Upfront and Honest p

[Tman1]

I thought I would talk about my feelings on wing clipping. This is my feelings on the subject. When I purchased all my parrots I had them clipped. What I ask the store to do is clip the secondary wings and two of the primary wings next to the secondary. This way when they fly they can go straight and land. The just don't have the ability to left off. With that being said. I only do it once. That's it.
Once they get their wings back they will fly forever. I all ready have rope perches though out my place. I have snaps on each side so I can take them down if I need too.
As far as other people and what they do, I say this sometimes if they have a household that's busy, it just might be in the best interest of the parrot to have them clipped. But the right way.
I had a freind that had a cockatiel. He and his wife loved that bird. It talked it was up a storm. He asked me to come over and look at him. I went over took a target stick and a clicker.
And I had that bird targeting all over his cage. He was not clipped. I just warned them about having a door opened. Or cooking with him out of the cage. His wife was so excited about the parrot targeting. That she went out a bought a much bigger cage for him. While she was changing him to his bigger cage. Hubby went out the back door the parrot flew right out the back door. Gone.
So sometimes having the wings clipped at first helps. The people get used to having a parrot around.
As for me I train them to stepup, I let them fly and walk around and teach them to stepup from off the floor. Once the get their wing back, all is well. My birthday was the 11th I turn 71.
It's a little easier to get them back in their cage for now. By the time they get fully flighted we will have bonded enough so they will want to come to me and stepup for me.
Once you see parrots free flight you just know thats how they should be.
Also flighted the can burn more calories, and be hungry where they will try your cooking. Chop, and switch to pellets. Here is Pegasus taking a peice of sunflower seed from between my fingers. He take everything so gentle, it just shows me that he just needs time. He wants to spend time with me just don't touch him.

 

[osklvste56]

Clipping is a controversy. Done correctly it can be a good idea as you described. There's other factors in play. My first CAG at 6 months had his feathers clipped by breeder. It was done as you described for same reason. He plucked until feathers grew back. Personally I don't clip.

 

[AMD99]

18 years ago when we got our first tiel bird, "Baby" the breeder recommended clipping. For us it was a nightmare because he had so much trouble learning to fly. We used to call him butt thumper, and thank goodness he had a soft rug to land on. Anyway....we made the mistake of taking him outside (stupid new bird owners we were) and him being clipped and all who knew that he could fly to the neighbors house! Yeah....18 yrs later cannot remember everything, but I do remember almost having a hear attack as he flew over to the neighbors. Thank fully since he was still so young and so bad at flying he went down after a minute or so and we were able to go get him. What I discovered is that if your bird is clipped correctly they can still fly, it is just harder for ground take off. So here I am 18 years later and none of mine parrots are clipped. We are VERY careful about doors etc. If we have people in and out for what ever reason to be safe the birds are put up in their houses. Speaking of my "butt thumper" 18 years later Baby still does not fly well, and I think it was because of being clipped to very early.

 

[Inger]

Bumble was given a very very light clip by her breeder AFTER she fledged. I'm here to tell you it did not stop her from flying at all. She has never been clipped again.

One of the dangers of clipping is that it can lull us into a false sense of complacency. "Oh since they're clipped, I don't have to worry about them. If someone opens a door and they get out, it's no big deal." Of course that's not true. In fact it may be a bigger deal. If they are unable to get off the ground, they have no defense from predators-and that could just be the neighborhood cats and dogs-it doesn't have to be any kind of wild animal. If they're out with you and they're unrestrained because "they're clipped so they don't need to be" a strong gust of wind could still take them from you and who knows where they end up. Walking at the lake? The wind blows them over the water and they can't fly back to you. And if you also have dogs and cats at home and birdy gets out of the cage somehow, they can't get away from your own pets. Nobody wants to see how that story ends.

If you choose to clip, be mindful that it may not be the safety net you think it is, you may just be replacing one set of dangers with another. And also taking away what really makes a bird a bird.

 

[Tman1]

Bumble was given a very very light clip by her breeder AFTER she fledged. I'm here to tell you it did not stop her from flying at all. She has never been clipped again.

