Clipped my little Rio's Wings :/

[RioJPMP]

I know everyone has different opinions about keeping a parrot clipped or not. I was faced with a dilemma as I am in the middle of a move that was not planned for. I didn't want to board my parrot as the last time I did he was really upset with me for days and I was not happy with the way they took care of him (He stunk, he was aggressive etc.)

I am going to leave him with my sister for the weekend while I go house hunting but she is not very experienced with parrots. She does want to get one though so I figured this would be good practice for her. I decided to get my little Rio clipped so she wouldn't have to worry about him flying out of her hands and out of a window or into a pot while she is cooking.

He took it like a champion, and I plan to let them grow back out once we are settled into our new place. But I guess I am feeling guilty and I loved seeing him fly from his cage to me.

Think he will forgive me? I feel more stressed out than he does.
Since it was such short notice I didn't have time to go shopping for another boarding place, and I didn't want to leave him with someone he doesn't know.

 

[BoomBoom]

If it was just going to be a few days, could she have just left him in the cage? Instead of getting him clipped just do she could handle him a few hours. Clipped wings can last to over a year, whereas being caged in this case was only 2-3 days.

That said I understand why people may clip in extreme cases. I'm sure the bird will not hold it against you that he's lost the ability to fly. Just make it up to him

 

[RioJPMP]

Well its not going to be just for this weekend, it will probably be the next weekends for a month, plus a couple of days while I get the new place settled so he is not in the middle of chaos. My mom lost her 8 year old Quaker about 2 months ago because someone from the outside opened the door while she was loose and she escaped. I didn't want to take a chance. Not that I don't trust my sister but he is a great escape artist.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'm 100% sure that your Rio has already forgiven you. Now you must forgive yourself as well.

Clipping wings is SUCH a personal choice, so please don't sweat it.

 

[Mayden]

Agreed with Wendy!

Chances are after some treats and tlc, your little guy has probably forgotten all about it. He might get a bit upset when he tries to preen feathers that arn't there anymore - or tries to fly and can't, but they WILL grow back.

Just on a safety note, don't want anyone feeling too confident they can leave windows open or anything now - are you sure you did the clip 'properly' for what you want? Some birds can still gain lift and be off in a shot even with a clip, so double check what you've done is appropriate and make sure safety checks are still top notch as though he was flighted!

Good luck with your move! Merlin enjoyed both of ours, he enjoys chaos and the extra fuss he gets

 

[Superbird]

Animals love and trust us, i think they will forgive any trespass against them. Do animals forget though? I don't know. We can't speak for our animals. To me, clipping in my opinion was not necessary for just a few weekends. Altering the bird's physique should be the last resort. But that's just my opinion.

What's done is done, no use to fret over it.

 

[Mayden]

Animals love and trust us, i think they will forgive any trespass against them. Do animals forget though? I don't know. We can't speak for our animals. To me, clipping in my opinion was not necessary for just a few weekends. Altering the bird's physique should be the last resort. But that's just my opinion.

What's done is done, no use to fret over it.

Weekends with people she can't 100% trust to keep her baby safe!* & she mentioned it'd be more than just a few weekends. The birds safety is her top priority here, not 'taming or controlling' so I think her decision is perfectly justified. & it'll only be altered until his next moult!

I think she'd hate herself if her baby got away or hurt because of a bad clip/no clip whilst staying with anyone who isn't her - I know I'd resent ANY person, relative or not and they'd have 100% lost my trust with any future animals. As good as my partner is with birds, he just "isn't me" and I'd want to take any precaution necessary to keep my bird safe whilst I couldn't be there. No I probably wouldn't get a clip if my birds were staying with him, but my parents, his parents? Friends? Definitely, even with Merlin's bad leg. Because it'll grow out by the time I'm done doing what I need to do and I can get my baby back, let his wings grow out and be no damage done.

I tend to favour keep birds flighted, in most situations I can argue against clipping, but this is all for the birds safety and it's not permanent.

I think she made the best choice for her and her birdy this time.

 

[RioJPMP]

Thanks everyone for your posts but now my new concern is the aviary I took him too cut his wings really short. My husband took him for me and he didn't say anything to them. It's been 3 days now and rio has been eating but he is extremely quiet and still , nothing like the bird I once knew. Also he has been holding his right wing up and he refuses to put it down. He lets me lift it and rub it but he's holding it up as if it were in a cast. Could it be broken or does he just feel uncomfortable?

I'm a mess all I do is think about him while I am at work should I take him to the vet?

