to clip or not to clip

[JimBobsmom]

Hello all. My CAG is 2 years old. I do not clip his wings and he flies very well. The reason I don't clip is that a year ago Jim Bob was so sick and almost died. For some reason his liver was swollen and and a biopsy was done showing a hematoma. The vet feels that he may have fallen hard because the bird shop may have cut too many feathers. I don't choose to clip feathers anymore and my vet said it is just a matter choice. Jim Bob does well and we make sure he is not exposed to dangerous objects (ceiling fans, cooking pots, open toilet seats etc.) What do you all think? My friend thinks its BAD that I do not clip. Thanks.

[LisaM]

If you do a search on the forum for "clip or not", you will find numerous threads relating to this topic. (some will show up at the top of this thread under "Related Forum Topics:" also!)

 

Does your friend have reasons for thinking it's "BAD"? Does he/she understand the steps you have taken to minimize risk? Does he/she have birds themself? What does your vet recommend? Just a few things to think about...

 

To sum up the "consensus" on this board...it's a personal choice and you need to make the decision for what's best for you and your CAG. MANY people do not clip and have taken steps to ensure minimal risk and I'm sure there are some cases it has saved the bird's life by being able to get away from something dangerous. There are others who clip them for many various reasons.

 

I personally have my birds' wings clipped in the spring when the kids start going in and out of our sliding glass doors all the time. Sole reason is because at 10 and 7 years old, the kids do sometimes get wrapped up in what they're doing and forget to close the door or keep it open so several of them an come in/go out. It's 100% about me feeling the risk of them flying out the doors is that great because that is the room they are in almost all the time when we're home.

 

Usually the one clip will last all summer but based on the feathers molting, sometimes they need a second.

 

In the wintertime when there's snow on the ground, the kids use a different door so the risk is greatly reduced.

 

That's just what has worked in our household for now. I will re-evaluate as the kids get older or the situation changes. The ideal situation for me is to not have to ever clip them. I'm just not comfortable right now doing that.

 

Good luck with your decision making!

 

Oh, and I will save Judy and others the effort (this time) and request that you visit the Welcome room, tell us a little more about you and your CAG, and post some pictures if you can! :-)

[LilosMom]

I choose not to clip Lilo's wings because I had a bad experience with him when he was younger. He dove down with his clipped wings and busted his keel open.:\ I had to take him to the vet right away and they had to stitch him up. He had to wear this cone and be on medication for almost a month. Needless to say the whole experience was horrifying and very stressful for me and the little guy.

 

Right now that I M pregnant. I m contemplating the idea of clip this wings. My floors are carpeted now so if he does dive down with his clipped wings again, it will cushion the impact. I still havn't decide what I am going to do yet but I totally agree with Lisa that it is a personal choice. It depends on the situation and the needs, it has to be whatever is the best for you (your family) and your bird.

Please update us on your decision and good luck with it!!

[judygram]

I think its great that you don't clip JimBob's wings, they were meant to fly, thats why they have the wings in the first place and as long as you take the necessary precautions to keep him from escaping then I think he is a happier bird for it.

 

It is a matter of personal choice and some here do clip but they have their reasons, this subject has been hotly debated in the past but you do what you think is right for you and your bird.

[casper]

I also choose not to clip! Birds enjoy to fly and I love to watch all mine enjoying freedom of flight.

 

I hope you do the right thing for you and your bird.

[Poppy]

I am hoping George will fly now.At a recent health chesk the vet said all his feathers were back and fully grown now but previously he had had a bad clip. I can see he is getting ready to go and canna wait for the day he does ! However saying that the vet did say if it becomes a prob or he gets "cocky" to go back and he will give him a clip., but the choice will be mine.

[danmcq]

Some of the advantages to keeping a parrot fully flighted within the home will be obvious, as they will be the converse of the disadvantages of wing clipping:

 

- If ever lost, the parrot is more likely to have both the stamina and the flight skills to fly back down to the owner when found.

 

- The bird is more likely to enjoy good health, both physically and mentally. There is no possibility of damage being done by a groomer who performs a bad wing clip. For the young bird who is allowed to fledge and fly, even if clipped prior to going to his new home, there will be the joyful and enthusiastic expansion of personality that occurs during fledging, provided that the period of flight allowed is several weeks in duration. Such an initial period of flight will lead to both confidence and coordination. The young parrot allowed flight will remain forever a more athletic creature, and a more enjoyable one to have around, at that.

