Long Distance Travel - By Airplane?

[Craig 0]

Hi

 

We are moving from Texas to Hawaii in a few months and I need some advice on relocating our two budgies. The State of Hawaii/airlines have restrictions concerning the import of birds which include no hand carrying of the budgies. This means they will have to be loaded with the checked luggage in a pressurized and heated compartment. At a minimum there will be one connection and one long flight around 5 hours long. I will provide a cage and cover but I am unsure on how to provide food and water?

 

Does anyone have an ideas/insight if such a trip would be harmful to the birds? I have extreme doubt that they would be able to make such a move but need your advice. Bottom line…we love the birds but in their best interest will find a loving home here in Texas.

 

Your thoughts,

 

Craig

[Angelic Vampyre 0]

Birds can go upto 6 weeks without drinking water so as long as you have seed in there for them and offer them water before you lock them up in their travel cages then you should be fine.

 

Most airlines have cages that you can use or you can purchase on, normally they are small and dark placing seed on the floor means they don't have to look for it and no water in the cage means that you don't have to worry about it spilling and getting everywhere.

 

Some of the show breeders might be able to give you more information as they sometimes travel birds acorss country for shows etc. Good luck with the move.

[**KAZ** 0]

Av has given you good advice. Check with your airline as they may have specific ideas about what you bird travels in. Here they have to have a special wooden box made up with the entry door screwed shut. What, in your mind, is your normal "travel cage" may not be what the airline has in their mind.

[**Liv** 0]

I put a tiel on a plane earlier in the year - If you feel like adding water you can provide water in a little plastic cup that is glued to the bottom of the cage and filled with lettuce.

Edited October 5, 2008 by **Liv**

[Angelic Vampyre 0]

I put a tiel on a plane earlier in the year - If you feel like adding water you can provide water in a little plastic cup that is glued to the bottom of the cage and filled with lettuce.

 

She Liv I use to do this but got told off by other budgie breeders with the lettuce thing. They say that ir is really bad for Budgies and can make them really ill so I stopped doing this when I travel my Budgies. But I know alot of people who do this is got confused.

 

I will try and take a photo of my travel box tonight (I like Melbournebusiges better) so you can get the idea. I think neat also has a really nice one if memory serves me correct.

[melbournebudgies 0]

Neat has a purple one Lettuce is okay if you are only using it as a short term water source. The reason it is bad is that they can consume too much of it and end up taking in excess water via the lettuce (thereby getting the runs) in the short term it's okay

[Craig 0]

All,

 

From your comments, it sounds good that they will be able to travel with us. The airlines have the minimum size requirement listed for cages. I will start looking for a sturdy cage and any other requirements the airlines may have. I am assuming that covering the cage will keep the budgies calm. Also it will prevent any drafts during the flight. I would assume the cargo hold will be cool.

 

If anyone has any other insights, I would appreciate it.

 

Thank You,

 

Craig

[Elly 0]

You can also try a small water bottle on the side of the cage, see if you can get them used to drinking from that before you leave or put one in their cage so they get used to it before the big trip.

 

I would buy a small lock for the cage or maybe it locks automatically? Not sure what the travel cage for the budgie on an airline looks for but make sure it is locked so if it knocked down it doesn't come open or no one can open it up.

 

The lettuce things is good short term my only concern with such a long trip and the heat is that lettuce and many veggies go bad quickly and cause bacteria build up. So would try a water bottle personally.

 

I know when we flew our dog he was okay without water so your budgies should be too. Good luck on the move!! I am sure everything will go okay.

 

Here is a website that give good information and tips on flying with birds and how to prepare them.

 

The one thing I like is clipping the wings...why so if they do flap around in there and get scared they will have less of a change of breaking a bloodfeather (but that is an individual opinion), I personally would clip but as it says if they are show bird they can't

 

Anyways here is the website http://www.parrotletranch.com/flyingtips.html

[krosp 0]

I was so surprised when I first got on here and heard that people had flown with budgies. Last time I travelled overseas on a 7 or 8 hour flight, my luggage was extremely cold and the chocolates i'd bought for people were rock hard inside my bag! So I have this mental picture of the luggage compartment being like a fridge. If I was travelling with budgies i'd be harrassing the airlines for all the information I could get about them being stored and how it all works and will they be with other animals etc... just for peace of mind. Good to hear that it's worked well for other people though.

[Angelic Vampyre 0]

Alot of the time Animals are kept in different compartments then the luggage. I know when we traveled with Horses I use to travel in the same compartment as them, it was a little on the cool side but other then that I was fine.

