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Would this room be safe for budgies?

Britnicorn

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I don't have the dimensions of either of these rooms right now

My budgie's current room is pretty big, it is still a bedroom so it's not like a full-sized living room, but it's pretty wide and they do laps back and forth through the long way of my room

I want to go to my parent's lake house for winter break, I went and saw the room we would stay in and it is pretty small, probably half the size of my room now, definitely a standard bedroom size
The room has no windows or mirrors, it has a TV but I can(and will) cover it when the birds are out, it also has a closet but it has a door so it is safe

I know they can make super tight turns, I've seen them do it, but I'm still terrified of them crashing in the small room after what happened with Raiju- Raiju panicked in a new smaller room about a week ago and was crashing all over the place(the room Raiju was in and the room we will be staying in are about the same size), so now I can't help but feel like they'll crash inside the new room
It makes me not want to go altogether, but I still want to spend time with my family. I'm so torn

Is the room a good enough size? Any advice for making sure they don't crash in the new room? I already have plans for lining the walls with pillows and making sure they have lots of places to land, but I can't really make the walls safe... I don't know of a way if there is one anyway

Edit to add: I will not clip my budgies wings, I would rather not go than clip their wings
 

reetybird

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I don't have the dimensions of either of these rooms right now

My budgie's current room is pretty big, it is still a bedroom so it's not like a full-sized living room, but it's pretty wide and they do laps back and forth through the long way of my room

I want to go to my parent's lake house for winter break, I went and saw the room we would stay in and it is pretty small, probably half the size of my room now, definitely a standard bedroom size
The room has no windows or mirrors, it has a TV but I can(and will) cover it when the birds are out, it also has a closet but it has a door so it is safe

I know they can make super tight turns, I've seen them do it, but I'm still terrified of them crashing in the small room after what happened with Raiju- Raiju panicked in a new smaller room about a week ago and was crashing all over the place(the room Raiju was in and the room we will be staying in are about the same size), so now I can't help but feel like they'll crash inside the new room
It makes me not want to go altogether, but I still want to spend time with my family. I'm so torn

Is the room a good enough size? Any advice for making sure they don't crash in the new room? I already have plans for lining the walls with pillows and making sure they have lots of places to land, but I can't really make the walls safe... I don't know of a way if there is one anyway

Edit to add: I will not clip my budgies wings, I would rather not go than clip their wings
Quite a tough situation… I’d recommend seeing if you can bring the bird to see if they can fly before you can go for the long stay maybe?:thinking:
 

flyzipper

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You know your birds better than anyone.

Based on your description, I'd have no concerns taking mine there, but that's not the issue.

Raiju panicked in a new smaller room about a week ago and was crashing all over the place(the room Raiju was in and the room we will be staying in are about the same size), so now I can't help but feel like they'll crash inside the new room
Was it a panic flight that subsided, or did you have to intervene to put an end to it? Was it something in that specific room that worked as a trigger? Have you tried going to that room since? It's possible the initial freak-out will pass.

What's the worst that will happen if you get to the lake house and they freak out? They stay in their cage? For how long? Could you easily return home (take separate vehicles)?

Formulating a plan B beforehand might put your mind at ease.

Edit: The other thing I would offer is that I'd rather deal with a bird who's freaking out in a small room versus a large room. It's much easier to contain them, and they won't be able to build up as much speed before a collision.
 
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Britnicorn

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You know your birds better than anyone.

Based on your description, I'd have no concerns taking mine there, but that's not the issue.



Was it a panic flight that subsided, or did you have to intervene to put an end to it? Was it something in that specific room that worked as a trigger? Have you tried going to that room since? It's possible the initial freak-out will pass.

What's the worst that will happen if you get to the lake house and they freak out? They stay in their cage? For how long? Could you easily return home (take separate vehicles)?

Formulating a plan B beforehand might put your mind at ease.

Edit: The other thing I would offer is that I'd rather deal with a bird who's freaking out in a small room versus a large room. It's much easier to contain them, and they won't be able to build up as much speed before a collision.
Raiju had to be separated from Phoenix for a few days so he was alone and terrified, I let him out of the cage and he crashed into the walls multiple times before I was able to catch him. Raiju is so easily scared, but since they will be together I do think they wouldn't be as scared, but it is still a new place

I could just pack them up and go home at any time, that's not an issue, I'm just terrified of the idea of them having a super bad crash that gives them a concussion or even worse. I have some hand-eye coordination issues so catching them quickly is hard

If they had to stay in there cage they would probably be in there for a couple of weeks. It's a big cage, but they have never gone longer than a day without being outside the cage and I think they'd get depressed really fast. I'd pack them up and go home for sure if they couldn't handle the room
 

MommyBird

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You probably couldn't do it over 4 walls, but one solution for a shorter wall could be hanging either a sheer curtain or a large climbing net a few inches away from a wall. if it is a sheer curtain, it would not need to be anything too sturdy. 2 nails in the perpendicular walls and some wire would do it if the distance isn't too far.
 

Britnicorn

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You probably couldn't do it over 4 walls, but one solution for a shorter wall could be hanging either a sheer curtain or a large climbing net a few inches away from a wall. if it is a sheer curtain, it would not need to be anything too sturdy. 2 nails in the perpendicular walls and some wire would do it if the distance isn't too far.
This is a great idea! Thanks!
 