 

- The owner who keeps his parrot fully flighted is likely to be more involved with his bird. Out of necessity, he will find it necessary to do some training with the parrot, in order to protect his household furnishings and possessions. This training of flight cues is not difficult to do with a bird, and is a lot of fun for both owner and parrot. The majority of my own parrots are flighted, and each responds to the cue, "Off there!" From personal experience, I believe that flighted birds are more fun to have as companions. They are so much better able to reveal their personalities through movement of choice.

 

- Consistent with the need to teach some flight "rules," many owners of flighted parrots go so far as to teach the parrot to come when called. This is known as teaching "the recall." This becomes a huge advantage to the owner of a flighted parrot, because if the parrot ever does get loose outdoors, the owner stands the very best chance of recovering the parrot. If he has also consistently encouraged the use of a contact call, he will have a much easier time locating the bird.

 

- It is ironic that proponents of wing clipping most often determine the necessity of this practice based upon prevention of loss. In fact, a flighted parrot who has good skills and stamina, who knows how to fly downward, who has perhaps spent time outdoors in an aviary, who comes to the recall cue, is in most cases, quite easy to recover. I personally believe this to be the best prevention against loss, far superior to the removal of flight.

 

Lastly, there comes with keeping a flighted parrot a true appreciation for the keen intelligence and magical whimsy so frequently displayed by the flighted bird. Flighted parrots are often more enjoyable, since they are well able to make choices and interact with us at will. They are a lot of fun.

 

By always keeping the birds in our midst clipped, I believe that we blind ourselves to the view and appreciation of the parrot as a flighted entity, which in some cases even leads to the abuse of the parrot. And, certainly, it allows us to hold onto the historic vision of birds as unintelligent creatures.

 

We have all heard of the "bird brain," a most uncomplimentary label. In the end, we, as well as the birds, are the losers.

[Carolyn]

To clip or not to clip will always be a controversial subject even with veterinarian's, but what it all boils down to is personal choice, only you can make the choices for what ever your personal reasons are.

 

I have read all the threads this forum has to offer and all the books I can, and I admire people for making the choice to keep there bird flighted. I myself at this time choose to clip for my own personal reasons.

 

Carolyn & Mika

[Jane08]

Both of ours are fully flighted and we would never clip them.

 

When I come home from work my heart leaps as they both fly down the hallway to meet me. That is one special experience I could never give up. I love calling them and having them fly to me, having races from the living room to the kitchen to see who can get there first, playing peek a boo and having them get so excited that they fly around the corner to get me, seeing them chase each other around the house screaming their heads off, the incredible body control and timing they have when they fall and I think they are going to hit the floor but at the last possible minute they turn over and fly off to safety.

[Talon]

Talon was clipped 3 times in her life, she came to me clipped. Once she became fully flighted, her demeanor and entire personality changed. You could see the happiness in her. She was exhausted in the beginning trying to fly as she didn't have the stamina for it, but now she flies anywhere she chooses. I can leave her downstairs in my kitchen, and she will fly out of there, thru the hall, turn right and head up the stair case, make a sharp turn to the right, head down the hall into the master bedroom, take a sharp left into the bathroom and land on the shower curtain. She is an amazing flier!!

Rikki came to me clipped, and never had the opportunity to learn to fly. But she will as her feathers grow.

 

My personal opinion is this: Clipping wings is not for me...it's like cutting off someones legs! Just my opinion!

[BaxtersMom]

I have 4 parrots, a grey, an eclectus, a conure and a dyh amazon. The only one that I have ever clipped was the amazon and I felt I had to for his safety. He was never handled when we brought him home and when ever we tried to get near him he would fly aimlessly and crash into walls or objects and was afraid he was going to seriously hurt himself. So with a heavy heart we had him clipped. He has calmed down alot now and friendly and don't plan to clip him again.

[Luvparrots]

My Ana Grey came to me clipped, much to my dismay. I can't wait until her feathers grow out. She is always flapping to the floor and walking after or over to me. Which is hard because I have no carpeting throughout my house. I am always afraid I will step on her. She tries to fly all the time and it is heartbreaking. The only thing that would make me not let her fly would be her safety. The clipping should be your choice not your friend's. Welcome to the family, Tammy. Jim Bob is a gorgeous grey.