A question re: European birdkeeping practices

[Stizby]

I know that we seem to have an increasing number of European members joining this Board, which I think is wonderful and I appreciate hearing the viewpoints of non-Americans on the issues raised here. I know that several of you have, for example, stepped forward to participate in the lengthy clipping vs. non-clipping thread in the Bird Safety forum here.

I have seen over the course of time on this Board statements made to the effect that it is a practice in Europe (and other parts of the world) for parrot owners to chain their birds' legs to their playstands to avoid them from flying off. I was thinking on this and it does not make sense to me that Europeans typically allow their birds to be fully flighted (as I have been led to believe) but then turn around and chain them to playstands. I am starting to wonder if this might be an outdated stereotype of European birdkeepers and, if so, would like to correct that impression. If it is, in fact, the customary practice in Europe, I am wondering whether you see that changing? And if not, why not. Also, I'm wondering whether this might be a practice seen in only certain parts of Europe or is it wide-spread?

Also, I think there is an impression that Europeans do not clip their birds' wings because they tend to keep "aviary"-type birds that are admired from a distance but are not interacted with on a daily basis -- not brought into homes and made a part of the human family. Again, I just do not know whether this is accurate or not. I would like to hear from the European members here as to whether this is an accurate reflection of the typical birds kept by Europeans (from your perspective) or if this might be another outdated stereotype or myth.

I have traveled to various parts of Europe (Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium) and personally never saw a parrot chained to a playstand while visiting there -- in a shop, hotel lobby, etc. But I did not visit homes of citizens who own parrots to see if that is in fact a common practice there. I remember well visiting a petshop in a city near me in Michigan who kept a parrot chained to its playstand -- but this was back in the 60's when I was a child and I have not seen one since. Thanks!

[The Outlaw]

Kelly:

We've had members post photos their birds chained on playstands. I wish I could remember where they were and who they were, but it always caused a stir on the board. Its common in N. Africa and I think Spain (I may be wrong, but for some reason that one sticks in my mind). In England it is common practice to only trim one wing. I know folks are bound to jump in soon.

[leighrivera161]

WOW! I certainly hope I never see that one!! That is just NOT cool with me! I cant even imagine...

I can however think of a few PEOPLE that should should be chained by the ankle!!

[The Outlaw]

Not Europe, but here's a chained BG in Singapore.

http://birdboard.com/forum/showthrea...chaining+birds

[Stizby]

I'm hoping we can, by and large, keep replies to the questions I posed here to the European folk as that is to whom they were addressed. If judgments are passed and expressed regarding the subject matter of this thread, then people may not come forward to respond. I am truly trying to get an accurate read on this impression of how birds are kept in Europe.

[The Outlaw]

Not a problem.

[Ainon]

You have to remeber that europe is big and you can't just put allthe countries under the same sentance. The pets status is for example very different in Sweden than in Hungary,France,Italy,Greece.
It's like saying that pets generally are treated the same way in Califonia as in Mexico or Eucador.

The typical birdowner of a larger bird (amazons,greys, toos, macaws) in Sweden have a clipped bird in a cage that's around 0,8-1,5 meters wide (but I hope this gets better now when the laws about cagesize gets). Most big parrots are handfeed but the parentfed is getting more and more common in the pet-tradeas well as non clipped birds. The bird is a member of the family.

The typical birdowner of a small parrot (budgies, tiels, parrotlets, lovebirds) in Sweden, on the other hand have two birds, parentfed and non clipped. Sometimesthe birds are non tame because of the owners lackof interest but at least as often the birds are tameand loving members of the family

In Sweden it's illegal to chain a bird, if you do you'll be busted for animalcruelty if someone warn the authorities.

[Stizby]

Originally Posted by Ainon

You have to remeber that europe is big and you can't just put allthe countries under the same sentance. The pets status is for example very different in Sweden than in Hungary,France,Italy,Greece.
It's like saying that pets generally are treated the same way in Califonia as in Mexico or Eucador.

The typical birdowner of a larger bird (amazons,greys, toos, macaws) in Sweden have a clipped bird in a cage that's around 0,8-1,5 meters wide (but I hope this gets better now when the laws about cagesize gets). Most big parrots are handfeed but the parentfed is getting more and more common in the pet-tradeas well as non clipped birds. The bird is a member of the family.

The typical birdowner of a small parrot in Sweden, on the other hand have two birds, parentfed and non clipped. Sometimesthe birds are non tame because of the owners lackof interest but at least as often the birds are tameand loving members of the family

In Sweden it's illegal to chain a bird, if you do you'll be busted for animalcruelty if someone warn the authorities.

Thank you, Ainon. Good to know it is illegal in Sweden to chain a bird's leg to a playstand. Interesting to learn that Sweden has laws governing the appropriate size cage for a parrot. Wonder how well-enforced those laws are?

[Stizby]

I appreciate your sensitivity to addressing the question under the broad umbrella of "European" birdkeeping practices. It would not surprise me to learn that practices in one country may (and likely do) differ from another. Thank you for responding and at least letting us know that, based upon your observations in Sweden, the practice of chaining a parrot to a playstand is not common there and is, in fact, illegal.

[Ainon]

Well, it's getting better now since the authoritys is making the law stronger.
There is some people who have got a varning and became forced to get their birds a appropriate cagesize (for example for a B&G it's 6,5 sqare meters, and for an grey it's 0,84 sqare meters) and there's even been some cases when the bird/birds has been taken from the owner.

The laws workin that way that people have to report other people (private persons, breeders, petstores, parks...) to the authorities wich send an animal and health inspector who investigate the accusation and see what need to be done. Large professional facilitys like petstores, parks, agriculture is sometimes checked without anyone has been reporting them.