Trimming tail feathers?!

[Kelsih11]

I work at PetSmart and while talking to one of our dog food reps about the little pineapple GCC we have in store (who has drawn blood with me multiple times now), she told me that a different PetSmart up the street has a sun conure named Lenny that was sold to a family but returned a week later because he was "too noisy" (hello, he's a sun conure). BUT the family who bought him CUT OFF ALL OF HIS TAIL FEATHERS!!! Why would someone do this? Is this something that's common? The employees at that store are being very protective of him now but I am hoping to go to that store and meet him today or tomorrow. Apparently he is very social and not nippy at all.

 

[JerseyWendy]

What? No, that's not common at all. Why on earth would anyone do this? Do you know whether the tail feathers were clipped straight across, and are still visible, or did the sun possibly lose them?

 

[Kelsih11]

What? No, that's not common at all. Why on earth would anyone do this? Do you know whether the tail feathers were clipped straight across, and are still visible, or did the sun possibly lose them?

As far as I know from the food rep, she said that the people admitted to trimming his tail feathers. Not sure if they are still visible. If I meet him today, I'll post a picture

 

[Birdman666]

BECAUSE THEY ARE IGNORANT IDIOTS?! :11:

Only reason I can think of to do that to a bird, although I have heard someone doing something similar to a large macaw, "because the tail feathers were too big, and didn't fit in that tiny cage we stuffed him in."

YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE DO...

(INTELLIGENT PEOPLE, HOWEVER, DO NOT!)

The only other thing I can think of is young, active birds are notorious for breaking tail feathers, so perhaps he broke them, and they cut them on top of it?!

 

[PickleMeDickles]

I have 2 Suns and feel that it is extremely inappropriate to sell them to people who are not aware of the noise they make (much less the ups and downs of conureship). I love my Suns dearly, and could never part with them, but sometimes I feel like super gluing their beaks shut. The noise level is surely because I have 2 (plus a GCC) so there is a LOT of flock calling. (my husband is in the background saying "don't tell her you'll take it"), lol. Needless to say, he is not quite as fond as the Suns as he is the GCC, he barely puts up with it and I have no doubt that if I added another Sun one of us would move out.

Anyhow, good luck with the little guy. I imagine it wasn't a lot of fun getting your tail feathers hacked off. You just pray that it was (not a good excuse) dumb ignorance and not cruelty.

 

[Aquila]

Yeah I've never heard of anything like that. Is it possible it got into something like a glue trap and they had to cut him out? Or another animal had him and they cut him free?

 

[Mimsy01]

BECAUSE THEY ARE IGNORANT IDIOTS?! :11:

Only reason I can think of to do that to a bird, although I have heard someone doing something similar to a large macaw, "because the tail feathers were too big, and didn't fit in that tiny cage we stuffed him in."

YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE DO...

(INTELLIGENT PEOPLE, HOWEVER, DO NOT!)

The only other thing I can think of is young, active birds are notorious for breaking tail feathers, so perhaps he broke them, and they cut them on top of it?!

Ya thats the only reason I could think of too, trying to stuff a bird in too small a cage, so just cut those pesky tail feathers off. grrrr

 

[MonicaMc]

When Casey, my first tiel, was young, I *did* trim her tail feathers, but I still left a few inches of feathers, so they were not completely gone. She was really bad at breaking her tail feathers and her tail looked like a mess!

Thankfully, after she molted out all her tail feathers and they grew in new and healthy, she stopped breaking them. It was just a one time thing. That was probably over 13 years ago, too....



I vaguely recall someone else who clipped their bird's tail feathers, for some stupid reason that made absolutely no sense what-so-ever... however, I don't recall their reason.

 

[Kelsih11]

UPDATE
I stopped by the PetSmart on my way home from school and there was no sun conure in the cages on the sales floor. So I asked one of the girls that works there if he was still there and she said someone bought him on sunday or monday. I asked her about the tail feathers (if they were cut or plucked) and she said they were definitely cut with about half an inch remaining. Poor thing but she assured me that the people who bought him has 2 suns at home and they were just in buying food and coouldn't leave him there. Thank goodness for that. Idk what's wrong with people who think they can just get a bird on a whim and have no clue what to expect. I've been researching birds for almost a year and I'm still waiting on a baby.

 

[friendcaique]

hallelujah someone WITH EXPERIENCE bought the little guy!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I've never heard of a 'legit' case of clipping a birds 'tail' feathers . The only time I've ever heard of it is a result of some form of owner abuse.

When I was considering getting Skittles, after his little 'show', the clerk talked me out of it. Stating that they are not apartment birds, are loud and demanding. But I have always believed, and my experience has taught me - that neglected birds screech a LOT more than well tended to birds do. I also live in a VERY well insulated building, so I bought him four days later after spending the weekend researching and being unable to get him out of my mind.

This is why I say suns are not 'beginner' birds. They are not going to sit by while you 'adjust' to having them and figuring out what their needs are. You have to be prepared from the get-go.

If I were an ignorant ***** like the people you are talking about (who brought the bird back), then I likely would have just locked Skittles away in a room and kept him covered up thinking it would shut him up. But I didn't do that. I did my research and I learned to understand him and his way of communicating. Had I not done that, but took the irresponsible route instead - I'd never have the precious bond I have now.

The only 'right thing' those people did was bring the bird back.

 

[MonicaMc]

It's a shame that pet stores even sell birds at all... suns and green cheeks tend to be the most common "large" birds in many of the chain pet stores, with suns often considered one of the loudest conure species out there and green cheeks one of the nippiest... something that *most* new owners (especially the impulse buyers) are not prepared for. Of course, some people get lucky! And others get smart, if they aren't already smart! And work things out!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

That's what I had to do with Skittles. I think that if people take a bird home, they take on the responsibility as well. If someone decides that they cannot or will not meet that birds needs, then it is up to them to find a suitable home. Not covering them up all the time or locking them in a dark room.

 

[greytness]

Tail feathers?? WT%? What's that all about? Poor bird. All I can think of is that this poor baby's birdie confidence has tanked exponentially. Shame on them.