To Clip or Not to Clip...

[BoodaButt]

I must be in that deep thought sort of mood tonite...LoL

My Senegal is almost 5 months old, and has been clipped after it was allowed to fledge at about 2 months of age. I've always thought (before I had Booda home with me up until now) that I've wanted to keep Booda clipped for safety sake. But lately, I've been thinking that perhaps I should allow him to be fully flighted.

I know the basic pros and cons of clipping and being full flighted, my question is to those who have had both clipped and unclipped birds.

What are the major differences in living with them??
What are things that have been changed, or NEEDED to be changed because the bird is fully flighted?
I want to make sure i can deal with a fully flighted bird before i let him go unclipped - I'd hate to let him fly a little and then clip his wings again (i think it would be like such a tease..)

Booda is very well socialized - i take him everywhere i can (as much as possible) and he stays put on my shoulder. Even when he gets scared, he just huddles up to my neck and hides under my hair. he will step up to strangers and allow them to pet him (as long as they are respectful). He never goes outdoors without being in his carrier or his harness because of breezes.

[Lora, Archer, & Kira]

Archer is a little terror when he's fully flighted. He literally terrorizes my cat, and he always flies over when he sees we've got something to eat. He behaves himself when he's clipped.

Kira, on the other hand, is very timid when she's clipped. Flight gives her more confidence, but makes Archer very jealous. They're both clipped right now, but I'll probably let Kira keep her flight for awhile when they grow back.

[smallonion]

I am having the same argument in my own head.
Humphrey is flighted at the moment. I know, I know... I am in turmoil over it, because I also want him to be cage free (except when he WANTS to go in his cage, or when I need him to for whatever reason. He sleeps in his cage). Most 'cage free' parrot people recommend clipping, so when the bird is out of the cage (on a play stand) when you're not home, he won't hurt himself.

Humphrey doesn't fly much. Ocasionally if something frightens him he will. He will also fly down from his play stand to be with us if we're sitting the floor, then fly back up when he's ready. Once in a while, he will do some laps around the living room - to me it seems he's being gleeful, happy and just stretching his wings. I really don't think he's much different clipped versus unclipped. But he is a bird, and something deep down in me feels guilty for taking away his wings (even though I know its irrational - it's not natural for him to live in a house, is it?) My husband doesn't want his wings clipped. He says he knows that there are good reasons for it, but it will break his heart to take Humph's wings.

Believe me, I know all the good reasons Humphrey should be clipped. I just can't bring myself to have it done again.

Michele and Humph

[The Outlaw]

I have way too much traffic and the coming and goings of a 6 year old to place that burden on my family. I'd love to see my macaws gracefully fly through the house. I did allow my grey full flight for a while. The biggest problem I see is that its difficult to really monitor you family and friends. Men are awful about remembering to close toilet lids. I also have a ceramic top stove and it stays hot for so long. Its too late once your bird decides to land there.

Even things like water buckets for cleaning can be a problem. Also, I too have noticed that for some birds, the addition of wings does make them difficult to manage. They forget the pecking order. I personally sometimes NEED to get away from mine and I assure you that they'd never leave me alone. I can barely pass by them now without hitchhikers.

For many, however, it does work. If you have no children, perhaps just 2 adults, no dogs or cats and live in a structure with double entrances (mud rooms) you'd probably be ok. Its just this: you never know when the unexpected can happen. i need to know that in any situation I can readily grab my birds and go. Fire, storms, medical attention, whatever I need to be able to immediately access all of mine. I can't imagine trying to catch a scared macaw in a smokey room.

That's my take on it. To each his own. I still think the worst sight is that of the tail feathers of YOUR pet flying over the highest tree and then out of sight. Not on my shift.

THE OUTLAW

[smallonion]

I hear ya. In our house it's just two adults and Humphrey. We live in a second floor apartment and there are about 5 doors to go through before you go downstairs to answer the main door. In the living room, where Humphrey lives (and where we spend most of our time), the double doors are always closed. Through them, is a second 'living room' which is just storage, really. Humphrey is not allowed in that room because there is a huge window with no curtain. The window is never open but he could bang into the glass. He has never been in the kitchen.

WE are moving in about 3 weeks, however. I may have to reconsider when I see what living in our new place is like. THe main problem here is windows. IN England, there is really no such thing as window screens. They just don't exist. Aso, air conditioning doesn't exist, either (you simply just cannot buy those air conditioners that fit in the window. I'm serious, they don't exist). So, we have to open the windows in the summer (yes, and let the bugs in. What IS it with this country?!) Last summer, my first with Humphrey, wasn't a problem, because he spent most of his time in his cage. ON the few occasions I could get him out, I'd close the windows first. Now Humph is out of his cage about 80 percent of the time. ANd it's getting warmer out. What I am going to do is see if I can buy some screening material and staple it over the windows. If I can't find any here, my mom is going to send me some from America.

