JDS5607 Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Evening, all! Well, as most of you know, Sully just passed his first birthday... his flight feathers still haven't grown in and I'm worried that they won't. I really want him to be fully fighted, but I'm also concerned he won't be able to fly because his wing muscles aren't built up enough. He's been clipped since he was three months old, and I hate that "thud" sound he makes when he hits the floor Anyway, should his wings be growing out yet?? And, should I not clip them, in hopes he will get the strength to fly, or is it "too late"? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 (edited) No more clipping, Joeys wings were clipped before he ever learned to fly,[past owner] after over 4 years, he can now land on my shoulder. Tango never learned to fly after being kept in a cage for 8 years,[past owner] she made her first flight of 8 feet 2 days ago......Your baby's young...Please keep blankets on the floor where Sully lands..... Edited April 22, 2011 by Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDS5607 Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 Thanks Jayd, We have thick carpet and padding, and he rarely attempts to fly, but when he does... ugh, it sends chills up my spine... Do you know of any exercises we could do to build his muscles? He really flaps his wings when he gets excited, but only for a few seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Babalus wings had been clipped when I got him and probably since he was a baby. He is 4 now, and it has been a little over a year since his last clip and he is still missing feathers. He has noticed he doesn't fall straight down anymore when he gets startled and yesterday, I saw him jump off his stand and he headed towards the ground, then he got some lift, took a couple sharp turns when I thought he was going to run into something, then landed on the ground. So I guess my point is I thought my grey didn't know how to fly, but it comes naturally for them I guess. When I picked him up he seemed so happy! Some exercises I tried to do with him was lifting him up in the air and saying weeeeeeee and moving him around like he was flying as I was walking. He flapped his wings sometimes and the other times he just sat on my hand like he wanted to flap but didn't. You know the antsy wing shivers?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 What Kimkim states is very good...what we do is very similar. After he steps up, sit on the floor or in the middle of your bed, put your thumb across his overhanging toes on your first finger firmly. Raise your hand just a little a first, drop it down saying "Wheee" or "Flyyy" whatever you want like Kimkim said. If at first he doesn't lift his wings and try to flap,put your free hand under the front part of his wing, slightly rubbing it as you go along and gently lift his wing as you lower him. The reason for doing this without moving and walking is so that their concentration is only on the exercise, not "Oh Boy! Where are we going?" Once again,Kimkim is correct....Big Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 My 2 greys were clipped when I got them, as was my Amazon. When Talon learned to fly, she was exhausted, huffing and puffing like my others were also. But she learned on her own, quickly. Rikki my grey, took a very long time to get all her flight feathers, and struggled to learn to fly after that, She crashed alot, she was almost 3 at that time. She now flies very well. My amazon was taught to fly by my youngest son, when he was 11. He would hold her on his hand, lightly run with her, then say fly, fly, and lightly push her for take off with his arm movement towards the soft couch, the momentum helped her to fly a bit and land onto the couch. He did this with her several times a day, and it helped her to build up her muscles and her strength, as well as her confidence. She loved it! She is now a very good flier, just like a missile!! Watch out if she comes at you, you better duck, or you will have a head on collision with her, she has so much power behind her. Not like my greys, who are so fluent and light! It is an instinct, that they all have and will figure out, just be patient.....hard to watch sometimes, but just like out children, they will fall, get back up, and try again until they master it, and they will!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbbysDaddy Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 IM still waiting for over a year for Abbys last clipped feather to come out ! ... then maybe they will all grow back and stay in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 It's not too late and it can take up to 2 years for all the primaries to molt out and growing. As they slowly do so, the lift will increase and farther fights will be attained. Your baby is not too old at all learn flight as the lift increases over time. Just hang in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Why do breeders routinely clip them? Is there any good reason for clipping a baby? I can't wait for Simon's wings to grow back. It seems to me that flying would be one of the best things about being a bird - so much fun, as well as being critical to their feelings of safety and security and mastery of their bodies. How long does it take for their clipped feathers to grow back? Kazoo, the Amazon, was never clipped, but his previous people didn't really let him fly anywhere. He was limited to his cage, its playtop, and his stand. When he first came here, he did a lot of huffing and puffing whenever he flew. It looked like a major effort. Now, five months later, I can see a big improvement. He can turn corners to go through doors, he doesn't make so much noise, and he's gaining confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Why do breeders routinely clip them? Is there any good reason for clipping a baby? Some, as mine did, believe they are doing you and the bird a favor that will make them reliant upon you and safe from flying away. We argued with our breeder (WE still love them and visit often) over NOT wanting Dayo clipped. However, they were so convinced of their beliefs, they refused to let us take him home without a clip, though they did do a "Light clip" and he could get about 20 feet before having to land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDS5607 Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 It's so hard to watch him crash to the ground... I'm pretty sure I'm more upset than he is. With our lovebirds, we keep them lightly clipped. They can still fly 20-30 feet before they glide to the ground, and their flight feathers grow in every few months. I'm getting pretty impatient wait for poor Sully's to grow in. We keep the lovebirds' wings clipped because if they are both out at the same time, they will fly after each other and fight in the air So, we keep them clipped so that if they both happen to be out at the same time, we have time to get one or the other back in their cage (as they are at two different sides of the house)... Sully is different. He needs to fly, and he seems very upset when he sees the other birds flying and he can't. Absolutely heartbreaking I will definitely try the exercises y'all suggested, and hopefully he will build some strength so when his feathers FINALLY come in- he'll be ready to go! Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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