Boarding

[jmlw7]

Does anyone have any advice on boarding your IRNs? We are going away next month for two weeks (for our wedding yay), and will need to board Remy. We found a suitable boarder, but any suggestions of things we should think about in case we havent already are welcome.

On picking our boarder: We ideally want someone to give Remy some out of cage supervised flight time. This along with fresh food changes with organic fruit, veggies and clean water is all we are asking. But we've interviewed sitters who would come to the house, but we are uneasy in not knowing for certain that they would do as we ask if no one else is around to monitor - and plus they dont seem to provide anything except food and water change twice a day. They dont seem comfortable with letting a flighted bird roam free, so we've looked to boarders. Most boarders around us keep all the birds in separate cages in the same room. Some dont let birds out at all, some let birds out all together (yikes) - so we've said no to those options. We found one boarder an hour away who keeps birds in the same room, but takes them out individually for supervised flight time for a few minutes several times a day. She feeds fresh fruit and veggies in the morning, with evening cooked grains, veggies and beans, etc. We've seen her home and it's quite small, but the birds boarded there seem happy. Remy went along with us for the visit and seemed comfortable, so I think we've found the boarder for next month.

Is there anything we should be thinking about before we commit to leaving Remy in a strangers home? This is our first boarding experience and we have confidence and trust in this woman thus far, but we are nervous. Any input is welcome!

[MissK]

Signed contract on paper detailing specifics of care as well as terms of boarding, including price, duration, what to do in emergency, who to call, etc. Friend to check in on your bird from time to time. Phone number of someone who will pick up your bird in event bird has to leave. List of little tricks on running your particular bird. Her #1,2 & 3 gold standard bribery treats. List of what to particularly avoid with your particular bird.

Others?

[Skyes_crew]

Vet contact # for sure.

But if may inject my personal opinion here. If this was my bird, I would be absolutely positively fine with them remaining in the cage for the duration of the boarding. But I'm a control freak, that's why.

[InTheAir]

My main concern would be whether all the other birds have a clean bill of health.

[ellieelectrons]

Two boarders that I have used require vet checks before they take birds.

Ellie.

[MissK]

Well, if we're handing out what we all would do, I would leave my bird home and have the neighbor in to care for him. But I do have a fine neighbor. I would also be OK letting the bird stay in the cage the whole time, for the same reason! A good point has been raised, regarding placing multiple birds from different backgrounds together.

At the end of the day, though, what's the goal? Give Remy a nice vacation of her own, let her maintain her stable environment, or have her live through the experience? There are many levels of care possible. As long as a priority is given to safety and the bird gets at least some human attention daily, I think the essentials are there.

[ellieelectrons]

My preference would be for them to stay at home, however I don't have a neighbour I know well enough to ask to care for them. I'd probably like them to get some put of cage time though. Last time we went away we took them with us.

Ellie.

[Skyes_crew]

Jen just boarded her fids while her new dog adjusted. Maybe ask her opinion.

[Jen&Bug]

We're lucky in Melbourne to have Bird Boarding, which I discovered when I had my quaker. The manager, Nikki, is an avian vet nurse, and extremely knowledgeable about all kinds of birds. When my quaker died, Nikki helped me find Bug and Rufus, so she's known them both since they were fledglings. She's given us heaps of advice and support over the years - much more than just boarding.

Bird Boarding have a Large Bird Room and a Small Bird Room, with each bird in a separate cage (unless requested to be together, like our two). They used to let the birds out one at a time in the Bird Rooms, but have recently moved to a larger premises where there's a separate Play Room for individual out-of-the-cage exercise.

Here are the things I like about Bird Boarding, which you might like to add to your list of things to look for:

• THEY KNOW BIRDS. All the staff are either experienced in, or studying, bird care. This is my most important criterion, because I think people who don't know birds often underestimate what's involved in caring for them. Some years ago, I left my kakariki with a well-meaning neighbour who didn't know much about birds, and came back to an empty cage. I'm never making that mistake again.
  They require all birds to have up-to-date vaccinations.
  They want to get to know your bird, and listen to your advice about their needs.
  They offer a range of diets, including pellets and lots of fresh fruit and veges.
  They'll email you about how your bird is going, if you want them to.
  When you pick your bird up, they tell you how they went, what they played with, any unusual behaviours etc. This tells me that they interact with the birds regularly.

MissK makes a good point about the purpose of the experience. The final thing I love about BB is that the birds have a great time! Bug in particular is a social butterfly, so loves the chance to hang out with a whole lot of new birds. He particularly likes meeting other green birds, and the BB team often tell me about his "holiday romances".

If you can find a place like Bird Boarding in your area, I encourage you to establish a relationship with them, as they can be a great source of support and fun for your flock. If you can't find anywhere up to standard, try to find a knowledgeable (or teachable) friend or neighbour, as it's preferable for your bird to be safe at home than in a poor-quality care environment.

Sorry, this was a long post...did I mention that my day job was regulating child care services? Similar standards apply

[jmlw7]

Thanks for all the advice all, I am soooooooooo nervous She will be away from us for almost two weeks straight! I hope she is super distracted by all the other birds and doesnt think we abandoned her

[Jen&Bug]

Don't worry, it's normal to be nervous. If you've found a good place for her, she'll be fine - she may even have more fun than she does at home! And you can look forward to seeing her again...the reunions are always worth the wait.

[jmlw7]

thank you!!!!!! I'll keep everyone posted of how it goes next month