Flight suit/Bird Diaper help

(male eclectus - 1 yr old) I bought a flight suit awhile ago. I started by leaving it near his cage, then moved to hanging it from his cage and having it on me when my birdie was with me. Then two days in a row I managed to slip it on him real quick. He didnt seem to like it at first and kept chewing at it. But after an hour or so he calmed down and didnt seem to notice. That was it. The third day and ever since, when I get it near him or try to slip it on, he fights me and runs off. What did I do wrong? How did you get your bird to wear one? Id really like to take him places but he isnt potty trained. Any advice or help is GREATLY appreciated! I am about to lose my mind!

It's usually best to train them to wear a flight suit when they are young. At an older age, it's typically easier to teach them to wear a harness (i.e. no diaper), but not all birds can accept it. They are not accustomed to something restraining them in any way and may feel threatened by the object.

You may have moved too quickly for him and left it on for too long the first couple of times. Sounds like you may need to go back to square one and go much slower and reward him for each step of the way.

Question--does it fit your bird well or is it a little too droopy? I realize now that the one i bought Gilbert is probably too big for him. (It is a Large, like they recommended for a BCC but i think he needed a Medium). I wasn't THAT hell bent on having him in a diaper anyhow, so i just purchased an aviator harness for him, for the "go outside on a leash" purpose.
Anyhow, i think Gilbert doesn't care for the fit of his, so i really can't blame him for not enjoying that awkward thing! Wonder if there could be a size issue with yours too?

ruffledfeathers said:

Question--does it fit your bird well or is it a little too droopy? I realize now that the one i bought Gilbert is probably too big for him. (It is a Large, like they recommended for a BCC but i think he needed a Medium). I wasn't THAT hell bent on having him in a diaper anyhow, so i just purchased an aviator harness for him, for the "go outside on a leash" purpose.
Anyhow, i think Gilbert doesn't care for the fit of his, so i really can't blame him for not enjoying that awkward thing! Wonder if there could be a size issue with yours too?

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It actually fits him perfectly. Its not too snug but not loose. Im slowly trying to re-introduce him to it. I hope it works! :20:

My conure is refusing his aviator harness. It's been over a month for me but he just hates it touching him anywhere lol. I could not give you advice since I could not even get it on him, so you're ahead of me in training. I've been working on positive reinforcement, letting him put his head through the loop by reaching for a treat at the other end.

Off topic but, I personally would not use a bird diaper. It seems like it would get in contact with their bums and be unsanitary for them.

I agree you went to fast to soon. I have a triton 2 and i went a whole week before I even attempted to put it on. Start by playing with him with it. 15 min or so a day. Then just lay a small part over his back then take it off right away. Do baby steps. As soon as you put it on take it right off. Make it fun for him. Go at his pace. Take weeks if you have too. Start with one step then reverse. Go that step then go an additional step. I have noticed with mine it's not putting it on its taking it off that makes him nervous. Don't leave it on that long unless he is having fun. Just a few minutes at a time. You are trying to make it fun when he has it on. Give scratches and treats every time he goes another step. It could take 10 minutes to put it on when you start getting him use to it. He will eventually see the harness as play time!

We bought a flight suit a year ago, that also has a DVD on how to put it on, but can't understand how to actually do it. lol

I guess we need to get a bird stuffed toy and practice.

427HISS said:

We bought a flight suit a year ago, that also has a DVD on how to put it on, but can't understand how to actually do it. lol

I guess we need to get a bird stuffed toy and practice.

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Kinda fun y you mention that at the rescue we make up collars for mutilating birds, they weigh like seven grams instead of seventy... And we have a rubber chicken to show adopters how to use the collar. so using a stuffed bird or animal would probably show you how to go about that without putting your bird through it.. Great idea for anyone else that needs practice to.

I orderd a flight suit a few days ago, still didn't come. I am starting to wish I bought a harness so he could still see his feathers and not COMPLETLY coverd by fleece . Though the harnesses where 20 $ more than a flight suit. I agree, go back to step one and do it again. That's what I had to do when I was finger training Pepsi .i am sure I will have complications with the flight suit so I might come here a lot

If your goal is to take your fib outside in the harness then I would make sure you should your bird that the harness goes outside. Perch your fib in view of the door and play with the harness w/your bird the. Take just the harness outside. Josie made the connection immediately Ns never gave me a problem putting it on. Going outside was a huge motivator for her. Good luck! It is well worth the work to get them to put it on. She loves to go outside, In the car and her favorite is when we go for ice cream...they always give her her own empty cone.

lol,..."In the car and her favorite is when we go for ice cream...they always give her her own empty cone"

That's funny !

Your method is a great one and I'm gonna try it sometime.

Here's what happened to us when we first got Shelby, and it's also a lesson.

The rescue that had her took her to the vet for a check up and had her flight wings clipped just encase she got free at the airport. About a week after we had her, I took her out on our backyard deck and place her on the back of a deck chair, and she was very,....happy. So, we did this almost everyday.

About a month later, I decided to go out in the front yard. Again, she was very happy, so I had read that in Australia (where her species was from) that hundreds of years ago, one family would basically feed and live on the ground and another family stayed in the trees.She has always preferred to be on the play stand than on the floor, so I assumed her family were in the trees. When we went out into the front yard, I put her on the grass and she seemed OK, but she would walk with me, then all of a sudden she took off over our house !

With the grace of the Lord, she landed on a 50ft tall tree, but she would not come down. I stood their for 2 hrs. calling for her, then a hawk flew within 40ft. And, in about 1/2 hr. it would be dark. A neighbor came out with a large fish net and a expanded pole, we got on the roof of a house, place it over Shelby and,......got her !

WHEW !.... So, the moral of this story, just because a cockatoo's "flight wings" are clipped, with their other secondary and other wings, their more than enough to fly, not a pretty flight, but just enough !

Anyway,... the second I got into the house, we ordered a flight harness !!! lol

427HISS said:

.... About a month later, I decided to go out in the front yard. Again, she was very happy, so I had read that in Australia (where her species was from) that hundreds of years ago, one family would basically feed and live on the ground and another family stayed in the trees.She has always preferred to be on the play stand than on the floor, so I assumed her family were in the trees. When we went out into the front yard, I put her on the grass and she seemed OK, but she would walk with me, then all of a sudden she took off over our house !

With the grace of the Lord, she landed on a 50ft tall tree, but she would not come down. I stood their for 2 hrs. calling for her, then a hawk flew within 40ft. And, in about 1/2 hr. it would be dark. A neighbor came out with a large fish net and a expanded pole, we got on the roof of a house, place it over Shelby and,......got her !

WHEW !.... So, the moral of this story, just because a cockatoo's "flight wings" are clipped, with their other secondary and other wings, their more than enough to fly, not a pretty flight, but just enough !

Anyway,... the second I got into the house, we ordered a flight harness !!! lol

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Omg ! I held my breath the minute the hawk flew in the picture. So glad this has a happy ending!

Yep, I was shaking in my boots !

I did not think I would get her before it was dark , because we all know what might happen.