Flight Feathers, Do you snip?

[hveusnthbrige]

Recently looking at pictures of various Greys on the forum I see some owners let them keep their primaries intact and others give the 4-5 snip. I know it's more based on their enviroment.. glass, mirrors, access to exits of the house, etc. Yet still I'm interested to hear about the experiences of clipping and not clipping.

 

Both my 'tiels are clipped and they fly around just fine, but a Grey's attitude toward flying can't be compared to a totally different bird.

[Tari]

I clip for my birds safety. My husband runs in and out of the house with no regard to where my birds might be. I also have a very over stuffed messy house not dirty just cluttered. So way to many things a bird can get into that would not be good. Fish tanks for one. They are covered but if they should fly into one they could drown.

So yes Im a believer in clipping and you can find several sites on my website as to why I clip and even some that show you how.

[dblhelix]

Clipping is a personal choice that must be individually made by each bird owner in consideration of their unique living situation. This is often a topic people feel passionately about one way or the other and the discussions/debates have a history of getting rather "heated". Personally I do not clip for many reasons, but there are absolutely pros and cons to both. If you clip, its important to do it properly. I suggest you read as much as you can on the topic to make an informed decision in the best interest of you and your bird based upon your circumstances. B) There is a good, albeit long, discussion on this topic in this thread:

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/african-grey/8152-wing-clipping.html

 

Also get or at least read Bobbi Brinkers information on wing clipping in her book "For the Love of Greys".

 

Good luck in your decision(s)~<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/06/15 21:00

[Guest briansmum]

i think it depends completely on the environment you have your bird in as to whether you clip or not. i was going to get brian clipped but a lot of people here and my vet reccomended i didn't at least not until he had learned to fly as it teaches them valuable skills and improves balance and confidence.

 

my vet showed me a useful excersise i could do with him to help us both get used to his wings at the same pace. we had a few mishaps with him "overshooting" his target and i do have a door leading to my back garden that he flew into a couple of times at first but i think he's figured now he can only get through it when his harness is on and i'm with him.

 

now he's a lot less clumsy and flies very well. personally i am very glad i didn't get his wings clipped.

[hveusnthbrige]

I think I should clarify more into what I was asking. I'm aware of the pros and cons and all that mumbojumbo, and I can see it creating a little friction between bird keepers.

 

What I was more asking is, what is YOUR experience with YOUR Grey? Safety aside, such as what xxbeccyxx mentioned about confidence being heightened.. also things like independence and curiosity... clumbsiness..

 

Shortly my breeder is going to pop the question to me about this.. So you want his wings clipped?? Right now I'm thinking I'm going to leave them intact for reasons of the aforementioned points. I'm certain someone can tell a story about their clipping experiences.

[dblhelix]

I know this is not exactly what you are asking, but if have you the choice, the most current scientific information is DO NOT CLIP UNTIL FULLY FLEDGED. Fully fledged means complete and total flight proficiency: hovering, banking, turning, gliding...so they have complete control to go and land exactly where they intend to. Becoming a proficient flier at the natural fledge time in the birds development has been strongly linked to increased coordination, reduction in feather picking, reduction in phobias and other emotional advantages even if you subsequently choose to clip. Birds have been hard wired to fly, evoloving over thousands of years. If they do not get that exposure it affects their neurological and emotional development profoundly.

 

Kip was clipped when I got her and the breeder allowed her some limited flying. I am currently letting all the flights grow out and intend to keep her fully flighted. She has a pretty well rounded personality (so far, she just turned 1). Of course a lot of that has to do with your attitude and interactions with them. So my personal experience on the topic is a bit limited. But based on doing a lot of reading, talking to other parrot owners, breeders etc it seems pretty clear that current data support full fledging if you have the choice, hands down.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/06/16 04:29

[Guest Lidia]

MY CAG was not clipped when I acquired him when he was 4 months old. I was new to parrots then (almost eighteen years ago), and was advised to get him clipped, which I did. But gradually came to realise that he is a bird (duh!) and birds fly! He has been flying now for about fourteen years and gets real enjoyment out of it.

My flat is tiny and he has to perform aerobatics to be able to take off, land and turn mid-air, and he does all this with a minimum of bother.

He seems happier with flight and I just take care not to put him in dangerous situations where he might hurt himself or fly away and get lost.

Joshua is neither more nor less clumsy with flight than he was without. He walks and climbs as much as he did when clipped, but he seems to enjoy flying and it is the only time when he makes that truly parroty screech that is (I am convinced) an expression of his joy. Flight also gives him more control of his own environment so that he can follow or leave as and when he wants. Joshua, for instance, flies to his tree to poop and then flies back down to me to sit on my lap, or whatever. And it is great exercise. Wish I could fly.

As dblhelix has rightly been emphasising, it's a matter of personal choice whether or not to clip, but you definitely ought to at least wait until the bird is a proficient flier before clipping.

[Talon]

Lidia, I am in total agreement with you. Talon was clipped when we first got her, and we had her clipped once since we had her. We've had her for almost 2 years. Her wings have grown out,and she loves to fly, and will only do so, when the need arises. She doesn't fly just for the fun of it to often. She will fly to find us, or if she gets startled.

We, too are very careful not to put her in a situation where she could get into trouble or get out.

 

I think it has made her a much happier bird. But I also believe, you don't acquire a dog and then tie them up all day as well,or a horse and put them in a very small paddock with no grass, or a cat and never let them outside.

But that's just my point of view for what it's worth. Everyone has their own reasons for doing what's best for them.

[Caspersmum]

Hi all,

 

Just taking a study break, and though I'd add a few thoughts. In theory, I'm totally in favour of free flight, for the reasons that everyone else has given. But if you're wanting some personal experience, when I got Casper he was fully flighted. However, although he was fine with me, he started attacking friends when they came to visit. I want him to be well-socialised. Therefore I made the decision to have him clipped until he gets used to other people being around - for his sake (he gets more time out of his cage when I have friends visiting) rather than for mine.

 

He's now really good in company, so I intend to let his feathers grow back in (he's moulting seriously at the moment, and gatting more height when he's 'gliding'), and see how it goes. However, I'll probably get him clipped again if he startd attacking visitors again - I live alone, and enjoy my friends coming round to visit - and really don't want them to get attacked by a grumpy parrot!

 

Julia

[hveusnthbrige]

Ahh Thanks all. That's some tremendous advice! I think right now I'm going to end up letting em have his primaries while he's young. If something like Caspersmum's experience develops where he's using his flight ability to exact terror on the world then he's as good as grounded, lol. Maybe he'll turn into a sweet loving bird and never attempt to be evil... in that case, more power to ya buddy!

[judygram]

To clip or not to clip that is the question. Its a matter of personal preference and whatever works for you is correct. My Josey was clipped right before I got her but I am going to let hers grow out and see how it goes.