One of the dangers of clipping is that it can lull us into a false sense of complacency. "Oh since they're clipped, I don't have to worry about them. If someone opens a door and they get out, it's no big deal." Of course that's not true. In fact it may be a bigger deal. If they are unable to get off the ground, they have no defense from predators-and that could just be the neighborhood cats and dogs-it doesn't have to be any kind of wild animal. If they're out with you and they're unrestrained because "they're clipped so they don't need to be" a strong gust of wind could still take them from you and who knows where they end up. Walking at the lake? The wind blows them over the water and they can't fly back to you. And if you also have dogs and cats at home and birdy gets out of the cage somehow, they can't get away from your own pets. Nobody wants to see how that story ends.

If you choose to clip, be mindful that it may not be the safety net you think it is, you may just be replacing one set of dangers with another. And also taking away what really makes a bird a bird.

Let me clarify this. They were clipped when I bought them. They will never be clipped again. It was just that one time.
I have rope perches all over my apartment. Ready for when they fly. Yukon and Pegasus are starting to get their flight wing back. Tango and Cash are just now molting. My patio is 6'x17' and am getting it ready for them to fly.

 

[HarleY 0647]

Clipping of wings is a human trait in bird ownership,
I have a B&G female that was clipped by her breeder for the sole reason so she wouldn't fly away. As soon as I heard that I purchased my girl and brought her home.
the avian expert of experience, said basically that the clipping of wings CAN cause physcolical (?) problems, plus muscle degeneration if the problem is not worked on asap. It took my girl 1 and 1/2 years to drop the cut feathers and grown new ones. Whilst that was happening I took her with me nearly everyday whenever possible in some small way to reinforce what the Avian expert recommended!
In fact about 8-10 months after she got home, I was out in the garden pruning, with her on the side of the wheelbarrow,, loving every moment of it. I think because all the other (5) macaws were carrying on like something really nasty was to occur. Perhaps, by fright, she decided to fly - talk about Kitty Hawk - she flew around my house once and decended into long grass at the rear of the house. When I retrieved her - firstly all the other macaws were QUIET and as soon as they saw her on my arm THEY ALL screamed like never before. In my niavity (?)I thought it was a flock response to an occurrence, but as soon as she was back in the aviary they all acted as if nothing happened . . . so there you go - the good, the bad and the Ugly!
for those who aren't in the know, after wing clipping EXERCISE is the key, which stops muscle degeneration, and physicological problems.
Of course if you have a bird of yours clipped, you will never know just what you have done for whatever reason, and its affect, because you will never experience the difference of yes and no to clipping a birds wings
please understand as the reader, you are reading my opinion only - I based it on the input I sought, and the way I handled it. Sometimes there must be good reason to wing clip, of which I state should be the LAST choice

 

[Tman1]

Clipping of wings is a human trait in bird ownership,
I have a B&G female that was clipped by her breeder for the sole reason so she wouldn't fly away. As soon as I heard that I purchased my girl and brought her home.
the avian expert of experience, said basically that the clipping of wings CAN cause physcolical (?) problems, plus muscle degeneration if the problem is not worked on asap. It took my girl 1 and 1/2 years to drop the cut feathers and grown new ones. Whilst that was happening I took her with me nearly everyday whenever possible in some small way to reinforce what the Avian expert recommended!
In fact about 8-10 months after she got home, I was out in the garden pruning, with her on the side of the wheelbarrow,, loving every moment of it. I think because all the other (5) macaws were carrying on like something really nasty was to occur. Perhaps, by fright, she decided to fly - talk about Kitty Hawk - she flew around my house once and decended into long grass at the rear of the house. When I retrieved her - firstly all the other macaws were QUIET and as soon as they saw her on my arm THEY ALL screamed like never before. In my niavity (?)I thought it was a flock response to an occurrence, but as soon as she was back in the aviary they all acted as if nothing happened . . . so there you go - the good, the bad and the Ugly!
for those who aren't in the know, after wing clipping EXERCISE is the key, which stops muscle degeneration, and physicological problems.
Of course if you have a bird of yours clipped, you will never know just what you have done for whatever reason, and its affect, because you will never experience the difference of yes and no to clipping a birds wings
please understand as the reader, you are reading my opinion only - I based it on the input I sought, and the way I handled it. Sometimes there must be good reason to wing clip, of which I state should be the LAST choice

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. Like I said in my post. Once they get they can fly, the never will be clipped again. With what you have said, I feel I may of made the wrong choice. But it done. But I will say this they will never be clip again.
So I will say this I made a mistake. I guess you could say I just was over thinking things.
Again Thank You for your reply.