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Traveling long distance in a car.24hr

KayKhaos

Walking the driveway
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Hello,
So I'm going to be moving to another province, going to be about a 24 hour drive. First day drive should take me 10 hours to get to my first destination, staying a night or two then a 14 hour drive to my final destination.
Defiantly going to be an interesting one with a Linnie and a fish.

What are some helpful tips?
I know not to have any swinging toys, have everything secure and to cover the cage partly to help with possible car sickness.

Loki is pretty good with small car rides, but I could really use some tips on anything or hear of others experience about long car rides.
 

KimKim

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We traveled across the US and back (2 years apart) with 2 dogs and one bird. My grey did great! I made sure the cage was high enough that he could see out the windows but I covered the back half of his cage with a towel, the dogs were behind him along with our bags so there was a little to much going on back there for him. He traveled in a small/medium'ish wire dog crate and had a rope perch (better grip IMO). When be stopped to eat and rest I covered him so people wouldn't notice him and look in, didn't want him to get nervous. We stopped at hotels and we let him out for a bit before we went to bed. He wasn't talking and whistling as much and he did most of his eating when we stopped at night and in the morning before we left.
 

Mizzely

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I've done 12 hour case rides with the birds on numerous occasions. I give them a 50/50 mix of water and brewed chamomile tea to help with nerves and nausea. I also pack organic baby food and a small spoon. Every time we stopped for a bathroom break I feed them some through the cage bars. This ensures they stay hydrated and have some nourishment since at first they wouldn't eat at all on car rides.

Rope perches are best for travel as they are easier to grip. And if possible, whatever perch you do use, I recommend that it is positioned so that when the cage is in the car, the perch runs from front to back vs side to side. It requires less energy for then to maintain their balance from the stopping and going of the car that way.
 

KayKhaos

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Oh good idea with the camomile and baby food! Definitely going to try and introduce baby food before the trip. :)
 

dragonlady2

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We traveled for two and a half days when we moved from one province to another. I made sure they had nutriberries ( some food was better than them potentially eating no food) and a refrigerated cooler.I fed them fresh foods every day. I was amazed that they did so well during the trip. We moved 13birds, 2 dogs, 3 house cats and 2 feral cats that we had been feeding. The birds did the best of all. I agree with the rope perch, stabilizes their footing. I also had crates...less room for hard falls. Your little birdie will probably do fine. :)
 

macawpower58

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I traveled cross country with mine, they really enjoyed the trip. Mine had a view while traveling, and loved watching out the window. The first hour or so was startling to them but they soon began to enjoy it.
The nights in the hotels were also tons of fun. I had 3 birds with me. They enjoyed getting out of the carriers and exploring the hotel rooms. All in all it was a great experience and tons of fun.

I'm not sure what type of carrier you're using, i used a small plastic pet kennel with a perch bolted in. Make sure that whatever you use can't pop open if it falls.
I've heard of this happening several times. An extra cord around your carrier is a very good idea.
 

Tanya

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Our recent trip with Rhubarb was a mixed success. We had a rope perch that made a 90-degree angle inside her travel cages so she could sit where she was comfortable. She tended to prefer the covered part of the cage near the seat, where the perch was pointed in the direction the car was going. Except for throwing up 5 minutes after we got on the highway, she did fairly well. She's a social eater, so if I'm eating, she'll eat. About 15 minutes after she was done throwing up, we both had a snack of fresh bell pepper. She then proceeded to *destroy* her fresh food, just like at home. And she kept it all down. I highly recommend bringing your scale and keeping track of changes in body weight. If weight loss is an issue, try offering favorite raw foods. A little bit of fresh corn or berries can get that beak working and once food is in, they usually keep eating (so long as nothing startling happens... like passing a big truck).
:gal2:
 

KayKhaos

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Yikes I'm getting antsey. The trip is coming up soon this coming Friday. Been so busy right now when ever im home Loki really helps me relax and come back to reality. :rolleyes:
 

Bokkapooh

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Great idea on front to back perches instead of side to side. I never even considered it. :hug8:
 
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