: On moving birds :

[Lady Kakata]

Well, I've rearranged my room (or rather, am in the process of doing so. I can't get out the door!) and I've made a good spot for the cockatiels using my aunts advice since it was formally her room. I mentioned I didn't really want them in front of the window because a) drafts b) too much sunlight, I've already got Bonnie's egg-laying to deal with! and c) the sheer fact that crows and seagulls like to land on my roof and this could scare the birds witless unless I have an area that is covered with a sheet so they have somewhere to 'hide'

My problem is this; how to move the birds. I formally used a small animal box to move one girl at a time, Bonnie first, into the new area, but they are scared of and hate the box because my grandmother would catch them and put them in, plus Bonnie has been taken to the vet in it and that was traumatic for her as she was 'injured' with her night-fright injured foot

I was thinking of getting a small cage that I can easily carry to act as a very temporary cage so I can bring their big cage upstairs. Is this a good idea? How do I safetly move the girls from one cage to the other? Trying to tempt them from one cage to another does NOT work too well; I only got them to move from their white cage to the San Diego once I'd built it up by puttinga branch between the two and waiting for Bonnie to become nosy enough to wander in (a LONG process) and by coaxing Angel through as she wouldn't wander through on her own

How do I get them from the San Diego to the temp cage without manhandling, scaring or traumatising them?

[Lady Kakata]

No-one? :<

[perchingbird]

... I'm guessing your birds aren't tame then? Really the only thing you can do is get them with a towel. That or tame them. :D

[Lady Kakata]

They can't be commanded to come out, I let them come out at their own pace normally. Once they come to the door and show an interest in coming out, I can get Bonnie to stand on my hand but Angel isn't hand-tame.

We've taken them out with a towel before, so they panic whenever we approach with one, hence I ask about other methods :< Baiting doesn't usually work, even with Bonnie who is the nosy one. It'll be a while before they move anyway; I need to get a temporary cage for them to sit in while their San Diego is taken upstairs, and of course, I need to clean my room in the first place

XD House moving, bird-style

[Lady Kakata]

DAMN double posting!

[Angelsmum]

A small carry cage really is important to have, to take to a vet, to take outside for beneficial sunlight or to use as a hospital cage in times of illness, to get them into in case of emergency, fire etc.

Toweling the birds seems to me to be a good option if they are not tame.

[Lori~D]

Gloved hand or towel is your only option if they arent hand tame. The Quicker you can do it without fussing and worrying about "Thier" panicking is best. The more you worry about them the more you stall and stress them. Have a small carry cage handy and catch them both and put them into it. Carry them upstairs (COVERED) immeditaly and put them (or best the whole carrier) into The cage they will stay in. If they must wait for you to move the cage upstairs then set them in their COVERED carrier in a quiet corner nearby the new home spot until your done. Best to set the cage up EXACTLY as it was downstairs first and that way you dont have to stress them more by moving things around.

[kali]

I use a small budgie cage as a travel cage. I got one with a really bif door so it's easy to get them in and out!