A Tale of Two Cages (ok, three)

[Alien J]

I wasn't sure where to post this. Here in Toys &Cages, in the Quaker forum, or in the Behavior forum.

When I learned about Oscar and agreed to take him, it was only 2-3 days before I left for the weekend trip to Ohio. I was going to return either Sunday or Monday. We were supposed to pick up Oscar on Tuesday. So I quickly went on line and ordered a cage. It said that the bar spacing was 1/2". It isn't. Also the bars are really thin. I can tell it's hard for Oscar to climb around in. And when he tries to sit in the doorway you can really tell! Here's a picture of the cage. It would be more suitable, I think, for a couple of cockatiels or several budgies.



You can see Oscar in the doorway in this video to see what I mean.

Now, we are patiently waiting for the 25th of this month when Oscar goes to the vet and gets his nails trimmed. That may help some. But, lets face it, I'm not happy with this cage for him. So, I started looking for another. They are so expensive for a good one! But then I hit the jackpot on Facebook Marketplace. Drove 2 hours each way to get this cage:


It's an A&E. Like brand new. Not a ding or scratch on it. Been in the person's garage, covered, for some time. I bought some F10 SC disinfectant anyway to make sure it was clean. Measured the back door. It fit, but barely. But, duh I didn't measure the bedroom doors. Two inches narrower. It won't go into the bird room (or any other room for that matter). I know we could take it apart and put it back together, but I don't want him stuck in a room alone. I drag TD and his cage all around the house with me (tho' I'm mostly in the kitchen and he's in the family room - it's an open floor plan). So I searched some more and found this (another 2 hour trip each way):



It's not as big, but that will have it's advantages. We plan on keeping the big A&E and possibly having French doors put in from the "formal" living room into the spare room that is going to become the totally bird safe room. Yes, I would totally remodel my house to keep that cage for my birdie! I got a really good deal and I really like it!

Now, my problem is how to get Oscar to move into it (the new, smaller one)! I've been letting him out of his narrow-barred cage everyday with the smaller one by it. I sit with him. I don't force him, but I do put treats around and in the smaller one. Oscar is afraid of everything and it seems he thinks you are always up to something... up to no good... trying to trick him (gee... that is kinda what I'm doing).

For days, though he comes out and climbs around his cage, he never went far from the door and safety. Now, he will reach over to the smaller cage to snag a pumpkin seed, which he immediately takes back into his current cage to eat. 2ce now he has actually stepped into the smaller one, but I didn't want to shut him in. I want him to go in bcuz he wants to. Oscar doesn't fly. I've never seen a bird with clipped wings. Can you tell from the video if his are clipped? He never even hops from one cage to the other. I have to have them almost touching for him to step onto the smaller one. Do birds who are clipped most of their lives learn to fly again? I'm not sure of anything in his past, but that's all I can think of. He clings to the side of the cage and flaps his wings fiercely, but never flies.

I have the dilemma of getting him into the travel cage for his vet visit and wanted to get everyone's opinion.... should I let George catch him in a towel and put him in the travel cage so as not to damage the trust we've been building or should I do it? If he goes into the small cage again, should I just immediately shut the door on him? It will be easier to get him into the travel cage from the smaller one which is why I'm kinda in a hurry to get him in it! Thanks for reading this novella. Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Here's a short version of Oscar flapping.

October 3, 2023

Oscar 10/04/23

youtube.com

 

[zoo mom]

I am afraid I have no advice on what to do about the cage. If he needs to be toweled to be put into his travel cage I think George should do it if he is comfortable with it.

 

[Alien J]

I am afraid I have no advice on what to do about the cage. If he needs to be toweled to be put into his travel cage I think George should do it if he is comfortable with it.

That's exactly what I thought!

 

[WillowQ]

For the vet visit, I’d pick up Oscar with a towel. Likely he will be mad at the towel and not you.

As to the new cage, I would put it right next to the old cage if you can, and let Oscar move over himself. If you don’t have room you CAN just move him over via towel, but I leave that towel for last resorts. Like somebirdy having a biting issue or needing nails clipped.

I think Oscar’s got full wings. You can see the long dark blue primary and secondary flight feathers in the video. Those are what would be clipped shorter were he wing clipped. when you look at a clipped Quaker their wings more look like short little clappers with the lighter body color showing and not the long dark blue (or whichever color) flight feathers sticking out and extending down to the tail.

Oscar may not realize that he can fly. Please don’t assume he will never fly because if he gets scared he may discover quickly that he CAN. I lost my first tame budgie like that when I was 14 or 15. We lived in a forest and the trees were immensely tall. Nobody could have gotten that bird down.

Since Quakers tend to be tubby, generally if you can keep them safe with full wings, that’s the way to go. I live in a small apartment and my Quaker is clipped because I don’t want him to accidentally fly into the frying pan or the soup. And I can go get the mail in the lobby with him and he rides along and gets some outing and meets people. I am pretty careful about my boys diet beaches not getting that flight exercise; he does like to flap while he hangs onto my finger. It helps him blow off steam when he’s getting squirmy but doesn’t want to go back in his house.

Maybe when you get back from the vet you could simply transfer him into the new cage? Since he’s been looking at it, it wouldn’t be completely new.

 

[Alien J]

The two cages are right next to each other in his room. Everyday when I let him out of his cage I put treats on the new cage and he has been getting over there to snag the pumpkin seeds. I'm not sure if my fear of the really thin bars on the bigger cage hurting his feet are justified or not. Here's a video of Oscar and in a couple spots you can see where he's gripping the thin bars and it seems like it's very uncomfortable for him.

Great idea about waiting to transfer him until we return from the vet. Now it's just getting them into the travel cage!