Birds don't always play by themself

nevjoe wrote: Now even though I am home they have play time in the cage.
Joe

This is a very good point Joe. I know people talk about how much time their birds spend out of their cage, but in the cage can be fun too.

I leave my guys in the cage when I am home sometimes. If I am doing something I'd rather they didnt help me with such as ironing or cooking, I pop them back into their cages. I give them stuff to destroy such as cardboard or chunks of wood and they are perfectly happy. They play or chat to me just the same as if they were on the gym. I only feed them in their cages, so they know thats where they have to go for food and water, but my most of my birds are flighted so its easy for them to get back there when they want to.

Birds have a way of being spoiled by their owners. Hey! I was guilty myself. I am retired, and my guys are out all day in the living room with me. They have their own cages, but I do let them play on one during the day.
I think I'll go get some soda or something from the store, OH! What about the birds? I will be only gone for maybe 15 or 20 minutes, but I can't leave them, so maybe I'll wait. Geez! Now I live in their lives, instead of them living in mine.
Plenty toys and fun stuff in the cage, but they don't like to be cooped up in the cage. OK! Party is over. How can I get these two to get involved in their cages? I had to bit the bullet, and act like it's all for them. You want to know something? IT IS for them.
I took everything out of their cages, and started over with nothing formilya to them. Now I added all different stuff while they were sleeping in their sleep cages in another room. The next morning I put them on their cages, but I filled their food bowls inside the cage. They went right to the bowls on top looking for their food, and none was there. I made them know where the food was, but they wouldn't go in there. By 3 in the afternoon when they couldn't wait any longer, so guess what? Yup, in the cage they went to eat, and I closed the door behind them. Within 2 days putting them in and out of the cage, they shaped up fast. Now even though I am home they have play time in the cage. Hemingway is the real shocker, because he’s a daddy’s boy, but all if fine and I change out their cages every 2 weeks with new stuff, and rotate them out and in.

I never set a pattern with them. Keep it different. When I go out now it's fine. How do I know that? I video them and see what goes on when I'm out.
Try it, it might work for you

Joe