New cage protocol

[gandalf]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum, so I hope this thread is posted in the correct topic.

I have had 2 budgies for about 8 months. They are both the same age and are still quite young. I have had the same cage which is a reasonable size for all the time they have been with me. 

I have recently decided to purchase a large cage / flight cage that will arrive in the next week or so. 

Does anybody have any tips on how to introduce my budgies to the new cage? I simply don't want to just put them in the new cage! I'd like them to explore it themselves and want to stay there. I have a feeling they may still want to return to the old cage at night.

Any help or shared experiences of this would be appreciated...

Gandalf

[lousette]

Hi Gandalf and welcome to the forum. I am new as well but have just recently bought a new cage and introduced my bud to it, so can share my experience. I also bought a whole lot of new toys to arrive at the same time as the cage. My budgie, Hob is not confined to his cage and the door is always open, so maybe that made it a little easier for me as he is out and about a lot.

When I got the new cage, I assembled it in the dining room (where Hob lives) and he was very interested in what we were doing. I then opened up all of the new toys and one of them in particular caught his eye (a gantry rope ladder with bell). I showed him and he chewed on it and got onto etc.

I then put this new toy inside the new cage and kitted it out with perches, more toys, water food etc. I left his old cage in tack, but removed some of his toys leaving only the essentials, his swing and mirror. (so the new cage looked far more appealing than the old one). I then pegged a little millet spray at the entrance of the new cage door and left the new cage right next to his old one. It took him an hour or so, but eventually he went to eat some millet and then got straight in to see that new gantry ladder that he loved.

He spent a lot of time in the cage that day checking it all out, but at night he went to sleep in his old cage again. I just let him be, leaving both cages open and allowed him to get comfortable in his own time. In about three days he decided to sleep in the new cage and I transferred his swing from the old cage the next day. I still left the old cage for a day or two, but he didn't bother about going back in there so I just removed it.

I think the trick is to give them plenty of time and not pressure them, also make the new cage more appealing than the old one.

I don't know what the more knowledgeable members on here will say, but this worked for us.

[mizloco]

Hi Gandalf and welcome to the forum. I can't give you advice but just wanted to say hi.

Sent from my HTC One X using proboards

[gandalf]

Hi Lousette,

Good advice, I think I'll let them move within their own time. With a bit of encouragement from millet! I let them fly around the room quite regular so they should take to the cage OK. I have a feeling they'll keep going back to the old cage to sleep for quite some time. We'll see how it goes anyway.

And thanks for the warm welcome Mizloco.

[birdguhl]

Welcome to you and your budgies, gandalf!

You are spot on for thinking ahead about how best to do this and I think the above plan sounds really good.

My experience of introducing my budgies to a new cage wasn't too good in that soon after moving in one lost all his long feathers. I can't be sure it was the stress of the change, but I suspect it was. Their overall behaviour changed for at least 7 days after the moving in - they were less active physically and less interactive with each other and they didn't want to come out and fly. When I look back on it now it seems obvious that it would have been a good idea to let them explore the new one gradually but it just didn't occur to me. Now their old cage is beside the new one and they use it like a conservatory. It is also very handy to keep the old one in circulation as it is the transport cage for vet visits.

Good luck with yours - I'm sure you'll really enjoy them enjoying their new home when they do it their way!

[moonkira *Julie *]

Hi and welcome

I have recently bought a new large piano 6 for my 4 house budgies as they were in two separate cages in pairs, so after keeping the cages side by side for a few weeks I got the new cage and put some of their toys from their old cages in there and millet and I just put the budgies in and they absolutely loved it and there have been no problems and they seem really happy from day one . Its been the best thing I ever done.

[gandalf]

Hi all,

Thanks for your tips above. Budgies love the new cage. Although they are a little tentative exploring the new environment they seemed to have accepted it quite well. Along with plenty of Millet to ease the takeover.

It is quite a large cage at 77x52x88cm so they feel different.

Thanks again.