Bird Thought - Hazards to Your Birds

Ok, so you see pictures here of my birds with dogs, cats, other animals, outside without restraints, etc.  Are these all potential hazards?  YES!  Am I going to preach to you about them?  NO!  Why?  Because there's plenty of information out there and YOU need to research and make an educated decision for yourself.

I have had my own unfortunate accidents through the years and have learned from them.  The unfortunate and sad reality is that many of you will have accidents that also cause the lives of your beloved pets.  Even with forethought and caution, accidents will happen.

Many years ago I knew someone who got a large rescue dog from the pound.  They also had birds.  They kept the birds in a separate locked room.  One day while they were out of the house, the dog broke down the door and killed every single bird.

Do I let my birds wander freely with the dogs and cats?  No!  None of my animals are allowed to interact freely with each other, except for same species interaction (dog to dog, goat to goat, horse to horse, etc.). I'm lucky, my current two cats have lived with birds the last five years and have never harmed or made to harm any birds.  Have I had cats in the past that caused harm?  Yes!  I used to have a cat that also lived well with my birds until I got button quail.  Maybe it's how button quail move, I don't know.  But she broke into their cage and ate them.  

Do my birds go outside in carriers?  Yes!  I observe my environmental conditions before having them out without restraint.  Are they clipped?  Yes!  Do I check wings every single time before taking any birds outside?  Yes!  Have I lost birds due to a gust of wind?  Yes!  In my early days of bird keeping there were no harnesses or flight suits or even the thought of putting birds into carriers.  I knew not to bring my birds outside on gusty days.  I still lost a cockatiel by underestimating how streamline they are and how little wind it takes to carry them away.

Those are just a few hazards.  You need to observe your surroundings, learn, and decide for yourself!