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

[coral3]

Another pic - this was when we were away for the weekend and had taken Ringo on a little bushwalk with us:

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Monica. I have a pic just like that. It always makes me laugh when pritti does that eye spy thing.

........
That backpack looks. Very nice for hiking. Am not sure i would like him being in back if walking Around city streets or parks.

 

[MonicaMc]

I believe the Pak-O-Bird was designed to be worn either on the front or the back... whichever is most comfortable for you and your bird.

 

[BoomBoom]

Thanks for those really great backpack pics. Ringo seems to be enjoying himself. You really sold me on the idea, Coral! Glad to know it does not restrict his vision much. I am more open to it now, but again, suuuper expensive (I'll worry about that later lol).

I'm wondering though, how do you clean the mesh? I imagine it gets clogged with dirt/dust overtime. Also, does you bird chew on the mesh much?

 

[coral3]

I know, the price is the big drawback - I ummed and ahhed over it for months before ordering because of the cost, but I have not regretted buying it at all.

I have not had to clean the mesh yet. We only feed pellets/dry foods in the pak o bird to minimise mess. The bottom gets lined with paper towel, so that just gets thrown out/changed. After use I stick the end of the vacuum cleaner in there to suck out any little bits of pellets that have snuck in under the paper. Occasionally a little poop gets on the back wall, but it cleans off the surface very easily with a wet paper towel. All the panels can be unzipped to store flat or hose down if you wanted to - I have not needed to do this, but looks easy enough.

Ringo can't get to any of the zips. The med-large has what they call a 'wide panel set' (or something like that) which protects the door zip so he can't get at it while inside. He can't access any of the zips from inside at all. IF we let him climb on the outside, or left him unsupervised with the door unzipped he could easily do damage so we're very careful not to do that.

It has stainless steel mesh, which came as standard with the Med-Large - on small sizes it's an optional extra. He has tried to chew at it (without success!) - apparently he found it impossible to get his beak into & has now given up. And he is a real chewy bird...if there was a way for him to destroy it, he would have already!

 

[goalerjones]

Plus the Pak o Bird completely unzips and disassembles. I take Hahnzels apart from time to time wash it, then hang it up outside to dry. The bottom of his cage comes with a pull out base made of hard plastic that velcros to the cage floor that is easy to clean. The inside has variable positions for the perch and you can either use a waterbottle or a water bowl.

 

[noblemacaw]

I want one of those carriers really bad...but I will have to order the Large and that is over 300 bucks. YIKES. I need to save money for Sir John and his very needed vet visit to assess his health.

Bummer..but it would take me couple of years to be able to have the extra funds for a carrier that expensive. I really like it too.

 

[BoomBoom]

I know what you mean, Noble. I told people at work that I was thinking of buying this backpack for Boomer and they told me if I do, I would officially become a crazy bird person. I told them that line was crossed a long time ago. LOL!

Thanks, Crystal and Goalerjones. I'm heavily considering it now. Just need to weigh all the pros and cons of a standard carrier versus a backpack. Price is a big con though haha! Glad to know it can be washed easily. One more question if I may:

Do your birds know that you are wearing the backpack? By that I mean, do they call out for you because they can't see you once you have the backpack on and they're inside it?

 

[BoomBoom]

I wanted to do an update for those following this thread. Thanks to the discussion here I made the decision to purchase a Celltei Pack-o-Bird for Boomer!

I spoke to Angie Yeung of Celltei and she was nice enough to waive the shipping fee for me! It's a big purchase for me but I think it's a good investment. I'll sneak in some overtime at work to absorb some of that cost lol! I want to say I'm super excited (ill get it on Monday). I'll let you all know how it goes.

I'm still doing the harness training with Boomer which really just involves me wearing it on my wrist, letting him interact with it on his own terms and letting him get an almond through the loop opening. When he is ready, his ready. In the mean time, he is developing his flying skills so hopefully by the time he accepts the harness, he will be confident in flight too. I'm actually really surprised at how well his flight maneuvering skill is, considering he got a severe wing clip from the breeder (so severe that he still has some clipped feathers right now, well over a year after the clip!). He is learning to perch on my finger mid flight. He still doesn't fly to me on command but ill let him take his time.

So I'll let you guys know how the backpack goes. How well it assembles, how sturdy, etc. Thanks again for all who participated in the discussion.