[Craig 0]

Everyone,

 

There is a lot of good advice…my initial fear of harm to the birds have been answered now I just need to put all of the advice to good practical use. Wish us well as we prepare, the move should occur very early next year.

Again Thank You,

 

Craig

[**KAZ** 0]

Here is a bird box approved in Australia for air travel....the fact that it is wooden all around and only mesh front, helps keep them calm and draught free during the trip. No perches so they can stand on the ground in a stable manner. Airholes. ....and the door is screwed shut.

 

Edited October 7, 2008 by KAZ

[JimmyBanks 0]

...when we traveled with Horses ...

 

This makes my life sound so bland... Thanks AV

[Elly 0]

I was so surprised when I first got on here and heard that people had flown with budgies. Last time I travelled overseas on a 7 or 8 hour flight, my luggage was extremely cold and the chocolates i'd bought for people were rock hard inside my bag! So I have this mental picture of the luggage compartment being like a fridge. If I was travelling with budgies i'd be harrassing the airlines for all the information I could get about them being stored and how it all works and will they be with other animals etc... just for peace of mind. Good to hear that it's worked well for other people though.

 

AV is right they do have different compartment for animals (it has changed because so many animals have died or gotten sick), from what I understand it is a controlled enviroment just like the cabin, good thing budgies like noise because it will be noisey down there. .

[Angelic Vampyre 0]

AV is right they do have different compartment for animals (it has changed because so many animals have died or gotten sick), from what I understand it is a controlled environment just like the cabin, good thing budgies like noise because it will be noisy down there. .

 

 

Elly I never found it to noisy I guess you could hear the engines a bit more but that was about it.

Edited October 9, 2008 by maesie
changed nosie to noisy & giess to guess

[Elly 0]

Never been down there so you would know better, I figured it would be a constant roar like it is in the cabin but quieter .

[Angelic Vampyre 0]

You know when you sit at the back of the plane and you can hear it a bit more and also there is alot more movement? Well it is like that.

[Budgielover13 0]

 

 

Here is a cage which is also extremely good for travel, as it can be almost completely closed up, I have been advised that this sort of cage is great as the birds stress less. This one has a hole in the fly screen which needs fixing but this generally also means less chance of nasty getting into the cage. Hope the photo's are of some help.

Edited October 9, 2008 by KAZ

[Craig 0]

Budgielover13,

 

I really like that cage. The broken screen mesh you mention reminds me that Hawaii requires a mosquito proof cage. I may just have to fire up the table saw and get to work.

 

Craig

Edited October 9, 2008 by Craig

[Angelic Vampyre 0]

*points at the cage above* I love it! My only issue is that for plane travel I would reduce the height and not have perches in it that way if there is turbulance or something like that they will not get jolted off the perch.

[JimmyBanks 0]

Hawaii requires a mosquito proof cage

 

 

How do you make a cage mosquito proof?? If Hawaii is anything like Samoa those things get everywhere!!!

[Budgielover13 0]

Hey AV,

 

If turbulance is bad enough to knock them off the perch, I don't think anything would help them, at least with a perch they have something to grip onto, and if you put seed in the bottom of the cage, as I would do, I think not having a perch of some kind would be worst because they would be slip/sliding away .

[Budgielover13 0]

Hi AV,

 

If there was turbulance that bad I don't think anything would kept the bird from getting battered and bruised , and at least with the perches the bird has something to grip onto. And I would also put seed on the bottom of the cage so without perches I can just imagine the amount of slip/sliding away that would be happening .

[Elly 0]

I would not put in a perch for travel but a secure terry cloth towel that is tight so no nails get stuck it is too hard for birds to perch when they are traveling if they chose to perch they can hang on to the sides. I agree with AV, it is not the turbulance but more of the moving around of the cage and such, if they fly and freak out they could hurt their wings on the perch, best to have it open and they can walk on the bottom. The towel can always be washed after the trip and if you put seed on the towel for food it will stick in it vs sliding around.

Edited October 10, 2008 by Elly

[Budgielover13 0]

Yep that does make sense Elly, I didn't think about them possibly damaging their wings, sorry for the double post, I didn't look over to page 2 :rofl: and was thinking I'd forgotten to actually post it after typing as I got call away from the computer last night right when I was posting this post :bliss: , don't my family know by now no-one interupts me when I'm on the forum :yes: .

Edited October 10, 2008 by Budgielover13