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A Packer Update

Porter

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Last ditch effort...
Maybe go get that cage now? Put food in it set it up with his favorite things and put it on the Dining room table.
Play Budgie sounds from inside of it with your phone.
 

Dorcas George

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Tried coaxing with millet again. No luck. Hung a piece in cage door. I was thinking of going to pet store getting cage now...wow. I’m in a rural area. About a 40 minute drive to pet store. Maybe I’ll get back and he will be in cage. Yeah, he has to be so hungry and thirsty!
 

Porter

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Ouch I'm sorry D:
There is one more option and its not... the best but.

Broom, nudge him gently out of corners and try to get him down.
Have the towel ready because he will be very scared. Or a very big light fluffy blanket?
 

Dorcas George

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Pet store does NOT have travel cages! Just small animal cages which they say are too small for food and water. Arrrgh. I can go to Milwaukee and get one, but that’s a ways away.
 

Porter

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Just get a smallish birdcage.
I have the small Vision version for Fuggles and another for Porter
So long as its small enough that its easy to move with you... it should work just fine.
 

Lori D Pert

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Yes they must have a small bird cage, my sleep cage for Sam is a very small budgie cage..12"w x 12"deep x 18" high. Broom and towel is my best advice as well. He will be very scared but keep shoving him with the broom and have BIG towel or blanket open. He will start flying blindly in a panic and good chance he will fly into it. I would only mention this as a last ditch effort as well but he needs to eat and drink.
 

Dorcas George

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I am posting a picture from my phone and then going to computer so I can more easily post what’s happened. 3210C160-06AB-4BB6-8E77-89DB90D0DA95.jpeg
 
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Dorcas George

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No suitable cage at my usual store. Found a different one, and bought the ONLY small cage they had. Ridiculous! When I came in the back door, Packer heard me and chirped as usual. Sheesh! I got the small cage set up--it is really pretty small--probably too small, but whatever. Put in his favorite little perch which is a branch from our maple tree. He doesn't have a favorite toy, really, but the one he sort of seems to like best is too big for the cage. I put in what I could fit. He has one toy which you can't see in the picture but it is about his height. A small, rectangular block of wood. It isn't soft, but does have tufts of stuff coming out all around it. He SNUGGLES up to it at night. I was tempted to wrap it in a soft cloth.

ANYHOW, it took a while, but at one point he came down to one of those plate rails I mentioned (dang my nice OLD house) which is about the level of the top of my head, so reachable. I was able to coax him onto my finger with some millet. Slowly got him to front of cage, and this time when my hand was in the doorway, he looked in like "Oh, here we are!" and hopped in. I didn't try to get him in the little cage, though that was my original intent. I was afraid that he'd balk at the very small and unfamiliar door.

He sat for a bit. Finally he took one small sip of water. That's it. Hasn't eaten any food. I'm perplexed about that. He is chirping softly to himself at present which is what he does when it's getting close to his sleepy time at night.

He is plucking feathers, so let's hope that stops.

As you see in picture, both cages are on the dining room table. I put them together and opened the doors so maybe in a bit when he is calm he will go in small cage to explore by himself. (Ha--fat chance!) He looks like he needs sleep badly, but I hope he eats and drinks more soon.

Later today I'll move him, one way or another, to the bedroom. Not sure how I'm going to get him moved to small cage.

I need sleep too. Didn't get much last night. Right now I am so relieved he is in any cage! I was getting scared he'd just refuse until it was too late. By the time I got home it was no food or water for about 27 hours!

Many thanks for ideas, everyone, and for caring. :grouphug3:
 
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Porter

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Don't force him into the small cage. Just leave it Side by side with the other one, let him go in and out of the two as is.
Once he goes into the small cage on his own... close the door and begin carrying him around with you. That one is a little bit small but it should do alright for a sleep / travel cage.

If you feel like getting another one do so later.
 

