Travel crates for Macaws

[luvmytooo]

Im looking into getting two crates for my Macaws to travel in.
I was looking at the Kings Cage large bird travel crate but sheesh are they expensive ! But they sure are nice :54:

Has anybody used dog crates and have you encountered any problems with either the birds chewing on them or other issues ?

I'm just trying to verify spending the money on the Kings travel crates :/

Thanks all

 

[WharfRat]

ummmmmm perched on the headrest in the van???

Honestly I haven't traveled with them any distance at this size. But I do take ReaRea with me now and then (I don't trust Miri) I just carry her out & put her in the van, but no, I wouldn't do it for a long trip. I'll have to look into this, could probably think something up. I hate the high prices for bird stuff (or any animal)

 

[plax]

Has anybody used dog crates and have you encountered any problems with either the birds chewing on them or other issues ?

I have 4 of them (the thick plastic kennel crates with metal grid doors). When I let Zaf play inside one of them (which he loves to do) he just tears chunks out of the plastic. Sad but true

 

[plax]

Oh, and I should've mentioned that one thing I think is really important is to have enough quickly removable cages to get each of your birds out in the event of a fire. That's why I keep 4 of them here and leave them each ready to throw a bird into in case we ever have to evacuate. It's just something to consider.

 

[luvmytooo]

I've seen perches made especially for cars , trucks....I think it fits in the console somehow or maybe you need to have it mounted , but it's a perch that mounts in between the driver and passenger seats. Call me crazy and over protective , but isn't it dangerous ?
I mean , what if you stop short ? Or , your airbag goes off !
Just not safe IMO.
I just had my Macaws to the vet for a grooming and they traveled in dog crates.
I set a perch for them close to the side closest to me ( I was in the passengers seat )
I used a calcium perch , the one with the holes in it , so they could get a good grip if they had to and it would make them feel more secure .
They traveled well , except for Baby , he threw up , the poor thing
He's been to the vet twice and both times he threw up ....but was fine afterwards.
Stella LOVES to go for rides . She really likes to watch all the cars go by and seems to get really stimulated of a semi goes by us , lolol.
Baby seems to really like it too , but both times on the way back , he throws up
I'm thinking it was from the vets office , being restrained and everything.
I guess after a couple more trips he should be fine , hopefully.

But the crates I use are way too big for them and to carry in is crazy.
The Kings crates arent too big and look to be easier to haul around.

 

[Merlee]

I own a B&G macaw and use a medium sized wire dog crate that has been modified by putting in a couple of manzanita branches, toys and wire cup holders. I bought one at Walmart and it can fold down when not in use. I use it only to go to the vet and when we use our travel trailer. Merlin has spent mainly weekends in it and was fine. While the kings cages looks nice, I cannot justify paying $329 for the small amount of time my bird will be in it. I have not seen one in person and wonder if the bird can turn around in it or extend its wings. Whichever one you obtain, it looks like it will still take 2 people to carry it. Compare the weight of a dog crate vs. a kings cage which weighs 29 pounds.

If you get the kings cage, report back to us and let us know how you like it.

 

[MacawGuy]

I use the plastic creats as well n screw a perch inside

 

[GWGordy]

I use a good size plastic dog crate!! He loves rides so far as long as he is talked too!! and your finger in there once in awhile for a kiss he's happy.. we take him out about 1-2 times a week to a local pet shop with a small amount of traffic! because in nov he will be driving 18hours to fl.. still debating on flying him though!

 

[Merlee]

I use a good size plastic dog crate!! He loves rides so far as long as he is talked too!! and your finger in there once in awhile for a kiss he's happy.. we take him out about 1-2 times a week to a local pet shop with a small amount of traffic! because in nov he will be driving 18hours to fl.. still debating on flying him though!

He's ok with being in the dark?

 

[azdesertrhino]

We initially started out with this set up. I purchased a used bird cage and cut it up and modified it to fit in a folding wagon. Worked well for travel but kind of heavy.

