Flight suits

[Lindy1724]

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about how to get our fid comfortable in her new flight suit. I put it near her cage for 4 days so that she could get used to the color and I let her explore it as well, per the instructions, however, she won't go into it on her own ( which I had somewhat expected). I did get it on her today though and rewarded her with millet spray, which she normally eats like crazy but she would eat some then continue nibbling on the flight suit and go back and eat some and so on... I only kept her in it for about 20 minutes, because I did not want to overwhelm her. I would really like her to be able to wear it, but I also want her to be as comfortable as possible. Any suggestions from those of you that have these flight suits and birds who don't mind wearing them?

Thanks in advance!

[Willow]

I find they nibble on them until we head out to do something fun. Then they are too distracted to worry about it! ;~)

[Tiki]

My tiels hate the act of putting the thing on, but once it is on, they don't mind and enjoy the outing.

[Vikingchamp]

What is a flight suit???

[Lindy1724]

Originally Posted by Vikingchamp

What is a flight suit???

A flightsuit is a piece of material that you put on your fid that has elastic straps that go over the wings and it velcros on the back of the fid. It is also known as a bird diaper. It has small pads that go inside the suit that soak up any feces/urine so your bird can walk around or fly around without you worrying about where his or her next "treat" for you may land=;) If you want to, you can check out their website at http://birddiaper.com/ .

[Tiki]

Here is my Taina in a flight suit facsimile. I took one to Dubai last year and had a tailor make me up some copies. Tiki isn't too happy to have his wife in a "chastity suit" though!

[Lungfish]

Paulie loves his. I started him out with a flilght suit when he was a baby though.

He even helps out by putting his beak to the floor and lifting his wings.

[The Outlaw]

How cute it that!? Good job.

THE OUTLAW

[iluvbirds25]

Greetings, I have been using these suits for about 9 years. Some birds take to them quickly and others take a while. They usually do best when started as babies. My doves go into their suits with no problems. Other birds that I have used the suits on took a bit more time and effort. Positive reinforcement has always been the key. If you can take your bird outside soon after the suit goes on, this usually works best. But, make sure you take precautions to keep your feathered friend from flying away. A lot of the birds will pick at the straps and sometimes at the velcro over the back. Sometimes I sew little bird bells, and other small, shiny bird toys onto the check part of the suit. Birds usually love these and forget about everything else. This also sometimes helps with pluckers. I began using the suits many years ago when I would do programs for children and local libraries. It was very nice to keep everyone and the library clean and not to worry about accidents. I know some people who have birds that are used as therapy pets and wear the suits to convolecent homes and hospitals.

[SDavid]

I'm sure bird diapers are a debated topic among bird enthusiasts (as is wing clipping) but good or bad, I just can't get past how awful a bird looks in one of these things.

Birds represent beauty, freedom, nature and so many other things.....and maybe it's just me, but to put such an intelligent creature in a diaper and parade it around......well......makes it look silly.