to clip or not to clip...

[venuslovebird]

Hi,
I'm having a decision crisis. My lovie has had clipped wings ever since I got her but now her feathers are starting to grow out again and she is starting to be able to fly pretty far. And I can´t decide if I should get her clipped again or not.

She seems sooo happy being able to go wherever she want's and she's becoming quite tame so thats not the problem. ( I got my first cuddle from her yesterday)
The thing is my appartement is extremely small and I'm always so worried when she is flying that she is going to get hurt somehow. And she is also very good at escaping from her cage and I'm scared that she will get stuck somewhere with no one to help her or even that she will go out the window or fly into the window although I'm always very careful to keep the window closed while she is free.

Please give me you opinions... I can't decide what to do!

[Monica]

Might want to check out these topics...
To clip or not to clip
Wing Cutting Question

[Lori~D]

The reason I clip: I live in an area where the climate and predators are nowhere near favorable for even a slight chance at survival if an escape should occur. I Live in a house where other people (who are not as bird dedicated as I ) live and open and close doors. I do it for there own safety in these conditions. The birds in my home that do not get clipped are not allowed to fly free outside of there flight cages or an outdoor aviary in the summer with double doors and transferred in cages.

[LissaLuvsLuvies]

I have the best of both worlds, I think. Because I do a lot of displays with my lovebird in the summer, and because we are often both outside when I garden (she's in a cage, of course), I usually clip my lovebird around May. But, Sweetheart has a major molt every August-September, so by mid October has a full set of flights, which I leave until May.

Sweetheart is fully flight trained with multiple commands (come, off there, go cage, go stand, not there) and so far (almost 2 years) is completely reliable with them. She's never refused a command yet, once she understood what I wanted from her. She's also the least aggressive lovebird I've ever met, so the "nasty flighted bird" syndrome doesn't affect her. As well, her main living area is in the center of my house with multiple doors she'd have to get through to go outside, and the windows in that room don't open.

Because of my lifestyle, house layout, and my bird's molting pattern, personality, age and trainability, I feel having her flighted through the winter is fairly safe, as long as I am reasonably careful.

Personally, I'd make sure any flighted bird was 100% tame before allowing them flight, and 100% responsive to at least the "step up" command. I actually started Sweetheart on "come" before her wings grew out- by having her walk across a perch or floor to get to me. I found clicker training extremely useful. The same went for "off there" (a very handy command if you are as short as I am!). Sweetheart also knows "not there", where she will not land if I tell her not to- I find this useful, but it's probably not necessary.

Personally, I wouldn't take the risk unless...

1) Your bird is trained to "step up", and "come" extremely reliably. Catching disobedient fully flighted parrots is not a treat.

2) Your lovebird is very nonaggressive as some flighted birds can become "full of themselves" and nippy with it.

3) You can be absolutely sure she is only free flying when you are around to prevent household accidents, which are one of the leading causes of death in companion birds.

4) You never take her anywere- ie, outside, or to a friend's. Just because she obeys you at home doesn't mean she'll obey you in a strange situation- I learned this one the hard way, and it's why I clip in May. Sweetheart and I go many, many places together in the summertime.

5)You can ensure there is no way for her to escape, either her cage or your home.

6) If other people in your house are fine with it. My family is filled with people who are terrified of birds- I tell them to call me before they come in so I can put the bird away, for her safety and for their comfort.

7) Also, flighted birds poop everywhere- and I mean everywhere. You will find poop in places you never, ever thought to find poop. Sometimes I suspect she "saves" her poop to poop on things she "knows" are extremely difficult to clean (dry clean only clothes are definitely a favorite).

Just my two cents, based on a single flighted bird.

[venuslovebird]

Thanks,
I think I*m going to have her clipped again... just to be safe