I would be so devastated if I ever lost Humphrey, I don't know if could cope. That thought will probably send me to the wing clipper soon.

Nancy, I love picturing you with your 'hitchhikers', as well as with birds on your head! I so wish I could visit you and your flock!

[Monica]

With Noel and Casey, both are cage-free, and at the moment, Casey is clipped. She is usually unclipped for most of the time during winter, and sometimes unclipped during the summer, as I bring her and Noel outside with me. Noel can't fly, and hasn't flown, if she ever did, for years, so there is no need to clip her, though I wish she knew the meaning and feeling of flying...

The bourkes and budgies are unclipped so that they can get excersice in the cage, and when I let them out. Smurf and Cosmo, the budgies, haven't been excercising their wings as they should, so they get tired after a short bit when they are let out, but it's most likely due to some fright. The bourkes however, they gracefully fly through the air, even if its fast, and they usually don't tire out quickly, surprisingly enough for the mother as well, as she is close to my own age.

If you have a completely tamed bird, then having them unclipped could mean that they could possibly go eat dinners with you, could fly to you when they want, could go possibly find you if they need, with a few other things. Having them unclipped, you have to make sure that all water, and oil sources are hidden or away, you need to hide wires, cover windows and any glass, as well as making sure you don't have any harmful plants inside the house.

I'm speaking mostly on the behalf that I once was able to leave my bedroom door open and Casey would sometimes fly out in search of me, and if she would land, it would be near me if not on me, otherwise, she'd fly into another room and wait for me to come pick her up, or she'd fly back to my room. She and Noel had once lived in the livingroom, and when we ordered pizza, she would try and land on the side of the box or on top of the pizza. We could not start eating until she got caged, and at that time, I wasn't sure if she could eat pizza or not. Since then, however, we have moved and cannot live anywhere in the house except my room or else I'd either get yelled at, or they would be chased by the cats if they are not caged. If they are caged, the cats would try to get to them.

[LMPego]

We decided to let our lovebird, Zen, be flighted because she seemed so much happier when she could fly. We didn't realize she could fly and then one day she started and I think it scared us with all the reading we did on the clipping debate. So, we clipped her. Then we decided not to do it again for two reasons: 1. it seemed to affect her personality that she could fly and then she couldn't 2. We weighed all the options in our house and decided that we could keep her safe and I read many stories of people stepping on their birds and I want to give her the ability to fly out from under a stray foot (God forbid-but you never know). We have decided not to clip our 1 year old Senegal, Cory, because flying seems to give her more confidence. She has become very adept at flying. The biggest problem I have with her is that she begs for food worse than a dog and now she will fly from the floor up to the edge of a cereal bowl even if she has the same thing. So now we're working on table manners. However, we live in a condo, with screens on the windows and no children. If our nieces or anyone else comes over, we watch the interactions very carefully and if we feel that the birds are in any danger, we will put them in their "houses" (cage is such an ugly word). Of course, everyone needs to weigh their own situations and make the right decision for their family.

[sweetie&meli]

well i think clipped is better , if ure bird dosent listen to you , like my b/f's tiel peanut she is fully flighted and god she has fun flying in heights i cant reach she just gose back and forth , but as we always have the windows open and doors open in summer there both clipped , but in winter they can fly ..i know mine will fly right to me when she hears me or sees me , but peanut as gotten a certain confidance ,as to '' u cant catch me '' and gets annoying at times lol

[BoodaButt]

I'd love to just give unclipped wings a chance - but for the people who clip sometimes and allow their birds to be fully flighted other times, have you ever noticed a change in attitude?? Do they get really sad or disappointed/frustrated if you've allowed them to go unclipped for a while, then suddenly take it away by clipping??

to me, that sounds like such a tease - to let them be a bird for some time, then take it away another time just because it is more convenient for us...

i'm pretty torn about what to do, though i am leaning towards unclipped. thanks for all your opinions and advice!

[Lora, Archer, & Kira]

I always notice the attitude change. Archer mopes around for a day or so after I clip him, but he gets over it.

Kira just doesn't have the confidence she had when she was flighted, so when hers grow back (as they are beginning to), I'll let her keep them.

My cockatiel is unmanageable when she is flighted, so I always keep her clipped. She's a strong flier, and can get almost anywhere even when clipped. Thankfully she prefers to stay in her cage with the budgie, and she hates it when I take her out, even if it's for a good misting (which she loves). She flies just because she can, and a little "humbling" is good for her. She actually becomes very affectionate after a wing clip. It's weird... all depends on the bird, I guess! :)