:bruce: ya better get ur arse outta bed and help there Jerry!
yeah
i knew that wouldnt work! lol! its funny how our flocks adapt to whatever lifestyle we lead, isnt it? i mean, if ya ask some of the extremists, both mine and your schedules are TOTALLY inappropriate for parrots. but it works well, everybirdie is happy and healthy... thriving even! so following your start i'll give ya an idea of my 'average day'...
i actually have TWO routines depending on my work schedule. i have the 'mom opens routine' and the 'mom closes or is off routine'.
open routine...
this also has variation. one day a week i go in around 530am to accept our weekly delivery at work. so i'm up round 4. one thing that never changes and that's breakfast chopped fresh daily for all creatures feathered. so anyway, opening day i get up, get showered and dressed for work. get my coffee and sit. <sigh> yup, everybirdie is still covered, its relatively quiet, and i get the computer up and running, start a movie (i tend to obsess with a particular movie for a couple months at a time). then after bout 20 or 30 mins i hear a quiet 'hello?' come from under skittles' cover. that's my cue that its time to wake up the burdies. skittles is always first and he 'helps' uncover all the other living room cages. then he goes to his play perch and i go to get caleb up. caleb, being a cockatoo, MUST sit with me in the mornings. its his 'hands on time' he sits on my knee as i drink the rest of my coffee. now on truck days, this step is skipped much to his displeasure. then back to his bedroom and i make the yummy birdie breakfast. then its off to work for the day. home in the afternoon between 3 and 5 depending on schedule and any errands i may have to run after work. then all cage doors are opened and i get my cockatoo knee warmer for his obligatory hands-on time while i wander round the net and the boards.... i'll get back to bedtime shortly...
so on close and/or off days, which usually is between 4 and 5 days a week. i get up when summoned by mr.loud cockatoo
as on other days, skittles and i uncover everybirdie. then i get caleb to sit on my knee, only he gets AT LEAST an hour of knee time while i wait for my meds to kick in. then birdie breakfasts are prepared and passed out. they eat while i wander the net some more and as soon as marley finishes breakfast it is time for a game of fetch. he throws, i retrieve.
fortunately, his aim isnt half bad and most of the time the toy comes to me. this game lasts a good 30mins to an hour then he's back to his kitchen window to look outside at the neighbor's velociraptor.
still cant figure out who's it is, but it MUST be there cause marley mimics it REPEATEDLY.
as i sit in my gown skittles asks me 'gotta go? gotta nite nite? gotta byebye?' which translates to 'mom, do you close today or are you off? do you have any errands to run today or are you staying home?' so i respond with either 'yup, momma works nite nite. momma's gotta close today' or 'no momma's off today, i'm gonna stay home with you today' or 'momma's off today but i have to run errands. i wont be gone long tho. i'll be home soon.' and yeah, he totally GETS it. if i'm off much of my day is clean... rest... clean... rest... i dont seem to have the stamina i had 5 years ago. :somad: golly gee but gettin old aint for sissies!
if i close i go in, and am back home round 1030 or so. i've got everybirdie tucked into his or her cage by 11 and i'm in bed and half asleep by 1130. then caleb is up at the crack of dawn
for us to start all over again.
i think its important to have a routine they understand, it gives them comfort to know what to expect. but it doesnt have to be a stereotypical routine. i tell my flock what to expect, when to expect me back, etc.
so who's next?