upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Well, this is it! We are finally ready to move and get out of Spokane for good! Not that I don't love this town, but there are some people here that I would like to forget forever.

Anyway, I wanted to get your opinions on the best way to move my guys. We've got everything set up in the new house, with new cages, new nestboxes, and all new stuff in general. I have 15 pairs right now and only about 4 crates! We are asking to borrow some crates from some bird friends here and then we'll bring them back when we sign the final papers and close on our house here. I can't wait!

I'm just pondering the entire move in general. It's about a 5 hour drive and we are hoping to get all the birds there in one trip. We've got most of our other stuff there already, we've just been holding off on the birds. I'm hoping to move them in the next month, as soon as a few guys hatch out the last of the eggs.

So does anyone have any tips on making this a smooth transition? Any tips on moving the birds that aren't talked about often? I think I've got everything worked out, but I'd really like a good discussion on moving many birds at once.

When I had a big move, space was tight so I practice-packed the empty crates into the car and made a chart so I could recall what the configuration was. I used pieces of scrap wood etc to keep the crates enough inches from each other that an aggressive talon couldn't stretch from one to another, causing injury.

I trust you know your birds well enough to know which will remain calm enough under the stress of this move to be safe in the same crate with a mate. Please have an emergency plan in case you need to separate some en route. A few pillow cases with a ball of twine (and scissors!) to tie each closed can save lives if some mates get crazy.

For a 5-hour trip, I'd leave their crates without perches. The only safe perches in a vehicle are low ropes and, in borrowed crates, that could be hard to put together. Orange slices can provide the liquid they need if you don't have water bottles for the crates and birds trained to use them.

Hope your move goes as well as mine did. Once you're settled, I urge you to buy a $15 crate each week until you have one for each bird in case you're ever forced to evacuate. Scary to consider but could be so tragic if you don't prepare JIC.

My best, Paca

Hi Kerrie!

Glad to hear you are finally moving! When we made the move this last week, we had carriers we purchased at Walmart for all of our birds and a couple extra on hand in case of emergency. We also took along our net and a nice large hand towel plus my quik stop, and first aid kit. We have one pair of conures we had to separate beforehand due to the male's aggressive behavior toward her when traveling and our blue headed pionus pair traveled separately as well. We covered the carriers with blue sheets to help alleviate the stress of traveling, headlights, etc., and it did seem to calm them down. They still munched on their pellets, veggies, etc. and I loaded up cages with oranges, apples, carrots, in addition to usual fare. I installed water cups also for the smaller birds especially. My hubby swears by bungee cords and was able to effect a sort of "tie-down" so the carriers would be secured. Everyone made it unscathed!!

Good luck!

Sally

Hi

I had to move large birds from Arizona to Mississippi. We did drive straight through but I rented a truck with a walk through from the back to the front. I straped cages to the walls of the truck and lowered perches. I also made a place in the back with a sleeping bag so that the birds could see me or my nephew at all times. They actually sang with me most of the trip. They slept at night, and during the daylight hours were happy as a lark, singing and playing.

Im really glad to see this topic. Sometime in the next several months we'll be moving about 800 miles with 15 parrots, possibly more, 2 dogs, and 3 cats. My husband is really stressing the move because of the birds but I told him that I think it can be done in relative ease. The dogs and cats are going down in one vehicle. Birds will go down in a van with me. We have vari-kennels that we're going to use and most are used to them from going to the vet in them.

The only pair we have are GCC's who are sitting on eggs now and by the time we move, hopefully, babies will be moved on to other homes.

I enjoyed reading this topic. It's helped me with ideas with moving my flock!

Thanks! Laurie

I have moved my collection of 100+ birds twice (well three times if you count the Hurricane evacuation).

The first time it was a mile down the road and I moved everyone in their flight cages on the back of a pickup truck. The second time (and during the evacuation), I moved everyone in crates in the back of a van. I have also travelled between TX and FL and between TX and CA with birds in crates for 2-3 days.

Travelling with adult or fully weaned juveniles is a piece of cake, as long as they have food/water they will be just fine. Travelling with babies that need to be fed takes a little more planning but it can also be easily done. I have gone on several multi-state trips while feeding babies (lories, cockatoos and fig parrots) and have never had any problems. I bring bottled water and plenty of formula, syringes and paper towels.