Basic questions about parrots , and the dilemma . to clip or not to clip ?

[Juliette]

So i still have many questions , one of my biggest dilemmas now , is to clip or not to clip ?
i really want my parrot to be able to fly , but i am so scared something might happen ... i have other pets , i do not intend interaction between my dogs and my parrot ( future parrot ) and it will stay in its cage while im not there , and will go out of its cage when im there , in my room . he will never be out of its cage without me . maybe if i buy a harness , i can let it out of its cage and put on a harness ?
i really dont know if i should clip the wings or not ...
another question , i leave for school at 06:00 oclock , is it ok to give my parrot food then ? and should i give it food twice a day ? and if yes when is the second time i should give food ?
i really want my parrot to be out of its cage a lot , i am actually planning on getting a small perch to put on my desk , or a swing , so he can sit there when im studying , and there is a perch on top of the cage i purchased ,
what do you guys think ?

 

[MonicaMc]

Birds should be fed at least once a day (i.e. free-fed, giving fresh food daily to be eaten throughout the day), but if you have the time to, they can be fed 2-3 times a day!


If you are buying a young hand raised parrot, chances are, it'll come clipped, unless you specify otherwise - although some breeders clip *all* birds regardless of your wishes. Pet stores typically do as well.


I'm all for having flighted parrots! I don't think young parrots should be clipped at all. But if you are going to have a flighted bird, it would be a good idea to teach the bird some basic commands such as "come here", "stay", "fly to cage" and "fly to perch".

 

[Juliette]

i am planning on buying an unclipped bird , im just scared i wont be able to teach it those commads :s
can you give me like a step by step ?
i know the target method , i think thats how you teach them right ?
if im wrong tell me haha , i did a lot of research and have trained my grandmas parrot , im just a nervous wreck since im getting my own parrot haha
my grandmas parrot used to fly to me on command (eclectus)

 

[Betrisher]

If you're still at school, my first piece of advice would be not to get your parrot until the long school holidays so you can devote the maximum amount of time to him. The more time you invest in the beginning, the more likely you're going to be to have a well-rounded calm bird who enjoys doing all the things you want him to do. It takes time and a lot of it at first.

If you tame your bird and teach him to come to you, to stay in his designated place and to willingly return to his cage, there really should be no need to clip him.

I digress here to say that the clipping issue is a HIGHLY CHARGED one and people have been known to come to virtual blows over it. Whether you clip or not is completely up to you and your needs. No one else can really advise you because they're not you.

Since you asked, I'll tell you that I'm not a clipper and believe that depriving a bird of its power of flight is not a good thing at all. Ever. But that's only me and what I believe for my own birds. Others have completely different needs, constraints and opinions. They will advise you differently.

You really won't know what you'll need to do until you get your bird and begin his training. If you have a dog, I'd say that leaving the bird flighted could be a good idea. At first, though, you'll want to spend time alone with your bird and exclude your dog while you're bonding with the parrot. I'm sure other members will also chime in with their opinions, so I wish you luck with your decisions and hope you have fun with your future friend.

 

[Kiwibird]

First, I think you should wait and see the personality of the individual bird before deciding on clipping. Every bird is an individual. Some respond well to clipping (our Kiwi has never flown in fact, and is quite content/social/healthy, though he came to us that way), others react very very badly (feather plucking, screaming, biting, inappropriate attention seeking). Flighted birds should be recall trained, so they are able to return if you call (just in case the unthinkable happens). Many people choose harnesses for outdoor time, though besides for training them to wear the harness, I haven't ever heard of people using them indoors.

Parrots do need a significant time out of their cage each day, on the order of 6+ hours. You do not necessarily need to be having 1 on 1 interaction with them the whole time though (say, you're studying and the bird is playing on it's perch next to you, that's fine). My bird is not caged during waking hours so long is someone is home. Sometimes he is left to play on his cage or play stand, but 99% of the time, he's on his t-perch nearby us playing with a toy. He is not allowed around when we are cooking or the rare occasion I use bleach to clean, but other than those inherently dangerous activities he comes around while I do chores, he eats at the table with us, he showers with us, he LOVES when I do dishes for some reason, and just generally wants to be near us. I just hand him a toy and he's happy and out of my hair

