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The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

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The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby thejohnbob » Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:35 am

Hi all! I came across this site last month after I purchased my parrotlet. I instantly ordered the book and happy to say that training is going really well.
In the book he talks about travel and how taking the bird with you is the best option. Not much was spent in this chapter so I had a few questions.
First, I am not sure when the bird is considered "New" anymore...
He was comfortable with his cage the first day we brought him home but was and still can be a little hand shy. SO I guess I am wondering if he is too "new" to take on vacation with us. I would prefer to take him.
The follow up to that questions is can I take him in his regular cage (I have a van that can fit it), and if so should I cover it for the trip? Or should I purchase a small traveler he is not used to (I didn't think of this until today, and since he has not yet been out of the cage yet... we are getting to that chapter) and take him that way?
Either way his cage will be present at our cabins.
Thanks for the help!
thejohnbob
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Parrotlet
Flight: No

Re: The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby Pajarita » Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:27 am

Are you asking the forum or are you asking Michael? If you are asking the forum, I suggest you do get a carrier and take the cage with you because, new or not, been that it's a plet you have no choice but to take him with you. You can't board him and you can't get anybody to come and care for him for a couple of hours because, when it comes to plets, they need company all the time and to spend a HUGE amount of time on their human or they end up plucking (almost all single plets do sooner or later... they just don't do well without a mate of their own). If the trip is long, I suggest you do it at night because he won't eat in the car and plets been so very tiny, they have a super fast metabolism.

I also suggest you start letting that little bird out of the cage. They need to fly and he needs to bond with you, you know? Training is not bonding and it's not exercise, either. It's just for the humans benefit... it doesn't really do anything for their needs or wellbeing.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby thejohnbob » Fri Aug 21, 2015 3:40 pm

Pajarita wrote:Are you asking the forum or are you asking Michael? If you are asking the forum, I suggest you do get a carrier and take the cage with you because, new or not, been that it's a plet you have no choice but to take him with you. You can't board him and you can't get anybody to come and care for him for a couple of hours because, when it comes to plets, they need company all the time and to spend a HUGE amount of time on their human or they end up plucking (almost all single plets do sooner or later... they just don't do well without a mate of their own). If the trip is long, I suggest you do it at night because he won't eat in the car and plets been so very tiny, they have a super fast metabolism.

I also suggest you start letting that little bird out of the cage. They need to fly and he needs to bond with you, you know? Training is not bonding and it's not exercise, either. It's just for the humans benefit... it doesn't really do anything for their needs or wellbeing.


Thanks! I was asking the forum as a whole.
If the trip is long, I suggest you do it at night because he won't eat in the car and plets been so very tiny, they have a super fast metabolism.

It's only 3 hours we are going to make it at noon, since that is when we remove his food dish anyway.

I also suggest you start letting that little bird out of the cage.

Following the book I had not let him out of the cage yet becouse 1) he won't come out anyway and 2) I read that you should wait until he is a little trained so you can get him instead of madly running around the house trying to catch him. He does not step up yet.

I suggest you do get a carrier and take the cage with you


Great I will pick one up. Should I cover the cage while traveling? I read that a small hamster cage is good to use (modified with a perch and toy). Is this a good idea?
thejohnbob
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Parrotlet
Flight: No

Re: The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby Pajarita » Sat Aug 22, 2015 10:18 am

I don't go by what books say (I don't know of a single trainer that has experience in all species and they are all different, and I don't formally train my birds, I don't think it's necessary for their wellbeing and that's my one and only concern with them). If you don't let him out, you can't bond with him (it requires closeness and touch) and a plet that has nobody of its own is one miserably depressed little bird! Plus If you open the door and wait, he will come out. It might take more or less time but he will come out. And, ideally, you will not need to ask him to step up to put him back in his cage, he will go in it on its own. Furthermore, training inside the cage does not in any way guarantee that the bird will step out outside of it - it just doesn't work that way, you need to train under the identical conditions and even then a consistent response is not guaranteed (birds don't 'obey', they just want the reward) so if you want him to step up outside his cage, you better start training him outside of it. You can't treat a plet the same way you would treat a large parrot... and you can't expect them to react the same way, either. They are completely different.

I cover all sides of the transport cage with a towel or whatever and leave the front open.

If it's only 3 hours, he should be OK with some millet (for comfort) and piece of a juicy fruit (for hydration, just in case) but a bird should never be without any food. Not ever!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby Michael » Sat Aug 22, 2015 5:24 pm

Too new is a bird that hasnt even had the chance to settle into its cage or your home, not the best time to change everything up again. That would be a bird that appears nervous, doesnt eat adequately, is shy around your presence, etc.

The bird really should be handleable and step up trained before going out. But a parrot.et is so small that if it is cage bound the whole trip wouldnt be as big a deal. Just take things easy and dont overwhelm too much during early outings. Do a short practice outing prior to see how it reacts to carrier, car, outdoors.
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby JaydeParrot » Mon Sep 14, 2015 4:18 am

Make sure you get an attachable food bowl for the cage- fruit pieces like apples or oranges can be given in place of water if water is not easy to feed to your travelling bird.

Always make sure your bird is eating, in past my sennie has been known to starve himself during the beginning of a holiday- he didn't eat for the first day! Bring food they love and once you've reached the destination give them their favourite food.

Try taking your bird on a few short journeys first though so you don't overwhelm it with a sudden long car journey.
JaydeParrot
Poicephalus
 
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Types of Birds Owned: 2 Senegal Parrots.
Flight: Yes

Re: The Known or Unknown - Traveling Help

Postby liz » Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:09 am

New to you would be until you can hold him. New to him is the world every day. He will learn the rules and learn to talk just like a child.

Rambo is an adventurous traveler. His human before me took him everywhere. All I have to ask is if he wants to go bye bye and will willingly go into the carrier. Myrtle is another matter. Due to her past she does not want to be confined in a carrier. The best part of her trip is when I say we are going home.

Parrot proof a room so you can open his cage door. It may take a few days but he will come out and really needs to exercise his muscles. If he does not step up you can scoop him when he gets tired of flying. The scoop works with each one of my birds even though they come to me afraid of hands.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
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Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes


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