Catching bird(s) to take to vet

[123456]

I recently posted in another thread how I would like to adopt a second budgie to keep mine company. The problem I have is my current guy is not tame so when I go to catch him he flies all over his flight cage and sometimes flies out and across the room. I am not very skilled at toweling.

If I get a second bird I am afraid of them both escaping the cage at once and then not being able to catch one of them before they become lost in the clutter of my house. The cage is too big to move into a smaller room. Does anyone have any advice? He really needs a friend.

 

[sunnysmom]

You can try target training. You can use it both as a way to teach a bird to step up and also to teach them to go into a carrier. There are some good youtube videos on it.

 

[Kassiani]

Target training has helped with 2 of my 4 birds as far as getting them into travel carriers. I can get them to step up onto a rope perch and then transfer them to a carrier. However...

My two original birds, the trust was broken by me because I was very uneducated early on. My Jujube and Jelly Bean are quite a challenge to get into a travel carrier, or to catch to take care of nails. I try to keep my handling of them to an absolute minimum needed. In order to catch them, I use a light weight pillow case. When they flutter to the cage bottom, I can drop the pillow case over them and quickly transfer them to their travel carrier. I can't target any of my birds directly into a carrier because they associate them with long road trips and vet trips. *sigh*

 

[123456]

Target training has helped with 2 of my 4 birds as far as getting them into travel carriers. I can get them to step up onto a rope perch and then transfer them to a carrier. However...

My two original birds, the trust was broken by me because I was very uneducated early on. My Jujube and Jelly Bean are quite a challenge to get into a travel carrier, or to catch to take care of nails. I try to keep my handling of them to an absolute minimum needed. In order to catch them, I use a light weight pillow case. When they flutter to the cage bottom, I can drop the pillow case over them and quickly transfer them to their travel carrier. I can't target any of my birds directly into a carrier because they associate them with long road trips and vet trips. *sigh*

I will try the target training but I’m afraid I have broken the trust of the bird. Thanks.

 

[Sparkles99]

I find patience & a piece of worn out flannel are best for towelling.

 

[Olliebirb]

Turing off the lights and keeping it just dim enough for you to see and then toweling works great for me when I need to catch Winston!