 

[coral3]

Yay, how exciting. What size did you order? Are you getting stainless steel mesh? You'll have to post pictures when it arrives. Just checked out your blog - Boomer is gorgeous. Don't worry about the crazy bird lady comments...I get those too (mostly from my husband, lol).

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Boom,
Thanks for the update. Very exciting updates about Boomer. Don't forget to post some photos of Boomer enjoying his outing in his new Pak.

 

[jugoya]

While Harness training is going fine for my Bird Porter, (Chevron winged Parakeet) I still prefer using a carrier, I ended up settling for a cat carrier with an almost mesh like top that I got at Petco.

$30 and it works just fine for him! Downside was that the doors are little big and smaller parrots can stick heads through; so I threaded it with cut up safe fluffy fabric and then wove that through the bars.

Thats what I use mostly now and he sleeps in it even when we are at home. LOVES that thing.

 

[BoomBoom]

An update for those still following this thread. The Pak-o-Bird just arrived! All the parts were accounted for, set up was a breeze. The materials look pretty sturdy. It is a little goofy-looking but having a bird cage strapped to your back will look goofy regardless haha. I will gradually introduce the backpack to Boomer but I think he will be ready in a week. He is not afraid of it at all. He likes to play with the buckles and the zippers so it was a struggle just to keep him off it.

I am happier with this purchase compared to the Aviator harness. He just hates that thing even after almost 2 months of gradual introduction. I'm not giving up on the training though, I'll keep at it. At least now, I'll be able to take Boomer outside and he can enjoy the nice view from the mesh walls. Better than the plastic carrier I've been putting him in. So far from the smooth phone order, shipping and set-up, I am happy! I will see by next weekend how comfortable he is actually being inside it. I will update this thread with my review to let you all know how it goes. I think it would be helpful for anyone thinking of making the purchase (considering the hefty price).

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Wow, that is so awesome!

 

[goalerjones]

that is the exact same size I got for Hahnzel. If you use the water and food dishes make sure you only fill the water dish 1/2 way so it spills less. I also layer the bottom with newspaper then paper towel on top to keep it from soaking my back while we walk.

 

[BoomBoom]

Thanks, guys. I'm excited to take him out on his first Pak-o-Bird ride.

Goalerjones, speaking of food dish, does yours seem to be mounted loose no matter how much you tighten the screw? It feels like it would turn upside down while I'm walking, spilling out the contents. I don't think it's a defect because nothing seems wrong with any of the parts.

 

[MonicaMc]

It looks great! And it sounds like Boomer will take to it just fine!!! Woohoo!


Don't forget to take photos of your walks!

 

[coral3]

Thanks, guys. I'm excited to take him out on his first Pak-o-Bird ride.

Goalerjones, speaking of food dish, does yours seem to be mounted loose no matter how much you tighten the screw? It feels like it would turn upside down while I'm walking, spilling out the contents. I don't think it's a defect because nothing seems wrong with any of the parts.

The dishes are like that on mine too. That's my only complaint, but really it's such a minor one. They won't turn upside down just with the movement from walking, but they can if climbed on. I only put a small amount of dry food in there because occasionally Ringo (alex) does tip the bowl out by climbing on it, but honestly if he's only in there for an hour or so while out for a walk or whatever he doesn't need a huge amount of food anyway, just enough for a little snack.

I use a lixit water bottle - which is a LOT better than the bowl if you're on the move: no spills at all. Just make sure your bird knows how to use it before relying on it as his only water source for any length of time or on a hot days etc.

Don't forget to hang a toy or two in there so he'll enjoy going in & have something to chew on. The little 'D' rings at the bottom are great for securing toys so they can't swing around & hit your bird when you're out walking.

I use paper towel in the base of ours too - makes cleaning that bit easier

 

[BoomBoom]

Thanks for the tips, Coral. Glad to know its not just me having that issue with food bowl. But yeah it's no biggie. I took mine out because I'd rather feed him almonds through the hole where the water bottle goes into. I wouldn't want him losing his balance and hitting the stainless steel cup and holder. For water ill just bring a water bottle a separate cup. I can let him drink in the car. I did also put his fave light weight chew toy and lined the bottom with layers of paper towel.

I took the bag for a test ride yesterday and all went well! I just felt a little silly haha but that's something I have to get over!

Thank you again for all the advice, I don't regret buying it