Having Birds outside

[bjackson]

Okay, have a question for all, I take my birds outside alot and they seem to enjoy the outside alot. I feel like I am being a good mommy and dont want them to ever get hurt. I do watch them very carefully. What are everbody opion in taking birds outside?

[kp_in_scott]

Our birds love the outside and we used to take them out on perches in our yard every day weather permitting. We had them clipped so we THOUGHT they would be safe. A good wind gust caught our Gabriel and he had lift off from my hubby's arm! He flew over the house and into a briar patch behind our house. Hubby never lost sight of him and climbed into the briar patch/thicket and retrieved him. Since that frightening event our birds are not outside unless they are secure, either in the aviary on our front porch, a travel cage or a harness. Just my 2 cents.

[kateBird]

i think taking a bird outside to "people watch" and enjoy a great weather day is a really good thing. I have a yellow naped amazon that will excitedly walk into a carrier cage all by himself, knowing that the cage will take him "outside". he loves the sun and the environment outside of the house. i think its also a very important part of my "training" with him. he has become a happier and sweeter bird because he feels comfortable and not threatened wherever he is (inside or outside) and because he knows he can trust me when placed in an unfamiliar setting.

being that pico is an amazon (stocky build, short tail, clipped wings), i am not too concerned about a gust of wind carrying him off somewhere very far (i could be mistaken on this), but it is good to have a harness on your bird or in a travel cage to avoid any fly-away accidents.

[Lori L]

I always thought that taking yoru bird outside with a harness was a good thing until someone told me that it stresses the bird and they dont' necessarily like it. I think it depends on the bird. If you don't take your bird otuside then I don't think it's a bad thing either. I agree with Kim Lynn though, you MUST know that if you take your bird outside without a harness or in a cage there is a chance that something can happen to them.

[candi4me]

I think if they have a harness it should be ok, after all they need the vitaminD from the natural light. They also need socialization. Baby Rio will be harnessed trained to go out.

[The Outlaw]

Dr. Ritchie stressed the importance and benefits of fresh air and sunshine for our birds. If you can't or won't harness, there are plenty of cages and carriers that will work just fine. I am fortunate to have a fairly large aviary and I can tell you it absolutely makes a huge differnence in feather quality and muscle tone. My macaws are all over it all day long. On the hot days and too cold days, they look longingly in the direction of the aviary like little kids looking at the playground.

[MiniMama]

My 2 mini macaws go outside everyday too, weather permitting. But yep, I wasn't careful this spring and my Illiger's flew away with 2 flight feathers. Four hours later I found her, sitting in the neighbors house eating sunflower seeds and getting lots of attention. But anyhow... outside is great if the wings are clipped. Mine love to walk in the grass and play in their flower garden. They also like it when I turn the hose on 'mist' and give them a bath!

[bgmacaw]

Our birds get out almost every day barring extreme weather conditions. The walk from the patio door to their aviary door is about 4 feet. They get a good grip on their feet on that short walk. As the others said, on days they don't get out, they stare out the windows and squawk their little heads off. As for outdoor aviaries, do a search on the sight and there are good pics of really nice setups.

[Irish]

Bob, Arthur and Gracie absolutely LOVE being outside!

[libby]

Hi! I'm new here but have owned many birds over the years. Right now I only have three; a Macaw, a Grey and a buddgie.
Please read what I have to say about putting birds outside...if you can stomach it.

A few years ago I owned nine birds...Ringneck,Cockatiels and Parakete. I put all their cages on an enclosed porch and whent the house to take a shower. Before long, I heard birds squaking, cages crashing...A raccoon had broken into a window and had pulled all but one cockateil out of the cages. I got there in time to see my precious ring neck being carried out the window in the mouth of the coon.
All but one of my babies were gone. left behind were; heads, wings and a lot of feathers. I examined the baby left behind. He appeared to be upset but fine otherwise...a week later, he too expired.

PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT LEAVE A BIRD OUTSIDE UNATTENDED. I never will again.