Clipping Wings?

[evesta]

My breeder let my babies learned to fly and then asked if I wanted her to clip them before I picked them up. She said it would probably be easier for me to train since I was new to birds. I decided to let her do it even though I thought I wouldn't. I'm glad I did. They are starting to grow out now but still can't fly, just fall gracefully Linnies tend to be climbers/walkers anyway. They are weird birds, love being low, on the ground or hiding in holes. I swear mine are afraid of heights! lol

 

[Featheredsamurai]

thanks so much guys! you have given me a lot of info to think about! i will ask my breeder to leave him unclipped and let him learn to fly, so that helps their confidence(most breeders do that anyways from what i have read) then if i clip, then i will clip him, if i dont, i dont have to wait. i have an idea though:


is it possible for me to clip him at 1st(i dont know how long. until my dogs and family get used to him at LEAST. so probably at least a year or two) then once i trust him and he is used to everything and every1 is used to him possible let him grow out and train him to fly? would that work to not let him fly at first then let him fly after a year or two? is that possible? if i can do that that is what i will do. that way i can learn to trust him. and get him walking to me on command and train him. so it will be easyer to recall him while flying.

you can clip him at first, then see how you feel about letting him fly later.

 

[mrgoogls]

that is what i will do. he will probably be clipped for at LEAST 2 years and probably longer. more like 5 or 6 or maybe even 7. i may have to wait until i get an apartment(that alows bird) to let him fly. i would have to ask my parents if they mind flying.... but, he will be clipped at 1st them later in ife be flighted.

 

[goalerjones]

My breeder allows the babies to fly first before clipping them for transport so the birds do know how to fly before the consumer recieves them.

In our situation we have 2 forgetful kids who leave the patio door open, then go back to bed for the convenience of the dogs "needs". Also my last bird, a Jenday conure escaped 5 times, yes, that's 5. We got him back each time, but his last escape and recovery was indeed his last as he passed away the very next night.

Did he love to fly? Yes. Did I find it more convenient to allow him to fly? Yes. But did it wind up costing him his life? Yes.

I have a Hahn's macaw now and I have already decided that his safety is more important than his ability or enjoyment of flight, so his wings will stay clipped.

 

[Tammy]

I clipped my OWA's wings as a safety measure when he started outright attacking & chasing other family members. It allowed me time to regain the reins in the relationship & lay down some ground rules. I haven't had him clipped again but I may soon so he can go everywhere with me outside this summer. I loved taking him to the park & letting him sun himself on the bench next to me while my kids played.

 

[mrgoogls]

that is smart tammy. when you take him outside, even when he is clipped, cant he just run if he gets spooked?

 

[MaraWentz]

Clipping vs not clipping... ugh difficult to decide. On the bright side I wanted to point out that most apartments don't consider "scales and feathers" as pets so the apartment shouldn't be too much of a hassle. And to answer mrgoogls yes most parrots can fly up to 30 ft with clipped wings and I can back this up form experience. Um, I choose not to because I compare them to children. We teach them to walk and we hope that when they are able to walk without our help that they do not get swooped up by a stranger or run away. Just as we teach our birds to fly we hope that they do not get swooped up by a hawk or fly away. To each their own, but there is a risk involved with every advancement you make- be it giving them a new food and hoping there is no allergy, clipping their wings and hoping they stay safe, getting another bird and hoping they dont fight, etc. It is just a matter of how much risk you're willing to invest.

 

[odge]

All of our birds are flighted, however, our house isn't very big, so the birds don't tend to be able to get up a lot of speed and we haven't had any serious crashes. We also have a dog and 2 cats, but are vigilant when we have our birds out.

As a breeder, we ask people if they want the wings clipped and advise them as best we can depending on their own situations and the behaviour of the bird.

I do think your family (2 legged and 4 legged) will get used to having a bird around in a much shorter time frame than 2 years. So, perhaps you can see how things are after 6 months and consider letting the wings grow in. I guess what I'm saying here is don't decide on a definite length of time until you have had the bird a while and get to know the personality and how your family responds to him/her.

 

[mrgoogls]

thanks odge. but just the dogs and cats isnt the ONLY reason i worry about the wings. it is also just trusting the bird to stay out of trouble. so, we will wait and see. it may be 2 months before i let it grow in, it may be 5 years. all just depends on the situation.