Parrots should be on a feeding schedule, but so long as they are fed 2x a day, you can set the times. I strongly suggest a dry food (seed or pellets, though I am personally not fond of pellets) be left in the cage all day so the bird never gets hungry. A.M. and P.M. meals should include ample fresh produce and cooked grains/mash of some sort (check out the forum's recipe section). Parrots need a widely varied diet with lots of fresh produce for optimum health. It is also a god idea if you will be gone each day to leave foraging opportunities for your bird to keep him or her busy all day. When both my hubby and I worked, we made it a routine that the last thing we did before walking out the door in the morning was to swap out toys and hide foraging treats for Kiwi. It distracted him when we left (no loud contact calls because he was busy) and occupied him with self-rewarding activities throughout the day until we got home. Plenty of people work or go to school and have parrots, but you do pretty much have to commit all your free time to the parrot. You can't be gone all day, come home for 20 minutes and leave again to go out with your friends and ignore the bird. They are kind of like having a child, and they need attention! Anyways, best of luck.

 

[Juliette]

thanks ! and i know what u mean , i live in brazil in a jewish school , and my holidays are going to start soon , and im getting it the day the holidays start , during the world cup (football ) we get holiday , because of the traffic and stuff , and during school , Monday Wednesday and Friday i get home at 13:00 , and Tuesday and Thursday at 15:00
i also plan on spending a lot of time bonding with my parrot , thats why i was waiting for a long holiday
well im happy to know i got one thing right haha , and i also dont like the idea of clipping , its like cutting 2 toes of a human so that they wont be able to run properly and do there exercise

 

[witchbaby]

I prefer flighted birds. I think they're happier and more confident overall, plus it gives them plenty of opportunity for exercise.

There are pros and cons of both and it really comes down to personal preference and what works best (and what is safest) in your household. A flighted bird will have a better chance of getting away from your dog if by chance he gets to close, so that's one thing to consider. Keep in mind that accidents can happen either way. A flighted bird can be startled and fly into a window, but a clipped bird might not have the necessary practice or ability to avoid dangerous situations like the window or a bad landing in the first place.

Even if you do decide to clip, always use a harness or carrier when taking a bird outside.

 

[Juliette]

im really happy to hear that i got some things right , like the perch on my desk while studyin ! im not really an outgoing person , i mean i am , but mostly my fiends come to my house , and i prefer spending time with animals then going out shopping all day
i'm home a lot because i need to study a lot (i live in brazil but im not brazilian so that means double as much studying )
i plan on having my parrot out of its cage when i get home , from school , i do go to the gym for 1 hour or sometimes a little more , but i will still have plenty of free time
im so exited and nervous ! i always wanted a pet parrot
and caring for my grandmas eclectus was what convinced my mom haha

 

[Juliette]

thanks
i also prefer the idea of a flighted bird

 

[MonicaMc]

It's not easy comparing clipping a flighted bird to anything else. If you only trim the flight feathers, then they will molt and grow back. It's only a (potentially) temporary thing.

A bird flying around the house will cause many dogs and cats to chase after the bird, whether or not they actually mean to do any harm, it's in their nature to chase fast moving things.

A bird that is clipped is likely quickly to be lunch or a "nice" play toy for a dog or a cat. If flighted, the bird would have a better chance of escaping, but even flighted birds could get hurt, or worse.

It's something you'll always need to be wary of clipped or not. If you can, you could always put the dogs away while the bird is out.




If you understand how to target train, then 3 of those 4 behaviors you already have an idea of how to do! The other behavior is "stationing" or "stay put" training. This behavior can be a little more tricky to train when the bird wants to fly to you or go somewhere else, but it is possible. All you need to do is to constantly reward your bird for staying put in one area and teach your bird to play with toys or to forage independently while in that spot.

 

[Juliette]

thanks ! and actually im not planning on letting my dogs near my parrot often
in the beginning i was planning on never , but maybe my parrot can have interaction with my small dog (really small dog ) under supervision , i have 2 larger dogs as well , but they wont come ner the parrot , only when he is in his cage just so they know there is another animal in the house , and to see their reaction , but im not planning on letting my parrot fly free trough my entire house , only under supervision and when the dogs are in another room , unable to chase after the bird
do you think this is good ?
(i take all advice , and love to read all the advice you guys give me ! )

 

[Dinosrawr]

Having personally experienced a parrot who has flown into a window and who has flown away from me (thank goodness both cases she was perfectly safe and fine!), I would still never clip. It's only natural for birds to fly, and it's our responsibility to make sure they can do so in a safe environment. You always run risks with any animal, especially parrots, when you give them more freedom.

