I hear Peanut is famous!

[Pnutsmom]

What do you mean how I clip their wings? Technique? Length? Well, I'll just describe the whole thing! lol

I can usually do the trim myself (without my boyfriend's assistance) but sometimes I have him hold the bird while I trim. When it's just me, I hold the bird in place on the ground (kind of gently pinning them) with one hand and splay out one wing with my fingers of the hand that's doing the restraining. Then I trim the wing with my other hand. I don't trim the primaries all the way back to the primary coverts, just halfway. And for Peanut I usually trim 5 primaries as he's a really good flyer (as tiels are notorious for!). With Tucker I'll try the same trim and if she's flying too well then I can always trim her back more. Better to trim too little than too much.

When we got Peanut from the breeders when he was about 4 months old, they trimmed his wings waaaay too short and as a result, whenever he tried to fly he dropped like a brick and would land square on his tail or worse and bum his wing. He's darn lucky he never lost an eye or broke a wing. He did break off every one of his tailfeathers though and has never had a full tail since as everytime a new feather tries to grow in it doesn't have the rest of the tail for structural support and breaks off again easily. Poor baby!

Did that answer your wing trim question? hehe

[Monica]

That you did! I just wanted to know how the clip was done... I don't use that clipping technique myself though... I prefer using the technique described on this website...

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/wings.html

Basically, clipping below the coverts, which can reduce itchy-ness (i.e. clipped shafts rubbing up against the sides of the birds body which makes them itch). It explains various clips, what not to do, and the pros of this technique.

It is also explained well here...
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww25ev.htm


It's just my preferred method of clipping wings though, as it just sounds better overall for the bird.