Lori D Pert

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Oh my, thank goodness!! I was going through this saga with you...lol. That cage is fine for a little sleep/transport cage. I wouldn't worry about trying to get him in it. You both need to relax and sleep. I would put both cages in the original bedroom that you started training him in. I would leave them side by side like they are now but tonight I would cover 3 sides leaving one side uncovered and leave a little night light on for Packer. Enough drama for one day. You both need sleep, tomorrow is another day. When you say he is plucking, do you mean he is molting and preening the feathers out? Or is he actually pulling full feathers out? He has been stressed, hopefully if this is what he is doing it will subside. By the way, I know the high moldings and stained glass are annoying with a bird but I LOVE your home!
 

Dorcas George

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@Porter Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking. I hope he’ll go in on his own, and I hope, though not sure, that I can actually put both cages with doors together like now on the top of dresser in bedroom. Going to be tricky. @Lori D Pert I meant he was pulling out whole feathers but he already seems to have stopped. Whew. You didn’t see much of my house. LOL. But thanks. I’ll post a picture later. For now I have to spend a little lap time with my unhappy cat. upload_2019-9-22_16-32-26.png
 

Dorcas George

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Christmas table for Joe 1.jpg Living Room.jpg

These are only some of the moldings. Can't see the plate rails, except in one corner by last years' Christmas tree but the dining room has them on three sides. The corner by tree (this was taken last year--I don't have a tree yet! LOL) is the corner where Packer's cage usually sits, on a trunk that is just out of sight in the picture. Love my house, but not good for a runaway bird. Patches is twittering so that is normal for this time of day for him. No movement off of perch. Cleared off dresser, and I don't think I can get both cages placed. If not, they will stay on dining room table, I guess, until Packer moves to little cage and then I'll move to bedroom. I might start a new thread if there is anything noteworthy in next few days. This one really got way longer than I'd expected!
 

Lori D Pert

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Oh my...your home is stunning. What year was it built? I love the ceilings and wood throughout. I wouldn't worry about the smaller cage as of yet. Let him rest in the bedroom and do cover him on 3 sides at night. Nightlight always. It is obviously smaller and less intimidating in the bedroom so work with him in there. You can leave the small cage anywhere in that room open for him to explore. Might take a long while but I do think he feels safer in that room so we willreset back to that point...lol.
 

Nobirby

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Our babies are almost 8 months old. Faith has a few flight feathers now, but he seems worried about landing more than flying. Hope has no new flight feathers, but she tries her best to fly. At first I was upset their wings had been clipped as babies, but I realize now it helps all of us bond. They needed us to help them get around. Lots a places for them to perch when they do start flying. Love all the advice here!
 

Dorcas George

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Just a quick update for those who might check. :)
I put Packer in the bedroom on Sunday night. He obviously was one TIRED little bird. He finally ate and drank some more, and was OUT! Monday (yesterday) when he woke up he was still and quiet. He usually is very vocal in the AM. (Is that true for all budgies?) I got him singing a little by loudly singing to him. Haha. I spent much of the day with him, singing, reading, talking sweet, and so on. I had put the two cages door to door on Sunday night, so I just left them. He stayed mostly still and on the same perch all day. Did move to a different perch, closer to me, when I was reading to him. Made no movement to even peek in the small cage. This morning he was really quiet again, and I am not home today. Have to work. So I moved his big cage back to its usual spot in the dining room so he'd hear the TV, my husband talking, and so on. He started chirping as soon as he was back to his old spot instead of in the bedroom. I will probably put him back in the bedroom tonight. Tomorrow I'll be home with him. He was very skittish when I first put my hand in his cage (in bedroom). I was afraid we were starting from square one--wah!--but after I moved him back to dining room and he perked up, I tried again and he hopped on my finger for some millet. I really hope some way or other he will check out the little cage soon, because I really like the idea of moving him around wherever I happen to be. I may let him out in the bedroom tomorrow to try out some flight time, if he seems back to normal. You may recall that the little squirt did fly around, or hide, for five hours last time (okay not 27, but STILL...) before I had to leave and he was in his cage when I got back.
 
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