Using a bird carrier instead of a harness for outdoor walks?

[BoomBoom]

Hello! Boomer's aviator harness training isn't going too well. I won't discuss that in this thread but I'm certainly not giving up on the training. In the meantime, I looked into other options for taking him on walks outside. All he's seen are the rooms of my tiny apartment since December. While he is next to a window with a view of the sky and trees and occassional people outside, I don't want his world to be all that. He needs to see what else is out there too I think. I considered a mesh backpack sold by Celltei but didnt like the idea of the mesh restricting his vision and ventilation. I want Boomer to see out as much as possible.

I settled for 2 carriers so far. I listed some pros and cons below as well...

http://www.birdsupplies.com/product_images/uploaded_images/perch-go3.jpg


Or

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31cUSmAg5ML.jpg



PROS

-Easier to put bird in a carrier
-He can enjoy the view and fresh air
-Safe from danger (raptors, dogs, cars, people)
-It can double as a sleep cage when I visit my family

CONS
-He could bang his head into the bars if he loses balance from me moving the carrier around
-Pricy for me!
-It is bulky and silly looking to walk down the street with a carrier
-He could still feel feel restricted being in a cage and all


What do you guys think? Can you add more pros and cons? Any other suggestions I could look into?

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I prefer harnesses for outings except for in the car. A carrier is safer in the car. birds are fairly tough, but a airbag will crush them. A carrier will protect them from that, as well as any large chunks of debris.

You had trouble with your harness training right? Getting them used to a harness can take a while, so while your doing that it would be a great idea to take them out in a carrier

 

[Birdlover11]

Just don't give up no matter how long it takes. I have a friend which took a YEAR to harness train her CAG .Just give boomer some more time

 

[Jtbirds]

I 2nd what cooper has said

 

[weco]

The mesh cages have another problem, many conures can/may chew through them. Since you are looking for something to use for walks, look at smaller pet/ bird cages.....maybe budgie style & check out your local goodwill or other thrift stores for a used stroller at a good price...or maybe get the stroller, then a cage sized to strap in the seat.....

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I have a mesh style carrier, and i also just bought a harness. I want to harness train Gilbert since he is definitely young enough that i would think he should take to it well. I wasn't sure how Georgie would do so she used the mesh carrier. They can definitely chew through it if they are bored, so I would only use that when you are right there, only for the actual walks we took. But i felt the same way--i didn't want her world to be my home, but to get out and enjoy it as much as possible.
Having both isn't a bad idea, but don't give up on the harness training. I think that is pretty much ideal for them.

 

[BoomBoom]

Thanks for the responses. I'll definitely keep on training Boomer with the aviator harness. I had it wrapped around my wrist all weekend so he saw how harmless it was.

Good point about the mesh getting chewed through. He already chews on my window screen, why not the mesh indeed!

I also updated this to fix the broken links in my original post so you guys can see the two carriers I was considering. What do you think of them?

 

[Jtbirds]

I prefer the first one as they are easier to clean and they are overall just very nice, I have 2 similar ones and love them .

 

[ruffledfeathers]

So, Gilly JUST tried his harness for the first time today. We practiced lifting the wings, holding one two three, and then hugs and kisses. (he is generally fine fussing with his head but hates when anyone fusses with his wings). Anyhow, he was totally cool putting it on and we went out to play in the yard (he can't fly yet, as he has been clipped since i got him at 2 months old). He was very excited and seemed to love the experience----UNTIL it came time to pull the collar part back over his head. he was all kinds of fussy. I think the fun was over and it was just a nuisance to him. I'll practice getting that part a little smoother, or he won't enjoy it! But the experience overall was good (up until the end, and i distracted him finally with a piece of fruit and saying GOOD BOY!)

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

hi there boomboom.
those r both nice, but am wondering about weight and size making it tough for walk. whar about the type 4 small critters. they r just mini cages with handle on top, so you could put a perch inside and boomer can have air and hear the souds outside.

 

[noblemacaw]

I really like both. The first one intrigues me and I wonder if there is one large enough for my RFM Valentino. The current carrier I have for him came from the breeder when he was "shipped" up to me via Continental airlines. My parrot arrived the day of our worst snowstorm! It took us over an hour to get to the airport and over hour back and it was very slippery and dangerous. Poor Valentino!

Darn, I digress...again.

I recognize the second carrier to be a Kings aluminum which are very expensive and I think the medium size from mysafebirdstore is over 200 bucks! a VERY nice carrier but expensive!!

I would like to know more about the first carrier, who makes it and who sells them? Are there different sizes? I would like to replace Valentino's current carrier although it is alright to use for transport I am not happy he was able to peel metal skin like pieces from the front door of it.

 

[MonicaMc]

I was thinking about a physical carrier that goes on the body. Would be easier than using a travel carrier that you might hold wrong or accidentally bump into... and of course there are those pet strollers as well... that aside, both are probably pretty good. I usually use cat carriers or small cages when transporting/moving my birds. I think in in the end, it's up to you what style you prefer! And what you think you could safely put your conure in!