GreenThing

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I think it is worth a try. I have been slowly introducing the boys to the tiny bathroom adjacent to my bedroom, because I want them to know the mirrors are there and feel familiar enough to navigate out without panicking. A few times they've been startled and the startled flapping and the sound when their wings brush something always terrifies me, but instead of panicking now I just slowly sit on the floor and let them figure it out. And they are doing so well! No more brushing walls, they know the mirror is solid, and they are so excited by exploring a new place (and the mystery of new budgies lol) that I just hold my arm up while standing in the doorway and they fly right to me.

I think Raiju definitely regressed a little in the moment without Phoenix (I think Percy would do the same-- I'm really trying to build my bond with him), but I wouldn't let that scare you from introducing them to new places. I think the stimulus can be very good for their brains, if they have their flock to provide stability. I also think having a very high place to land can help with the panic-circling, when I first let Percy out I could tell he was circling looking for somewhere to land.
 

Britnicorn

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I think it is worth a try. I have been slowly introducing the boys to the tiny bathroom adjacent to my bedroom, because I want them to know the mirrors are there and feel familiar enough to navigate out without panicking. A few times they've been startled and the startled flapping and the sound when their wings brush something always terrifies me, but instead of panicking now I just slowly sit on the floor and let them figure it out. And they are doing so well! No more brushing walls, they know the mirror is solid, and they are so excited by exploring a new place (and the mystery of new budgies lol) that I just hold my arm up while standing in the doorway and they fly right to me.

I think Raiju definitely regressed a little in the moment without Phoenix (I think Percy would do the same-- I'm really trying to build my bond with him), but I wouldn't let that scare you from introducing them to new places. I think the stimulus can be very good for their brains, if they have their flock to provide stability. I also think having a very high place to land can help with the panic-circling, when I first let Percy out I could tell he was circling looking for somewhere to land.
Thanks so much! The rational side of me is almost certain they'd be fine, especially since we'll all be together and they'll have their big cage with them, but there's always that little voice that's like "but what if its not going to be fine?? :scared3:" :roflmao:

Thanks for the tip too! I'll look into putting up a shelf or something
 

Shezbug

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I’d just make sure they had multiple places to land (up higher) if they chose to and seriously try not to panic about every little thing that could possibly go wrong cos most of them things don’t go wrong- especially when you’re aware and make conscious efforts like you do - In a small room they won’t be flying at top speed so they’re rather unlikely to seriously damage themselves even if they do crash a few times.
If it’s all too stressful you can choose to leave them caged or simply go home early.
 

Britnicorn

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I’d just make sure they had multiple places to land (up higher) if they chose to and seriously try not to panic about every little thing that could possibly go wrong cos most of them things don’t go wrong- especially when you’re aware and make conscious efforts like you do - In a small room they won’t be flying at top speed so they’re rather unlikely to seriously damage themselves even if they do crash a few times.
If it’s all too stressful you can choose to leave them caged or simply go home early.
Thank you!
 

Momof3litt

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I travel fairly regularly with my birds (including 2 budgies) and we have stayed in quite a few different types and sizes of spaces. I always leave them in their cage for a while in a new room so that they can look around and get used to the space from a safe area. I also bring perches they can use outside of the cage - a tabletop stand, t-perch and/or window perches, depending on what the space is like (i.e. is there a table to use or do I need a floor stand?)

When encountering a new space, my budgies almost always react the same way - short exploratory flights that loop back to the cage top until they figure out where else they can land. It looks chaotic, but they figure it out. With my GCC (who is much more hand-tame than the budgies), I will do some short flights to and from a cage perch and practice a few tricks to help him get comfortable. He will often just ride on me until he has the lay of the land.

Are your budgies tame enough to explore with you? Oh, and of course, getting to a new place and getting a nice big millet treat also works wonders :tup:.
 

Britnicorn

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I travel fairly regularly with my birds (including 2 budgies) and we have stayed in quite a few different types and sizes of spaces. I always leave them in their cage for a while in a new room so that they can look around and get used to the space from a safe area. I also bring perches they can use outside of the cage - a tabletop stand, t-perch and/or window perches, depending on what the space is like (i.e. is there a table to use or do I need a floor stand?)

When encountering a new space, my budgies almost always react the same way - short exploratory flights that loop back to the cage top until they figure out where else they can land. It looks chaotic, but they figure it out. With my GCC (who is much more hand-tame than the budgies), I will do some short flights to and from a cage perch and practice a few tricks to help him get comfortable. He will often just ride on me until he has the lay of the land.

Are your budgies tame enough to explore with you? Oh, and of course, getting to a new place and getting a nice big millet treat also works wonders :tup:.
Thank you!! Yes my budgies are very tame. I’ll be sure to bring all their outside perches and play stands :heart:
 

Britnicorn

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Got the room all bird-proofed (as much as I can anyway) for the babes to move in! I still have a few taller stands and toys to bring in but I didn’t want to take all their stuff from them, we are moving in Saturday
I have a blanket to cover the TV for when they’re out of the cage, and their cage is going in the corner at the foot of my bed

(yes I stacked up the mattresses so the birds could have more room :lol: )

Edit to add: there’s an oven right outside their room you can see, but don’t worry no one uses that one. This house has two kitchens!!
 
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