A Good Read on Wing Clipping

[SilleIN]

Sorry if I was unclear. I said Flight Recall, not free flight. Flight recall in case the bird accidentally got out of the house, which for me is worst case scenario. It's too dangerous where I live to even attempt free flight with a small bird, which is what I'm looking at. Thanks. ETA: Perhaps I'm using the wrong terms. Basically come to me bird!

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Sorry, I understod your post as you were looking for a trim, where you could safely train recall outside

I guess you can sort of guess MY answer. Unless your bird flies into windows or the like, I would not trim at all.

If your goal is to do recall training, your bird will find it much easier to learn with full flight ability. Again using the amputation comparison; if you want your dog to learn to come to you, will it find it easier if it has 3 or 4 legs?

Sorry if that comparison hurts someones feelings, but that is just the easiest way to explain my point.

 

[Katu]

That makes perfect sense. I don't have a bird yet. I'm an extreme planner. I realize my house is not ideal with 2 doors easily accessible to the entire main floor, and dogs that have to go outside throughout the day and night. I've only ever had fully flighted birds. I'm most worried I'll screw up somehow.

 

[Anansi]

That makes perfect sense. I don't have a bird yet. I'm an extreme planner. I realize my house is not ideal with 2 doors easily accessible to the entire main floor, and dogs that have to go outside throughout the day and night. I've only ever had fully flighted birds. I'm most worried I'll screw up somehow.

One of the keys to keeping flighted birds in a busy household is "training" the human members. We tend to focus on how to train the birds, but the human behaviors are just as important.

Consistency is key, here. You have to be downright ridiculous about it, until it becomes an ingrained part of your thought process. Force yourself to look around and make sure your bird isn't out and about before reaching for the door knob.

Every. Single. Time.

Even when you "know" that your bird is safe in the cage. Why? Because this is about creating a mindstate. And because most people who have had an escaped bird situation thought, at the time, that their bird was not in danger of flying out the door.

You also want to practice getting into this mode of thought for other household dangers as well. About to cook? Where are the birds. About to turn on the ceiling fan? Where are the birds. The neighbor's kid who likes to walk in and out of your house every 5 seconds is over for a visit? Where are the birds?

And also remember to close the toilet lid when you're not using it. Drowning is a real danger.

Seems like a lot, but eventually it becomes 2nd nature. My house has a front door, kitchen door, patio door, garage door, and 2 VERY active boys aged 9 & 6! So as you might imagine, this practice is an urgent matter for us.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[snowflake311]

Some call us bird people cruel for even keeping birds as pets. So it is all relevant. I have always had birds in my life but a part of me feels like flying around a room is not enough.

Then I go to JFK airport where little wild birds happily live inside the airport. No one put them inside the airport they got in. But they can fly.