Making the trip home less stressful?

[Ribbed]

Hi! So I have to drive a few hours out to pick up my young Red Belly on Saturday. Are there any suggestions as to how I can make the trip less stressful for her? (As well as the transition into her new home)

 

[weco]

All of my birds like to ride.....strap the cage in so the bird can see all that's going on (uncovered) & don't let the cage set against the seat back or other upholstery or you might find a hole or two in it.....

Take a couple of grapes, a couple of orange slices and/or some apple slices for food & water.....water cups or tubes are messy.....

When you get home, try to refrain from a lot of interaction until it gets used to you & the new home.....if you wait 'til it's dark to open the cage door, it will be easier to get the bird back in the cage, because you can simply turn the lights off if the bird is flighty & just pick it up, rather than maybe chasing it around the room/house.....

Good luck.....

 

[Tami]

Hi Ribbed! That's so exciting! I'm picking up my female Eclectus tomorrow at the airport. So, I'm getting a new FID too.
Will you be transporting her in a cage or carrier? Some birds prefer the carrier bc it's smaller and they feel safer. Like weco suggested, make sure the carrier or cage is secure in case you hit a bump, stop fast, or make a hard turn. Don't worry if your parrot doesn't eat the fruit you bring (another great idea) bc often they are stressed and won't eat.
In my opinion I'd put her in her new cage and not get her out until the following day. Give her a chance to see what's going on and let her soak it in. That way she's more prepared for the experience once the cage door is open.
Where is her cage positioned in your home? My FIDs love being where they can see most of what's going on, but yet are back far enough to have a bit of privacy, too. Very hard to find the perfect spot sometimes. But you've had birds before so I'm sure you have that figured out.
Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[momto3]

I would sing or talk to the bird to get it used to you. Position the carrier so that it can see you too. Our Quakter arrived on an airplane and wanted to be held on the way home, so that is what my son did. She wanted human comfort so he initially put his hand in the cage but she was quite insistent about being held so he took her out and snuggled her in a towel in his lap. She loved it and has loved him ever since--good thing too since she is his bird!

 

[Ribbed]

All of my birds like to ride.....strap the cage in so the bird can see all that's going on (uncovered) & don't let the cage set against the seat back or other upholstery or you might find a hole or two in it.....

Take a couple of grapes, a couple of orange slices and/or some apple slices for food & water.....water cups or tubes are messy.....

When you get home, try to refrain from a lot of interaction until it gets used to you & the new home.....if you wait 'til it's dark to open the cage door, it will be easier to get the bird back in the cage, because you can simply turn the lights off if the bird is flighty & just pick it up, rather than maybe chasing it around the room/house.....

Good luck.....

I was wondering how to make sure she didn't get thirsty! I'll definitely put some juicy fruits in there. (If it turns out she won't eat them out of nervousness, I'll stop every hour or so to offer a water cup.)

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Ribbed]

Hi Ribbed! That's so exciting! I'm picking up my female Eclectus tomorrow at the airport. So, I'm getting a new FID too.
Will you be transporting her in a cage or carrier? Some birds prefer the carrier bc it's smaller and they feel safer. Like weco suggested, make sure the carrier or cage is secure in case you hit a bump, stop fast, or make a hard turn. Don't worry if your parrot doesn't eat the fruit you bring (another great idea) bc often they are stressed and won't eat.
In my opinion I'd put her in her new cage and not get her out until the following day. Give her a chance to see what's going on and let her soak it in. That way she's more prepared for the experience once the cage door is open.
Where is her cage positioned in your home? My FIDs love being where they can see most of what's going on, but yet are back far enough to have a bit of privacy, too. Very hard to find the perfect spot sometimes. But you've had birds before so I'm sure you have that figured out.
Good luck and keep us posted!

Delightful! Congrats! What's your Eclectus' name?
I don't have a small carrier, but I do have a small cage that I'll be using for transport. Would it help to partially cover the cage for a sense of safety, while allowing her to still look around/out the window?

Is the corner of the living room adequate? The finches/doves I had didn't seem to care, and the budgie was a human (he was pretty much only in his cage to sleep) I'm assuming the RB is going to be more sensitive than any of those I've experienced, so the cage placement tips were quite welcomed! ;D

 

[Ribbed]

I would sing or talk to the bird to get it used to you. Position the carrier so that it can see you too. Our Quakter arrived on an airplane and wanted to be held on the way home, so that is what my son did. She wanted human comfort so he initially put his hand in the cage but she was quite insistent about being held so he took her out and snuggled her in a towel in his lap. She loved it and has loved him ever since--good thing too since she is his bird!

How sweeeeeet! What a bonding experience! If someone else is driving and Jada desires contact, I'll try that!
If she's too skiddish, I'll still sing/talk to her! (Hopefully she doesn't mind my, er, ~creative~ (broken) singing voice... heh heh)

 

[WharfRat]

When we got our young ones and had a 4 hour trip one way the biggest thing I noticed was keeping the water bowl filled (hot climate in Tx). I really had no issues after getting home and I made a point of spending time with them immediately. Of course they were very young and not even weaned yet so I made sure to be very close to them as much as I could. Not sure of your bird's age so not sure how much this will help.

 

[Ribbed]

My trip is around 3 hours; if 4 hours needed a lot of water, then I probably will too! Jada is weaned (about 6 months) and is said to be pretty well socialized, so hopefully she's comfortable with me!
I'll have to wait and see ;D

 

[WharfRat]

my baby back then, we have a very strong bond now

 

[Ribbed]

Oh my goodness!!!!!! How ADORABLE!!!
Not to mention absolutely lovely!
I love the squinty-happy-eyes that are going on there! And check out that baby fluff!