How much outside of cage time do you give?

[Strickalator]

Before with my last birds I would let them out for at least a couple of hours a day to fly around my apartment. What am I asking is was I giving them enough time out. Is it safe to let them out while you are gone flying around or should you always be home for the outside time. I have smallish sized cages to large size cages. I would let the parakeets and the zebra finches out alot giving them a chance to fly and climb. What is a good amount of outside time?

[lovemyfinch]

I never give my finches free flight time outside of their cages. I would hate o subject them to the stress of rounding them up again.

[Strickalator]

Well if you do it near night time they will fly until they are tired and then go back to the nest. I never used a net with bobbie and jessie my last zebra finches. They would just go home as I turned off the lights and repeated the words "Home" and and pointed and nodded towards the cage. Eventually they got the idea of what I was trying to do and just went home on thier own.

[L in Ontario]

None of my finches get free-flight time... unless they escape like the one last night. He had to sleep outside the cage as it was lights-out and I couldn't find him until this morning. Found he had slept with the parrots - that's not cool! He's back in his cage now - the little bugger.

[Strickalator]

hmm I see all your points, they are valid.

[tobyneilson]

I dont allow my finches out of the cage,just make sure they are in a big enough cage where they can fly around and get enough exercise

[L in Ontario]

I had a recently fledged chick escape in the birdroom last season. It ended up behind a large and extremely heavy china cabinet. I had to get my husband and son to help me move it out from the wall and rescue the chick. The cabinet was (and still is) about 1-1/2" away from the wall - we can't get it to sit right up against the wall due to the quarter-round moulding on the floor. Very dangerous for finches to escape their cages in my birdroom. I have three large heavy cabinets in there; I have no where else in the house to put them or I would (to give me more room for more cages!!!).

[apachetear]

I let my hand tame zebra finch Ziz out a few times a day whenever i have time for about 10 minute intervals, i sometimes let his friend zarkava out with him then i leave them outfor half an hour. Mine have worked out standing on the cage is the safest place so dont actually fly that much but gives them a bit of freedom.
I made the mistake of letting all four out the other day NEVER again! It was diffcult keeping track of two of them who never really get let out as i can rarely catch them.
I think it depends on the bird, my two not used to it were gasping for air after two minutes of flying around my room.
I think its down to the individual bird, Ziz tells me when he's had enough by trying to get back inside his cage or falling asleep and can vary from day to day. I very rarely leave him to his own devices outside the cage, if i do its to go and quickly answer the door or phone then rush back.
I do think it depends on the individual bird and how stressed they get, ziz hops on my hand if i prompt jhim too and gets put in his cage when its time to go back in. How easily can you get yours back in? I think a couple of hours is enough for finchs but like i say just my opinion. i've rambled on enough now, i hope ive helped in some way.

[ac12]

None

My house and where the birds are located is not set up to be able to contain free flying birds. IOW they could fly to 3/4 of the house if they get out. Thankfully whenever they did "escape" they did not fly to the other parts of the house.

Plus I don't want poop on the furniture or carpet.

[Raleighwheels]

I let my core birds out for an hour or so once a month while I clean their cage. I used to let them out once a week, but it was too stressful for me to gather them back up. My societies are easy to catch, but my one male zebra knows when we are going to start gathering everyone up, and likes to avoid us, or perch in spots he knows we can't get to. My other birds, which are the offspring of my two zebras, hate being out of the cage, so they aren't let out at all.