What was used before harnesses
- Thread starter JohnH
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charmedbyekkie
New member
This is completely a case of "when you know better, do better"...
Long story short - leg chains! It's exactly as it sounds.
It's still used in certain parts of the world, but in other parts of the world it is illegal because parrots' legs aren't like raptors' legs - they're much weaker. So leg chains can do damage to a parrot's leg (even break it) if say the chain is yanked by the parrot or something else.
So now we know better, and harnesses came about instead as a safer alternative.
Long story short - leg chains! It's exactly as it sounds.
It's still used in certain parts of the world, but in other parts of the world it is illegal because parrots' legs aren't like raptors' legs - they're much weaker. So leg chains can do damage to a parrot's leg (even break it) if say the chain is yanked by the parrot or something else.
So now we know better, and harnesses came about instead as a safer alternative.
noodles123
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- Jul 11, 2018
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Yup-- when I was living in a very poor area in India, there was a family living on the streets at a train station and they kept a pet pigeon on a string (which was tied to its leg).
I thought it was quite funny at the time (in a sad/dark/ humans-will-be-humans way) but it is not a good idea.
I thought it was quite funny at the time (in a sad/dark/ humans-will-be-humans way) but it is not a good idea.
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Leg chains are still common in Asia. I saw many in Hong Kong and in Shenzhen, China.
Not advisable for the reasons above. A harness is much safer way to not loose your parrot yet give them some outside time.
Not advisable for the reasons above. A harness is much safer way to not loose your parrot yet give them some outside time.
Kiwibird
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- Jul 12, 2012
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Leg chains and hard-clipped wings (i.e. cutting all primary and secondary feathers off completely butchering the wing/completely inhibiting flight). Sadly, both methods are still used. Leg chains are still popular in many parts of the world (I ordered a perch directly from China which came equipped with a built in leg chain) and you still see the occasional @$$%*&# who hard clips their birds wings.
Kiwibird
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Why would you want to use a leg chain? They are proven to be unsafe to use on parrots. Their legs are too weak to withstand the force of the leg chain should they spook and try to take off. It can break their leg.
If you are looking for a safe alternative to take a flighted bird out who isn’t interested in wearing a harness (which I’m guessing is the issue here?) then look into a bird backpack instead. There are cheaper brands on the market, the quality of which I cannot speak for, but we have a pack-o-bird for our bird and love it. MUCH safer than leg chains and more convenient than on the shoulder. https://www.celltei.com/Fly-Free-Birds-Parrots/
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I know from a Native American festival that they use "jesses". You can read about them below. They are most well known for falconry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jess_(falconry)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jess_(falconry)
