FINCHforum

Dear All,

I have 4 orange cheeked waxbills, and 2 Gouldian finches. The Gouldians have recently laid eggs and hopefully the eggs will hatch in a week or so.

I have to move from Chicago to Seattle in a month (and settle there). I really want to take my birds with me but I am not sure what way has the lowest risk for the birds.

I myself will drive with my car... It's about 31 hours of drive, which I will split over 6 or 7 days, so each day about 5-6 hours of driving. Is it possible to take the birds with me in the car? Of course, I will have A/C and everything, but not sure if the fluctuations of the car would hurt them.

I also looked at the mailing option... I checked with USPS and it seems they handle some bigger kinds of birds (each bird must be at least 170 gram), which does not apply to my light-weight birds.

Can anyone suggest a low risk or ideally risk free way to transfer the birds?

Thanks

Herman

I did this from NJ to Florida. I cushioned the cage up against the car seat and if possible saftey belt them in, if you can not do that thena cushion the cage to keep it from moving and vibrating. Give the birds millet and plenty og water and seed. The most important thing I found was to keep the sides and top of the cage covered some to prevent trucks and cars from startling them as the zoom by.

If you stay in a hotel carry them to your room covered. Then let them settle down quietly and bring a night light with you to place near the cage.

Mine made the trip fine, I think I was more nervous than the birds were.

I've thankfully never had to move very long distances with mine, but as Cindy has mentioned their stress levels should be kept to a minimum. If they go in their "home" cage then they will feel more secure, but bare in mind to cover them as suggested to prevent them getting frights.
Also a good dose of electrolytes etc prior to travelling will help them.

Here is a suggestion and I use these at home and when traveling long distances to a show.

Go to Target or Walmart and get fitted crib sheets...they work great for covering the backs and sides and can be brought up around the bottom of the cage (top to depending on the size cage you use) Bringing it around the botom and sides will cut down on the mess left in the car by flying seeds. They fit well on a 30 x 18 cage and are big enough to cover the top on a 24 x 16 cage. Wash them before using...I use white so any soil will bleach out in the wash.

Also use bottled water on your trip, not all hotel water is flitered. When stopping for food or to use a rest room...vent the car or if riding with someone take turns going in so you can leave the car running so as to not overheat them. Temps in a car can rise in the summer very quickly and could harm or kill a bird.

I would avoid shipping them just in case you have a delay in your travels and can't be there to get them right on time.

You are getting some great suggestions Herman but don't forget to make sure the Motels you plan to say at will accept pets in the room. You would not want to check into a Motel and find out too late they don't accept any kind of pets.

It sounds like you are going to have some big changes in your life moving across the country....I wish you safe travels with your birds.

Deborah is right...we found that most did not mind small birds...it was the cats and dog that only certain hotels allowed in certain sections.

New noises like a noisy air conditioner unit could spook them a little so try to make their cage as normal as possible. If you are moving them from a flight to a small cage do that a couple of days before hand....same with introducing a cover or nests (these might be good to have them roost in and find comfort in). Anything new that you are going to do just for the trip let them get use to days in advance so they can acclimate to it.

Thanks everyone for sharing your invaluable thoughts. I will definitely take advantage of your ideas before I move.

Cheers

Herman

I too am moving soon. But I'm moving from Florida to Maine. I'm leaving on the 19th of July and I'm taking a train from Florida to Washington DC, the train will take my car but leaving them in the car would most likely kill them. So I am shipping my birds through the airlines. I think I'm going to be using Delta airlines. They are a pet friendly airline, but I have never done this before so it will be a first. I hope everything goes well. Also I hope you have a safe trip and all your birds make it through.

JR...good luck with your move to!