Uncertain about Greys

[judygram]

This is one woman who knows what she wants and goes after it, and she knows the risks and benefits of having a bird, you have to give her credit for researching and leaving no stone unturned in her quest to have a grey real soon.

 

Rodney, you are right, there is no such thing as a perfect parrot and certainly not a perfect husband, but you sound like a man with a good head on his shoulders, so my hat is off to you, if I wore a hat that is, but you get the point.:laugh:

[RobertsKitty]

Thankies Judy. Well put. I am currently working on my 30th page in writing. Now not all the pages are totally full in fact some only have a few lines of information but still...lol

[judygram]

Well I gotta hand it to you Kitty, you are going to be well prepared for that day you finally get that grey and I wish all new grey owners would do the same. We need more people like you.

[RobertsKitty]

Depending on time. I might type up my 'book' after I'm done. That way people can add to it if they see its lacking in some way.

[RobertsKitty]

Heres some questions that go out to all flighted bird owners:

Is your bird trained to fly to you?

How do you handle people entering and exiting the house?

Does the bird fly around often or does it mainly stay perched?

Does it land on perches like the tops of doors or places you can't reach and how do you get it down. How do you keep it from flying into the kitchen or other potentially dangerous places?

Is your bird more independent or does it still like to be carried around and cuddled?

[RobertsKitty]

Also does anyone know anything about the feather tethers(bird harness)?

[judygram]

I think most of the members who use a harness prefer the aviator harness, it is easier to put on I think and it is somewhat safer in that it is highly unlikely for them to get out of it in flight. It also comes with a DVD that explains how to use it and how to get it on the bird.

[RobertsKitty]

Ok thanks!

[RobertsKitty]

Does anyone else know about the bird harnesses as apposed to the flight harnesses?

[RobertsKitty]

Quick question: Is it ok to let clipped Greys roam freely (but supervised) around the house. Somewhere I read that it would lead to dominance problems but I wasn't sure if that was right...

[danmcq]

It seems to be common for most Grey owners to allow them to roam about the house supervised.

 

I have only had Dayo eight Days, but allowing him to roam has not thus far shown any indication of a dominance issue arising.

[RobertsKitty]

Wonderful! Thanks for your help Dan!

[RobertsKitty]

If you do a very slight cut on the wings (about an inch of the first 4 flight feathers) about how much flight would that allow?

[itzazu2u]

One inch will allow total flight. I would recommend speaking to your bird's AV about what clip, how severe, etc., would be best for your bird.

[RobertsKitty]

I really just want a clip that will prevent gaining height during flight. I would love to have a flighted bird...

[itzazu2u]

You would be surprised how much height a bird can reach sometimes, even with a full clip, shy of the first one or two primaries. This is why I ask that you please speak to your bird's AV. Also, speaking from experience, it is amazing how well a bird can fly with a total clip. Of course, much of this is purely dependent upon the individual bird. However, I thank my lucky stars I was able to recover my clipped quaker after his jaunt in the big wild yonder. Seeing your "clipped" bird flying over the tops of trees is a sickening sight, I assure you! My IRN is completely flighted with two primaries not clipped. My p let is fully clipped but you would never no this the way he flies. My U2 drops like a brick with only three flights clipped. She would be an ideal bird to have a strim style of clip. I can't say anything regarding the flight capablities of my CAG. He is fully flighted, but makes no effort to flap his wing. He has a mangled wing, a result of cruelty in his past. All this being considered, I do maintain clipped wings, in some fashion and dependent on the individual.

[busere]

Yeah...when we first got Piper, his wings were freshly clipped, and he only had enough power to make a safe decent from his play-pin to the floor. Now, two and a half years later, with freshly clipped wings, he can make a B-Line diagonally across the living room, even gaining a bit of altitude to the top branch of his Java Tree. He's gained a lot of power in his little wings...it's all the birdie aerobics he's been doing! :woohoo:

 

Rodney

[judygram]

True, Rodney, just because the wings are clipped, don't assume they cannot fly, because as you prove they can. This should serve as a reminder for us all that clipped wings is no guarantee of them not being able to fly off, if they so desire.:ohmy:

 

BTW, Rodney, cute little guy there, looks like a little sweetheart.

[busere]

:blink: SWEETHEART?!?!? I guess looks can be decieving. LOL! Well, now that his breeding season is overwith for the year, He's back to being my little buddy. but during..YEAKS! HE WAS A LITTLE GREEN CHICKEN-DEMON! And I got the scars to prove it.

 

Rodney

[loviechick]

I know my Senegal, she flies like a total brick, in fact I'm fairly sure she wasn't fledged as she doesn't know she can fly, I completely trust taking her most anywhere with a clip. My Sun Conure, now she hasn't had a wing clip in a month, and she can fly across the room and land on me, so I won't take her places unless the wing clip is say within a week or so. Both my CAGs could fly if they tried, even though they're clipped. I think that having a fully flighted bird is wonderful, however I'm not willing to take the risk. Just because they're bonded to you and will come to you when called doesn't mean you can't be outside, and have them get spooked by an object that is completely out of your control and have them take off, there is no "fight or flight" respoonse with birds, just flight. In my honest opinion I feel that giving them a show clip or not clipping them for the sake that you want to keep them in a "natural" state or whatnot is selfish, as you're not keeping them in a natural environment, they're in a cage with toys and such that aren't in the wild. I don't think harnesses are a bad idea, however I've seen birds chew their way out, or just plain get out of them. I'm over protective I suppose!

[loviechick]

Let me clarify, if your bird never leaves the house, then I really don't see a huge point in clipping the wings, but this is also assuming that you don't open any doors or windows LOL

[RobertsKitty]

You make good points lovie. I would love a bird that is like your Sun Conure. I am sure that when it all comes down to it, I will decide based on the bird itself and the breeders opinions. After that I will do the clipping myself . Thanks again for your help everyone!

[danmcq]

Yeah Loviechick.... or if you have children running in and out of a sliding glass door.....:laugh:

 

Dayo has tried to make a run for the door a few times!!

[RobertsKitty]

Does anyone know is there any health risk in birds picking up money such as dimes, quarters, nickels exc? I just don't know if they have levels of metal toxic to birds...

[danmcq]

The only health risk I know of, is if the owner of the money has a Gun!!! ;-)

 

Actually, they would never be able to get any trace elements off a coin by beaking it or licking it.