Mary Allen
Bird keepers also like to travel in the summer months. But what happens to the feathered friends in the house and aviary? Good solutions must be carefully planned.
Relaxing by the sea, an excursion to the areas of origin of our fosterlings, or visits to breeders abroad, how eventful travel can be. But what happens to our birds at home? If we only keep a few and they are trusting, we can put them in a smaller cage and bring acquaintances to look after them so that we can enjoy our vacation without worries. If we spend our holidays in Switzerland, we can even take them with us.
How good it is when, for example, we have patiently trained tame parrots so that they climb into a transport box themselves. They are not afraid and are happy to participate. Stressful situations can arise if two birds, such as small parrots such as the moor-headed parrot, are placed together in a smaller cage during the holidays. It should therefore be tested at home whether this is even possible and whether the birds can understand each other in changed conditions.
Often in a smaller space, the more dominant bird will chase and suppress the inferior. Therefore, it is usually better to place the birds in smaller separate cages within sight of acquaintances during the holiday weeks, even if they otherwise live together at home.
If you don’t keep your birds with friends, you can still plan holidays abroad. There are institutions that take care of parrots during holidays. The parrot sanctuary APS in Matzingen TG (www.auffangstation.ch), for example, operates a holiday station for parakeets and parrots. The head animal keeper Cathrin Zimmermann says: “There are now parrots that keep coming back. If they stay for several weeks, we integrate them into very large aviaries. Holiday guests who are only here for two weeks stay in smaller aviaries or, if the owners wish, in their traditional cages.»
Reliable Animal Lovers
The aviary on Zurich’s Mythenquai (www.voliere.ch) also accommodates holiday birds. The manager, Elisabeth Kehl, not only dedicates herself to the aviary caregivers and foundling birds from nature but also devotedly looks after holiday animals. The canaries, soft eaters, parakeets, and parrots are recorded. The aviary on Lake Zurich operates boxes that are closed at the back and sides, which meets the birds’ need for security. Holiday birds are housed there. Since someone is present at both institutions every day of the week during the day, the birds are never alone and are constantly supervised.
If you keep birds in large indoor aviaries or even operate entire systems, you cannot avoid finding a supervisor who will take care of the feeding and care on-site. Sometimes retirees carry out such tasks reliably and with pleasure. There are also animal keepers who can be recruited for such operations. Anyone who looks after animals in a small animal breeding facility usually has the option of having a neighbor feed the birds and clean the aviaries. Other birds or animal keepers who look after birds during holiday absences are ideal. It is important that they are reliable people with a flair for animals.
Feeding and cleaning instructions as well as other important details about the birds must be recorded in writing by the owners. This serves as an important reminder for the holiday supervisors and guarantees that the fosterling receives the right feed components and quantities. We can’t expect someone to memorize everything we just feel.
Holidays for pet owners are possible if the care of the birds is well organized. However, vacations are also a typical human need that is alien to animals. Transportation and unfamiliar surroundings tend to be stressful for birds unless they are tame, while humans are curious to explore new places.