Trimming wings???

[Heidarooo]

Hi all ..........I am new to the forum..........very well done by the way!!
I am also fairly new to being a bird owner.
I have placed a few questions in the introduce yourself section but I have a new question. I am scared to death of trimming her wings. Does anyone have any advise for this. I have called vet clinics to see if they do it and have had NO luck. I hear it is easy but of course with it being something i have never done it doesnt seem easy for me :aiwebs_01
Thanks for any info you can give

[DeanB]

Trimming your bird’s wings is not hard but if you have not done it I absolutely would not do it on your own. First I would look for an avian vet. Here is a link that may help you. Find You Local Avian Vet My second choice would be a bird store. In my area there is only a couple that truly specializes in birds. If all else fails, post here on the board where you are, maybe a board member can point you in the right direction.

Dean

[Lisa B]

I agree with trying to find someone that you can observe, and let them clip.....
you have to look for pin feathers. If you have someone do it, you can watch and ask questions.
Also what species do you have? Greys need less clipped then a too...
too's and tiels can fly quite well with clipped wings, where as a grey had to be gods first try with a bird. Thier bodies too heavy and thier feet rather small for landing. They are kinda like watching a sofa fly, and land... :aiwebs_01

[Heidarooo]

she is a sun conure and i have had to fish her out of the trees with a ladder twice lol.

It would be nice to introduce her to the backyard without the fear of her taking off....I will definatley have to watch someone cut her wings :aiwebs_02

Thanks to everyone for responding.
This site is awesome : )

[Crebain]

I have seen diagrams (online?) that show how to hold, and how much is safe to trim. If I can dig one up, I'll post it here later.

It's not that difficult, really.

[lcbrink]

I prefer to pay a vet to do it for me ($15 from the vets around here). I'm suprised you can't find anyone who will at least wing/toe clip.

If I had a third hard I'd do it myself, but to immobilize the bird, stretch out the wing, and then clip the wing sounds like a recipe for disaster. Especially if the bird is not going to co-operate at all.

[dyeman]

Sun Conures in my experience are also somewhat heavy for their overall size and you have to make sure you leave enough feathers so that they can glide to the ground if they need to. I agree that its not difficult, but you need to learn to do it properly. I have seen some really weird wing trims in my time and although they do grow back out, it takes some time and can throw off the birds balance if not done right. Additionally you need to know what a blood feather looks like so you don't cut those. Maybe where you purchased the bird?

Scott

[The Outlaw]

I have never heard of paying $15 for a wing and nail clip. You are getting ripped off, royally. I do my own and its very easy. Wait until the wing feathers are FULLY grown out and when they are, simply cut even with the next row of feathers that are immediately behind them. I would recommend starting with the 3 outter most feathers. My macaws require their first 5 flights be trimmed, my greys need only the first three. Cockatiels and some conures really need much harder clips, for they are very good fliers.

I suggest you take your bird to your local pet groomer or pet store and have them do a trim in front of you. A bird that small doesn't require a team to trim, but you still need to watch how its done. You may decide to have the toenails trimmed at that time too. Again, its not hard, but they can put up quite a fight if they are frightened.

The advantage of doing it yourself is that your bird will eventually get to trust you and not struggle. Its far less traumatic. When your bird is young, start by gently handling toes and wings on a daily basis. All of my birds like a good foot massage. After a while, they'll happily allow you to scritch them under wings and rub their toes.

I'll find you a diagram so you can get familiar with what the feathers will look like. Be right back.

THE OUTLAW

[lcbrink]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

I have never heard of paying $15 for a wing and nail clip. You are getting ripped off, royally.

It's the going rate in the area. You could probably argue price fixing, but when two vets in Cortland and the Companion Hospital in Ithaca all charge $15, that's what you pay.

[The Outlaw]

The feathers we are most concerned with when trimming a bird's wings are the Primary Flight Feathers and the Secondary Flight Feathers. The Primary Flight Feathers are the long feathers at the outermost portion of a bird's wing. The provide provide forward propulsion. The Secondary Flight Feathers are those feathers between the Primaries and the bird's body. They provide lift.

You will only be trimming the Primary Flight Feathers. Start with the first 3 outter most flights. If he can still get airborn, cut 2 more from each wing.