16-Hour Move, Need Tips

[elitys]

I will be moving within 3-4 weeks and my green cheek is coming with me (along with my very old hamster... our car will be a zoo). My hamster is an experienced traveler as far as long car rides go, but this will be my conure's first big ride with me. I have a travel cage, but it's pretty cheap, and I've only used it so far for bringing her home for the first time and a vet visit. Here's the one I have: Grreat Choice® Basic Bird Cage | bird Cages | PetSmart

I was checking out other, sturdier alternatives for the long ride, and I found the Prevue Hendryx, but I am concerned that the bar spacing may be a bit wide. Is 3/4 inches safe for a green cheek? Here's the Hendryx for reference: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VVP0KU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Do share any thoughts or other suggestions you have. I don't have the budget for anything like the Pak-O-Bird, but I could spend around $80 on something quality if recommended.

As far as reducing stress, I would love to hear any tips. Should she be covered, what toys should I put in and leave out, how many stops should I take, etc. Thank you in advance, lovely bird people.

 

[melissa68]

I drove from FL to NH with my 5-month-old cockatiel. We did around 7-10 hours of driving per day and we broke it up into a four-day drive. Stayed at animal-friendly hotels for the night.

I put his cage, belted in the front passenger seat so he could see me. Very quickly realized that he did better if he could see out the window so I grabbed the only thing available to me (everything else packed in a moving truck) which was a kitchen trash can. I placed it on the seat on it's side and put the cage on top of that and buckled the cage in. It worked great! Once he could see outside and see me it was smooth sailing every day.

I did most my stops at rest stops so I could pop him on my shoulder and take him into the bathrooms with me. His wings were clipped from the breeder. If he could fly I would have put him in a flight harness. It also worked because he is a chill bird and not afraid of much lol but he also did well if I just left him in his cage and went in by myself so do what works for your baby.

I didn't worry about covering his cage but had a towel on standby if need be.

A few weeks prior to the trip I would do short car rides with him to the local park, grocery store, drive-thru etc so he was used to the bumps and sounds of the car.

I started out the mornings when it was dark out and tried to stop by 3pm every day so that way he would get about 4-5 hours of out of cage time in the hotel before bed.

It looks like your cage would be fine. One thing if you can get a deeper dish for water that will help. Every bump and water was splashing out of his bowl so I was only able to have about a quarter-inch of water in his bowl.

 

[Ripshod]

Tbe best thing I can suggest is try a few test runs with her, maybe 30 minutes so you can see how she'll react and maybe desensitise her to any stress. Lots of treats and cuddles when you get back home.

 

[Mizzely]

5/8" is the largest recommended for green cheeks. I have the Prevue cage you linked for my Jardine's as would not have let me green cheek in it.

I traveled 12 hour trips numerous times with several of my birds, both in one go and divided into two days.

When you put the carrier in the car, make sure there is a perch running from front to back vs side to side. It is easier for them to maintain balance with stopping and accelerating.

Conver half the cage with a light colored towel so they can hide from the sun if they wish to.

My Quaker got car sick so I always made up a bunch of chamomile tea before every trip, and mixed it 1:1 with water. Give that as the water source during the trip and for an hour before you leave.

I also kept baby food purees in the car and when we stopped for bathroom breaks, etc, I would say spoon feed it to them between the bars. That way I knew they were eating something and staying hydrated.

Any toys, make sure they can't swing around. The should be secured to the side of the cage. Mine never play in the car though.

Check your route and make sure you know of vets along your route in case of an emergency. Same with pet friendly hotels.