 

[RioJPMP]

Take a look I just took a picture so you can see what his wings look like

 

[Kalidasa]

They probably cut a blood feather he'll be ok it'll just take a little time

 

[Pajarita]

Flighted birds will, sometimes, not react favorably to having their wings clipped and are often depressed afterward for days. I've only clipped one bird in my life, a HIGHLY aggressive male Senegal which hated all humans in general (kept in a small cage for 11 years) and me in particular because he fell in love with one of my sennie hens and she loved me to pieces so he would fly out to attack me several times a day, every single day for years. In desperation, I clipped him. And I regretted it almost instantly. He hid for days after and I felt like crap for been the one that had done it to him and swore never to do it to another bird again (took 6 years but he is now a sweetheart).

Now, the other problem with clipping is that it's a VERY long term problem as he will not get his full wings back for one year if he hasn't started molting (mine have) and two if he has. That's a loooooong time to lose mobility for a couple of weekends of inconvenience, if you ask me... But there is nothing you can do now, what's done is done and now all you can do is hope he won't get too depressed (been that he is not only grounded and must be feeling vulnerable and confused but he will also be in another home without you) and wait it out.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Take a look I just took a picture so you can see what his wings look like

Please RioJPMP, don't allow ANYBODY to make you feel guity. Your baby will adjust, believe me! My Hunter has both been clipped AND flighted, the same with my Nikolai, and they never held a grudge for long.

You did what you felt was best.

Again, don't let ANYONE lay a guilt trip on you.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Oh my goodness, feathers grow back....don't feel guilty! I don't plan to clip Gilbert but i clipped Georgie every so often. I used to clip her in the spring to take her outside with me (not that i really think that is the best idea, because they CAN fly a bit sometimes and surprise you, but she was such a velcro bird that i felt clipping alone would keep her with me, which luckily it did). She totally didn't get mad at all.....and that bird had major attitude! LOL
I totally see your concern about a flighted bird's safety around someone not used to having a bird in the house. I have had at least one bird living with me for the past 20 yrs, but a lot of people don't even think to look before opening a door, whereas it's second nature to me to check where the bird is when i'm doing something, with ceiling fans, etc.

 

[crazyforfeathers]

Clipped birds have a heightened tendency to pluck. I forgot where I read it (somehwere in these boards). Basically, when the new plin feathers grow out, they are not protected by full feathers so they have a higher tendency to get damaged and bleed. This irritates the bird which might cause him to scratch, itch or pluck at the damaged area for relief. I wish I could find that link, it was very enlightening.

I am not telling you this to guilt trip you, it is just to look out for the welfare of the bird. Just look out for possible signs of irritation later when molting period begins. If he continues to hold his wing up, I highly advice you take him to the vet. He might have been man-handled from the clipping place.

 

[Mayden]

Little bit of info for you:

Yes bird who are clipped can become mean, nasty, clingy, aggressive in general, reserved as a response to being more limited in their abilities. This is usually overcome in a matter of days, but not always, that is down to you to judge your bird prior to clipping. IF it happens, you may have to reconsider clipping as a regular thing. Some birds don't even bat an eyelid to getting clipped.

Some nasty, mean, aggressive, hormonal birds, calm down after a clip. So it works both ways.

Clipped birds are 'more likely' to pluck at their feathers, because as someone mentioned, they are irritated easily when growing back in. BUT, I'd be more concerned about that with birds like 'toos and CAGS/TAGS rather than a conure. If plucking was commonplace in clipped birds, I'm sure there would be a lot less bird owners clipping. Especially on this forum. Just as birds are likely to pluck because they've been clipped, many/most don't.

Your bird will get his feathers back, they'll grow in, old clipped will moult out, he'll be back just as he was before with no lasting damage unless he was clipped badly (and by clipped badly I don't mean a wrong clip, I mean near enough butchered).

What I'm trying to say is, there are pros and cons, 'likely' and 'unlikely' to each situation that people are pointing out here. Don't take it all to heart, you did what you felt was best for Rio and personally, I'd rather my bird went through some irritation/grumpiness for a few weeks when his feathers moult and are replaced, than my bird get outside and eaten by a cat because a relative didn't think to close the window that one extra notch to stop him getting out.

Disgruntled but safe birdy > 'dead' birdy.

It WILL pass.

I'd say get Rio to a vet if he's still struggling with his wings though, vet can check over the clip and his wing and see what he says. Picture didn't show for me so can't offer any advice.