Question about flying

[thekarens]

Zoe is the same way, Wendy. The little terror! I tried to cure her of it by every time she did it she would get a 1 or 2 minute time out in the cage, didn't work. She thought it was a great game. In the end I had to make it impossible to get to those spots (which was the linnie and finch cages)

 

[Siobhan]

All of mine are flighted except Rocky, and we got him this way. He had a very, very bad clip somewhere before joining our family, and then proceeded to shred his wings and tail himself so it's even worse. One wing and his tail are looking better now. The other wing is still in appalling condition. He still shreds them to a degree, but not like he did before. He hangs on his cage and flaps his wings but so far has not tried to actually fly. He couldn't right now without crashing, I don't think, so I hope he doesn't try it until or unless his wings are in proper condition. Whether we'll want to continue to let him fly, if he ever can, is still up for debate. The others are so much smaller and have a safe room of their own where they can fly if they want to without fear of injury or predators or getting outside accidentally. Rocky couldn't get outside, either, but at his size, two flaps of his wings and he'd be all the way across the room, so the cramped quarters could prove a hazard to him. I don't know. I can see both sides. Safety is a huge consideration, and as others have said, your bird and your household are unique. You have to make the decision that works for you. If you do clip, make sure it's done properly.

 

[HisAngel]

HAHAHAHAHA jayyj! Actually when we first got her I made a post. She has a hard time focusing in on taking treats from hands. She often misses an outstretched hand. Bet suggested we try similar to what you said, but that was moot, and it likely does have vision loss. Vet suggested a specialist, and it's not something we're going to do extensive testing on right now. We drew blood and everything looked ok, so it's not an illness far as we can tell.

Rosa won't even try flight unless she's terrified, and I'm certainly not going to force it on her, seeing as she's so discombobulated and scared of it.

 

[Scott]

I'm confused about #12, never clip wings. I'm new at this, but most of the research I've read says it's dangerous for a cockatoo to be able to fly around at high speeds inside a house. They could run into a window or mirror, breaking their neck, or could escape. Also they get much more aggressive and territorial, let alone how destructive when let on loose. One source did recommend doing a 'partial' trim so too can still fly but not have as much lift or speed. What do you think?

All of my birds are free flight, and I take great precautions to prevent an escape to the outdoors. IMO it's part of their basic essence, though some choose not to fly. The cockatoos that wish to fly are extremely nimble, particularly the wild-caught parents. None of my 5 Goffins has ever flown into a wall or mirror.

OTOH, my TAG is rather skittish and not very proficient. He once flew into a wall and broke a leg - it was pinned and healed properly. It seemed a freak accident, and he remains unclipped.

As others have posted, it is a controversial subject! Know your bird(s), the home dynamic and choose accordingly!!

 

[Ripstied]

I've done weeks of extensive research on cockatoos, but the flight issue has been a hard one for me. I feel in my heart that it's just not "right" for a bird not to have the option to fly. My house has no inherent dangers inside other than windows. It's a huge house with giant open ceiling rooms, which is ideal. I like the idea of bonding and building the trust while the wings are growing back. By then I'll have a better notion of which direction to go. Wish me luck!! I can't wait. I've spent hours with her ( I think her name will be Kili. Haven't decided). She seems so calm, quiet, and content. So unlike what I've heard about toos! I've been going a little nutty waiting to bring her home. I bought a giant cage and Java tree and a mountain of toys, perches, etc. if I can figure how to post a picture, I will. Thanks again, everyone!

That's great! Seems you're well informed whichever way you decide to play it.
I'd heard lots of dreadful things about too's, adopting too's, too's noise etc. I was highly skeptical when my inlaws came home with their Sulfur but aside from a few occasions of clear out to get me testing, he's actually been a really easy going bird. A hang of a load of work, but not that neurotic at all. He's coming to stay with me soon for ten days! I've he'd my ground and stayed consistent and he's been just wonderful. How old are your children? My inlaws have 5 grandchildren between the ages of six-one, and he's more than happy to join in in any fighting or yelling lol!

My kids are 5, 9, and 13. They're very good with animals, being raised around them, but never a bird. We call my oldest the dog whisperer because she's been extraordinary with dogs since she was tiny. They don't purposely leave the door open. It has a fancy locking mechanism where if the handle isn't in the right position and you swing the door shut, it doesn't latch properly and will bounce open a little. Looks like hubby will be replacing our lock now!
BTW, I've read toos generally don't like small children and will take a chunk out of them if not watched. Has anyone any experience with this? I plan on no unsupervised times for quite some time, but am curious. Kili has seems perfectly fine with my little boy, but we've only visited her and haven't brought her home yet.