My mitred conure was 11 or 12 years old before he ever wore his first harness. He doesn't like it on when we are inside (picks at it frequently, regardless of where we are at), but outside he'll *mostly* leave it alone.

 

[noblemacaw]

Darn the Paradise Perch and Go Bird Carrier is too small for my enlarging Valentino RFM. His tail is aprx. 24 inches long and although would probably fit his body his tail is too long. It would be good for a mini macaw though. *sigh* I might have to dream about the Kings carrier, your second choice.

BTW for the paradise the cheapest price I found it was on drfosterandsmith site and amazon for 99 dollars or a little less.

Mysafebirdstore seems to have the Kings at the best price. I am going to check my local parrot stuff supplier for their price.

 

[BoomBoom]

Yeah the Perch and Go seems too only come in one size, which is just enough for a sun conure size. What is paradise perch? I looked it up on Amazon but it was just a rope perch.

I've thought about the smaller carriers that WannaBe mentioned but I didn't see any that had an open wire top (for maximum visibility), and had a handle.

I've seen some carriers that strap on the body like the Celltei backpack or one that straps on the shoulder so you look like you have a big bag leaning against your head lol. I am staying away from those because of the destructible mesh and the poor visibility it offers. I do likee that these type of carriers are soft for the bird if they were to lose their balance inside.

I am leaning towards the Kings Cage but like Noble said, super expensive for what it does. WOuld be great if I found something small, is a wire cage and has a sturdy handle. I'll keep looking! Will share it with all of you if I find something worthwhile.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

BoomBoom,

This isn't the kind I was thinking of when I posted earlier, but since you mentioned the wire top and handle, maybe this would work, although it has no wires on the side. I bought this last summer for Pritti to travel in. The top is all wire and has a sliding/locking door up there. Pretty comfortable handle, and it is lightweight. There is plenty of room for Pritti (about 14" long, 185gm), and I have a small wood perch that he likes to hang out on. I put a vinyl placemat on the bottom, then I lay a small towel over it when he's inside so that it isn't slippery. There's room to walk around a little too. What's nice too is the way it opens like a suitcase -- so that I lay it on the table and he hangs out in it open too.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHZK8/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1]Amazon.com: Petmate Cabin Kennel with Wire Top for Small Pets: Pet Supplies[/ame]

 

[MonicaMc]

Charlie likes that one! Had him in it once and he was running across the bottom of it, peaking out with one eye! Pretty hilarious to watch! Not to mention the funny noises he makes!

 

[noblemacaw]

I have two of the same carrier that Monica and WannaBe have. One is tan the other one was blue. Tan one was Mihijo's and the blue one was Diego's. I really like that carrier and I still have both of them. My Mini macaws were taught to "Kennel" by crawling though the little door on the top. One time at the Vet's I had the carrier sitting on the exam table while Diego was on my hand we were waiting for the doctor and tech to come in. Both the doctor and the tech come in and Dr. Blair says "Hi Diego." and he took one look at her and jumped off my hand diving into the carrier via the top door. We laughed for several moments because it took us by surprise and it was so funny.

Unfortunately this carrier is too small to shove my giant RFM into. I wonder if he can still fit in the carrier he came in. LOL.

 

[BoomBoom]

That's a cute pic, Monica! That carrier would be perfect if it had more open walls. It looks very compact.

 

[coral3]

I know you said you dismissed the idea of a pak-o-bird, but honestly I think it's exactly what you want. Most solid carriers (dog crate style) won't let the bird see out well. Cages (ie the King's travel cages etc) are clumsy to carry around so you probably won't want to be walking far at all with it.

You said you worried that your bird wouldn't be able to see well out of a pak o bird. I wondered about that too, until I stuck my head in ours & discovered I could see out really well. It's a lot like having tinted windows on your car....looking IN your view is restricted, but you can see OUT perfectly.

I anticipated having difficulty getting Ringo into ours, but I hung a couple of toys with his favourite beads on them and as soon as he saw those he wanted to get in. In fact he loves it so much that if I leave it out unzipped he'll fly off his playstand & go hop in by himself.

I've taken him on walks several times with me (about an hour each time) no problems. I find it comfortable, light weight and easy to carry.

He has also been away for weekends with us a couple times, to a family cabin which is a two hours + car ride each way, and while we're there he sleeps in it overnight, plus if we go somewhere for a couple hours and can't bring him he goes in it till we get back. (I take a portable play stand so he's out on that most of the day). He's always happy to go in, & stays in there contentedly. I like that I can 'close the blinds' on it for sleeping.

Here's a pic of Ringo in ours. It is a Medium-Large size with the perch positioned a little higher to allow for a long tail.

 

[goalerjones]

This is the one I used for Hahnzel, I use the small one for his body size. Its a backpack cage with stainless steel mesh, perch and food/water bowls. It comes also with a regular strap in addition to the backpack harness.

Celltei Pak-o-Bird - the high quality light-weight carrier for your birds and parrots