It would fit in the back of the Jeep or the back seat of the pick up truck.

We currently use this set up. Had a plexiglass cage built but it got too hot. i had to modify it with stainless mesh "Windows" so the circulation would be better.

Still cumbersome. Trying to figure out a better way to go without breaking the bank.

We do have a large dog transport cage but I'm just not comfortable with it. If it was a trip to the vet it would be fine but I don't use it for long trips.

 

[MaraWentz]

We only used dog crates when we first got Erin and took her on trips, but she'd much rather be on my shoulder. I admit that's not safe and that they should be in a carrier and buckled in. We've had a few close calls and I always hold on to her tight, so she is safe, but if something comes from behind that I don't see I wouldn't be prepared to grab her in time and knowing from experience, if you grab them, even for their own protection, they do bite hard because chances are you're more worried about protecting them than being gentle while holding them and you probably startled the heck out of them , and you have to be able to hold on through their hardest bite. I recommend a small or medium foldable wire dog crate. It's easy to strap in a seat and you can even close a buckled seat belt in the cage if it's foldable, so there's no chance of the seatbelt slipping off. They have easy clean pull out bottoms, great for storage, climbable and you can stick almost any perhc or food bowl in it.

 

[triordan]

yep I use a large plastic dog crate~ I just added a perch by drilling a small hole in the sides for the wing bolt, but he liked it just as much without the perch, we take him to the beach house about 4 times during the summer~ its a 3 hour drive and rarely does he make a "mess"

 

[luvmytooo]

We initially started out with this set up. I purchased a used bird cage and cut it up and modified it to fit in a folding wagon. Worked well for travel but kind of heavy.

It would fit in the back of the Jeep or the back seat of the pick up truck.

We currently use this set up. Had a plexiglass cage built but it got too hot. i had to modify it with stainless mesh "Windows" so the circulation would be better.

Still cumbersome. Trying to figure out a better way to go without breaking the bank.

We do have a large dog transport cage but I'm just not comfortable with it. If it was a trip to the vet it would be fine but I don't use it for long trips.

That is a real nice setup ! Where did you find a collapsable wagon ?
I love that idea , lolol
I use a fold up dolly for my agility gear , but I never saw a fold up wagon
Thanks for the idea

 

[KBEquine]

I absolutely love the cart.

We have a huge dog-crate, with food & water bowls attached to the grid in the front & a perch secured to the side. Goose traveled in it from Connecticut to southern Pennsylvania (with Kiwi in a smaller version of the same crate) with no problems.

I understand that Merlin, the other parrot in their home, had a similar cage & was flown to her new home, to avoid the long drive in the cage. Merlin ended up getting sick (she is well now & happily & very expertly manipulating her new companion). So avoiding the long drive in the crate didn't seem to do her any good.

I love the King's travel cages, too, but yeah. Pricey. I'd love one on wheels. I'll need to see if I can find a lightweight collapsible wagon that'll carry the big honkin' crate.

 

[Catalytic]

We just moved from east Alabama to far west Texas (El Paso), and we used a medium dog crate (plastic) from Walmart for our B&G. She did chew some chunks out of it, but it was the best option I could come up with. We used our normal Lixit Quick Lock crocks from her cage on the door for food/water, and we used one of the bendable rope perches, just drilled holes in either side of the kennel to mount it. We traveled about 1400 miles over 4 days, and she did fine in it. (She had to stay in it 24/7 for the trip, because her cage is too big to set up in our travel trailer...we did carry it with us and set it up immediately when we arrived here, but the kennel worked really well for the trip.)

 

[azdesertrhino]

That is a real nice setup ! Where did you find a collapsable wagon ?
I love that idea , lolol
I use a fold up dolly for my agility gear , but I never saw a fold up wagon
Thanks for the idea

We picked ours up at Target but they are available at a variety of places.

Here is one at Camping World.