The popularity of keeping various species of birds has been increasing over the last couple of years and with more people choosing to let their birds live in their home cage free or partially caged, we have noticed more and more discussion about using a sleep cage for pet birds.
There is a large amount of incorrect information out there on social media about how, when, and why to use a sleep cage for your pet birds so we have decided to publish our own article on the topic to try and clear a couple of things up for any of our readers looking to use a sleep cage for their own birds.
A sleep cage for birds is usually used for the benefit of your birds to offer them a safe space to sleep while also keeping them out of trouble while you are sleeping yourself.
There are a wide range of options available that you are able to use as a sleep cage for your bird and the actual definition of a sleep cage can change slightly from place to place but the general idea is that it is something for your pet birds to sleep in during the night.
Many people will just use a cheap travel bird cage as a sleep cage for their pet birds as they are small and easy to use while also being very cheap.
Other people can opt to use a full bird cage as a sleep cage but this is usually done for partially caged birds when the cage will be used at other times of the day too as it is a more expensive option.
Some people will class a sleep cage as a bird cage cover too but they technically are different and are used for different goals with pet birds.
What Is A Bird Sleep Cage?
A bird sleep cage is a cage that is usually only used at night for the bird to sleep in offering a safe place for the bird to sleep and to keep the bird out of mischief while you sleep.
Sleep cages are only usually used for people who don’t keep their bird caged during the day as the regular cage that a bird is kept in serves the same purpose as a sleep cage.
There are a wide range of different options available that you are able to use as a sleep cage for our pet bird and provided the cage is large enough to house the bird during the night, it is usually fine to use.
Some people have taken the concept of a sleep cage one step further and they will have a sleep room in their home where their birds are put at night to sleep until the morning.
A sleep room is just what the name suggests, it is a room of the home that has been totally bird proofed to remove any potential danger to the bird with a range of different perches available for the bird to stay on while sleeping.
The vast majority of rooms in a modern home are usually large enough to use as a sleep room so most people who do use this approach will use the smallest room in their home but most people do use a standard sleep cage.
Is A Sleep Cage Essential For Birds?
Sleep cages are not essential for most people and they usually serve as a source of peace of mind for the bird keeper to know that their bird is safe while they sleep.
If you keep free-range backyard chickens then a sleep cage or roost is more important though as there can be foxes and cats in the area that may see your chickens as an easy meal if they are left out in the open during the night.
If you have other pets in the house then the importance of using a sleep cage for birds also tends to increase as the other pets may also see your pet birds as an easy meal.
Even dogs that have been well socialized with the birds in the home can sometimes end up eating the bird in some situations but it is far more common for a family cat to see the bird as food rather than a dog.
The average home is usually full of potential hazards for a bird so a sleep cage can prevent your bird having any problems while you are not there to help.
Another common reason that some people will use a sleep cage is so they can keep windows in their home open during the night during the warmer months without having to worry about their pet bird flying away as with enough time, most birds can rip any netting down and get out of the window during the night while you sleep.
What Birds Need A Sleep Cage?
Any bird that is usually not kept in a cage throughout the day but is in an environment with potential hazards or ways to escape your home can benefit from being kept in a sleep cage during the night.
If you are against keeping your bird in a cage then you can try ot bird proof a room to remove as many hazards as possible to just let your bird sleep in a dedicated bird room too.
We have seen people report that they have pet birds that will simply sleep on an open perch all night without ever having to be kept in a sleep cage and although this can work in many situations, you know your own bird better than anyone and will be in a better position to make that call.
If you are confident that your pet bird will sleep through the night without issue then you may not need to be kept in a bird cage then you can just leave them free roaming during the night provided there are no hazards to the bird.
One common reason that some people will use a sleep cage for their birds is due to night fright being common amongst some species of bird.
If you put the bird in a cage and then cover the cage with a bird cage cover you will usually find that the bouts of night fright tend not to last as they usually would and that your bird will sleep better during the night too.
What Should You Use As A Sleep Cage For Your Birds?
You really can use anything that can safely keep your bird inside of it with plenty of available space as a sleep cage for most bird species.
Travel bird cages are popular due to them being very cheap and easy to find but some people do choose to use larger bird cages in some situations with a small number of people choosing to keep their pet bird in bird sleep room rather than a cage.
If you do keep a small species of bird as your pet then we would highly recommend that you opt to use a travel bird cage as your sleep cage due to how cheap they are.
These smaller bird travel cages are also much easier to store out of sight when not in use too making them ideal for the majority of people as they can easily pack the cage away during the day without issue.
Some larger species of bird may need a full bird cage as their sleep cage though but you can often use a cheap bird cage due to the bird only being in it for a small amount of the day and the bird often sleeping for most of the time in the cage.
You may also be able to find these cages online for cheap if they are pre-owned helping to keep your costs as low as possible too.
Just keep in mind that it is far more difficult to hide these cages away during the day so it is more likely that you will have to keep your bird cage out even when not in use.
Are Sleep Cages Cruel To Birds?
A small number of people do feel that sleep cages are cruel for pet birds but the majority of the bird keeping community do agree that it is much better to keep your bird in a cage during the night.
It helps to keep the bird safe and away from any potential hazards that may cause it harm as well as stop the bird escaping through any open windows that you have forgot about.
Keep in mind that the majority of domesticated pet birds are kept in a cage for the majority of the day and provided your cage is large enough, this is usually fine for many species of bird.
As we mentioned earlier in the article, you know your pet bird better than anyone and you are going to be in the best position possible to make a judgement call as to if your bird needs a sleep cage or not but we would recommend that the majority of people do use a sleep cage for their bird if possible due to safety reasons.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over using a sleep cage for your pet bird to an end. We hope that we have been able to help you better understand the importance of using one of these cages for your pet bird and the various options that you have available to you. There is usually no need to break the bank and get yourself an expensive cage to use as a sleep cage for your pet bird and the majority of people will usually be fine with a cheap travel bird cage.
