much. They can never spend too much time out of the cage.

They fly around but I think it's more interesting that way. My fliers are so busy all day. The clipped ones are kind of boring. Their morning flight where they dart around the room always amazes me. They are so fast it's amazing that they can think fast enough to not hit anything at that speed.


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## Billy (Sep 11, 2014)

We let billy out of his cage for a few hours a night, once we are home from work and had tea (making sure the oven has cooled down) we let him out until we go to bed. He's only about 6 months old and was kept in a small cage in the shop so before us i dont think he was flown before. 

He was a bit manic at first - flying in to everything, crash landing etc but now he's learned how to stop & land safely. 

He isnt fully hand tame yet, he will only come near us when we have food, but he was sat on the other side of the couch with me the other day & i got a bit of a wing slap! maybe hes just testing to see how close he can come to see if i hurt him etc? 

He's alot more relxed outside of his cage now so its fun just sitting and watching him waddle about exploring.


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## jaycee (May 27, 2009)

The only time my birds are in their cages is when we`re out or when they are in bed.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

It can be worrying when they venture onto the floor (don't want to step on them)... But there truly is no such thing as too much out-of-cage time. It is also important, though, that your bird likes his/her cage, sees it as a safe place and is comfortable with being in the cage when needed.

I know it's been pointed out, but I just have this to say: If you take your bird outside, regardless of whether their wings are clipped, you _must_ have a flight suit or harness on him. Anything can happen outside. Even if he is clinging to you, 'tiels get spooked easily, and clipped birds can still get swept up by a breeze. Always err on the side of caution. They're too valuable to risk it.


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## thewandererw (Aug 22, 2011)

My two tiels are fully fleighted and out of there cage all day until bedtime, or when my home health aide is here then they are caged for three hours.


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## mareeder (Jul 31, 2013)

As long as there are no behavioral problems, I'd say there is nothing wrong with having them out all day long.

I will, however, caution you from letting a young bonding bird spend long periods of time on your shoulder. I did this with Pip when he was young, and we are presently dealing with the consequences. With Pip, out-of-cage means on my shoulder ... he flies there immediately and gets really nasty/aggressive when I try to get him off.

Birds attach. Especially young hormonal birds. Although it may turn out to be just fine for you two, it did NOT work out with Pip. Now we're in a bad spot. I'd hate to see you where we are now.


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