Flight suits

[msminnamouse]

Would flight suits make taking an uncaged lovebird outside safe? I mean if you supervise to make sure that they don't chew through it?

Or do you think that they could wiggle out of a suit if they really put their minds to it?

I wish they had Feather Tethers in their size...

 

[Sulphiria]

Feather tethers are awful. I wouldnt recommend them to anyone to use. Try the aviator harness.

 

[msminnamouse]

The smallest Aviator Harness fits a cockatiel, there's no size for a lovebird.

 

[dishgal1]

ON occasion I take my Gcc out in a flight suit. They are safe. I have a lanyard attached around my neck. He hates it so much it is hard for him to enjoy being out but after a while if I walk around the yard he just sits on my shoulder and looks at things. I don't see anyway they could get out of them. I tried to find an aviator harness but they don't come that small evidently.

 

[MaraWentz]

I use the aviator but trust me you prob. wont be able to stop them from biting threw it. Mine was ridiculous.

 

[msminnamouse]

You use the aviator on a lovebird?? I don't understand how that's possible when they don't have a size that would fit a lovebird, unless your lovebird is gigantic.

 

[MaraWentz]

i have a macaw but its $30 or so for harness theyll eat in about 5 sessions

 

[cdog]

I don't know if they make ones that small so you might just have to get a little travel cage and take them outside in one of those. Even if they made them in a lovebird size I would be scared to take him outside in one because of hawks/eagles, that's why I decided against getting one for my gcc's. In a cage they can still be outside and get sunlight but they wont be at risk of predators.

 

[Chiroptera]

I've taken my 8-week-old lovebird outside in a small cage so he can get sunshine and listen to other birds. He'll only sit quietly if he has some apple or millet in there; he hates being in any cage. My boyfriend and I used to hold him outside or let him sit on our shoulder (we got him when he was 1 month old and he's so attached that he never wanted to be left alone), but then a dog scared him one day and he ended up on the roof, so we stopped doing that.

I bought a flightsuit for him, the lovebird size, and so far he hates it to death. For the first few days he'd attack it when it was near him (he not only doesn't like red, he also hates pink, orange, yellow, and purple).

Today was the second time I put the suit on him and he absolutely hates it. It took two people to get it on him and he looks miserable. I think these suits really aren't meant for birds this small; all their pictures on their website are of larger birds and it makes sense because the poop pouch ends up looking like a third limb. But for $20, I'm not giving up until this kid stops making a mess on every surface and person in the house.

I filmed him in the suit so I could ask the company if I had put it on him wrong. It can't possibly be intended to look that awkward... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlLCEQaBbY]Lovebird in a Flightsuit: A Tragic Comedy - YouTube[/ame]

 

[dishgal1]

That is a carbon copy of mine doing the same thing. It does get a little better. But we still go thru this everytime.
If the lanyard on the back wasn't so heavy I think it wouldn't bother them as much. Maybe should be thinner if possible. Someone needs to design a better attachment.

 

[Nakiska]

When we bought our Franklin, he was just 2 1/2 months old and couldn't fly. On top of that, his wings were clipped. So for almost a year, I was able to take him all over the place with me. I took him on car rides to the stores, post office, hardware store, even our little grocery store would let him in...he's quite the novelty in our little town

As his wings grew out, I knew he was getting close to being able to fly, even though he preferred to walk, run and climb everywhere.

In order to keep him going bye bye with me, I bought him a flightsuit.

He's not exactly crazy about it, but he's gotten way way better about it and the first day he had it on, I let him do as one poster shared in the video clip. Just left him to "get used to it." He acted exactly the same way.

Then I decided that because he loves to go bye bye so much, when I'd put on the suit, I'd immediately take him somewhere, even just outside, so he could learn to associate the flight suit with going bye bye or outside.

It didn't take him anytime at all to leave it alone. One day I brought him into Walmart and he climbed down me onto the floor and started walking along checking things out...I followed behind him holding his leash. A store employee saw him and cracked up saying it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. I admit, it was! One of the few times I was cameraless too! Darnit!

I absolutely LOVE the flightsuit, especially because it catches the poo's

I also bought one for our pigeon. He wears it every single day when I let him loose to fly around the house so that he's not pooing everywhere, he also goes outside, goes on car rides he doesn't mind it one bit. He's even learned to "preen" himself underneath it.

So for me, flightsuits have been a wonderful compromise to keep my birds flighted and being able to take them outside and bye-bye with me. NO they are not fail proof and as with anything you have to use your best judgement.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one if I needed it. I've had great success with ours.

Good Luck!

Toni

 

[DannyA93]

i bought one for my budgie! tha straps are the right size but the problem is there way to stretchy!! when i put it on she has her feet inside and she just pushes it away so then its stretched and makes it loose:\ so im gonna have to tighten those straps if i want it to fit her right! haha but we will get this! she just doesn't understand what its for yet.