But, that being said, everything comes with risks! Everyone has already given you excellent advice, and I'd pay heed to Monica's advice in particular. She has lots of great experience regarding positive reinforcement and is almost like a parrot owner encyclopedia! If you spend enough time with your baby, encourage a positive and strong bond, there should be no issues.

 

[Kiwibird]

Parrots are a lot like children, and theres no 'right or wrong' way to 'raise' one. There are so many different schools of thought on the best methods for training, to flight or clip, what to feed, how big their cage should be, how much they should be out of it ect...and all of the widely differing opinions have valid points. One thing you do have to also keep in mind is each and every parrot is a unique individual as is every situation a bird comes into. What works for one may be completely ineffective or even counterproductive for another. Certain training methods are so time-intensive some people cannot feasibly work with their bird in that way. That is why it is so very important for every prospective bird owner to do their own research into various methods of caring for their bird and come to the conglomeration of methods that works best for you and your individual bird

 

[Dinosrawr]

Parrots are a lot like children, and theres no 'right or wrong' way to 'raise' one. There are so many different schools of thought on the best methods for training, to flight or clip, what to feed, how big their cage should be, how much they should be out of it ect...and all of the widely differing opinions have valid points. One thing you do have to also keep in mind is each and every parrot is a unique individual as is every situation a bird comes into. What works for one may be completely ineffective or even counterproductive for another. Certain training methods are so time-intensive some people cannot feasibly work with their bird in that way. That is why it is so very important for every prospective bird owner to do their own research into various methods of caring for their bird and come to the conglomeration of methods that works best for you and your individual bird

Excellent post, April! I couldn't agree more.

 

[MikeyTN]

Very good post April!!!

 

[MikeyTN]

To the poster! You can use the search function within the forum to find the topics you needed help with such as what your asking as it's been discussed countless times. It is a individual choice!!! You need to find what works for you as you can ask all you want here but everyone will give you a different opinion on it.

 

[Anansi]

I also have a preference for keeping birds flighted if at all possible. (If your bird has gotten into the habit of dive-bombing people in your home, for instance, the situation may not quite qualify as "at all possible ".)

As Monica and Chantal have pointed out, though, there are risks to both keeping your bird clipped or fully flighted. If you do decide to keep your bird flighted, it is very important that you work with him on flight and recall training. If your bird is either a baby or new to flight, you'll actually need to teach him HOW to fly. The greater his flight skills and comfort level with flying, the less likely he is to hurt himself by flying into a wall or something at speed.

And while you'll also want to cover any windows and mirrors in his flight area, it is a good idea to introduce him to the concept of mirrors and windows both. I repeatedly took my Bixby on tours of my home, touching his beak to every glass and mirror surface in every room, until he got the idea. Now he understands what glass is and knows where in the house he'll find it, so he no longer flies into windows... even when they're uncovered.

Anyhow, you asked about recall training. Here's a link to a thread in which I answered a similar question just yesterday, and where several members gave some very good advice: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/44769-building-success-flight-recall.html

 

[Anansi]

And here's another link where we discussed how to flight train your parrot: http://www.parrotforums.com/free-flight/43989-new-flying-need-help.html

 

[Anansi]

Here is a link to a thread that, in my opinion, was one of the most informative back and forths EVER on the whole debate of whether to clip or not to clip. I came across it while doing exactly what Michael suggested you do by searching through the relevant forum threads. Just figured I'd cut out some of the leg work for you. Definitely worthwhile reading: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectu...don-t-clip-everyone-else-can-chime-too-2.html

 

[Anansi]

And finally, here's a link to a video that shows the potential of indoor flight. Jaw-dropping stuff: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzyZGdMp9kM&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Parrot Training - Indoor Free Flying - DUCK!! Pet Parrot Free flight Skills and Myths - YouTube[/ame]