Should he fly?

[Mojo43]

In the past day Cairo's feather chewing has gotten even worse and now his whole chest and leg region are grey fluff. I read somewhere that this could be caused by low self-esteem stemming from the fact that he is not flighted. Would letting his primaries grow out be a help or a hinderance?

also are Full spectrum lights a waste of money or are they actually helpful because somedays I forget to take him outside.

[loyallyroyal]

what do you mean a hinderance, I myself am a fan of letting them fly only if you are willing to take proper precautions to keep them safe, other than that I think flying is good for them mentally and does help with their confidence, plus its great exercise

[Mojo43]

awesome. I will try it out and see if he likes being flighted. What special precautions should I take with him (he's a hahns so not that big)?

[Irish]

Feather chewing can be caused by many things, some of them a mystery to even the best Avian Veterinarians and Behaviorists. Have you had him properly vetted? If not, that would be the first thing to try, to rule out dietary and medical issues.

All of my birds are flighted (except for the newest arrival, Patrick--he came to us clipped), and I think it does wonders for their self esteem. As to whether it would help your bird, I haven't a clue. It wouldn't hurt, provided you're up to the extra precautions and responsibilities of keeping a flighted bird. Not everyone is, and to clip or not to clip is a huge, polarized debate in this country.

[Valo's Moirana]

Originally Posted by loyallyroyal

what do you mean a hinderance, I myself am a fan of letting them fly only if you are willing to take proper precautions to keep them safe, other than that I think flying is good for them mentally and does help with their confidence, plus its great exercise

that's exactly my opinion - if you can provide a safe environment for a flighted bird, which is not quite trivial, then i'd go for it. i've heard of many cases where flying helped to overcome the feather chewing.
also, full spectrum lighting can be very supportive - never heard of it being considered a waste of money. i have it and wouldn't do a day without it

[mmr]

Originally Posted by Mojo43

also are Full spectrum lights a waste of money or are they actually helpful because somedays I forget to take him outside.

I am not sure about him not being able to fly would have a lot to do with it. My B&G was full flighted, but when he did fly he could barely stay off the ground (maybe 3-4 feet high) and he would get soooo winded. I clipped his wings just for his safety measures!

I am a hug believer in Full spectrum lighting. Both my B&G and U2 have them. I although didn't get mine from a pet shop or online. I went the cheep route.
I got this at wal mart (well it is like this)
2-Light Xenon Undercabinet Light Bar

Now at walmart it is called a kitchen light. It only cost about 12-14.00
Then I just bought a full spectrum bulb for it there also!


I use it every day on them. Could you imagine being in a dim room? This way they get "sunshine" and the benifits of it also!

[loyallyroyal]

"My B&G was full flighted, but when he did fly he could barely stay off the ground (maybe 3-4 feet high) and he would get soooo winded. I clipped his wings just for his safety measures!"

Thats probably because he never learned to fly well, Dewey was the same way, exept when he would fly he would go straight up, bonk his head on the ceiling and fall

Its like a toddler, when they are learning to walk they fall, you dont cut off their legs to keep them from falling do you?

Now he is my little super flyer!

Here are some precautions:

show your birds the windows and mirrors around the house

these are also amazingly helpful
Stop Birds Flying Into Windows, Yard & Garden at old-fashioned-values.com

window clings are also cheaper and work just as well, plus make a nice decoration during the seasons until your bird learns where the windows and mirrors are

never lets your bird out with the ceiling fans on, have a no open door/window policy when your bird is out so dont have people coming in and out of your house (better safe than sorry).

bird proof your home, think what can a flying bird get into, maybe dont give your bird the run of the whole house, mine only has access to his room, the hall, the family room, and the kitchen.

use common sense, put your bird away when you are using the kitchen...
avoid those lamps that get really hot, if your bird landed on one it wouldnt be pretty, if your bird is good at oppening its cage put locks on

train your bird a reliable come (i use pine nuts as a reward) in case of an emergency, only take your bird outside using a harness or travel carrier,

give them a designated spot to relax outside of the cage where they can play, hang a boing from the ceiling ect. my boy likes to sit on top of the fridge with his toys

make sure there are no bodies of water they can drown in, ex. water in the sink, open toilets, bath water, ect.

if you dont have the time/energy to supervise your bird put them in their cage for their safety"

[SDavid]

As far as precautions, I'd say do a google search because there are so many. There are some articles out there that get pretty extensive in presenting both sides of the issue.

Much of what I've read about full spectrum bulbs is that they don't provide enough "sunlight" to benefit your bird. I don't believe that companies that make these bulbs even make that claim. Again, there are articles you can look up that go into greater detail than is possible here. Maybe even search this site for some of the previous discussions on lighting.

My birds seem very happy to be outside and I believe it's the best thing.

[Monica]

I don't have any birds who pluck... however, I have two that mutilate. Neither can fly. One is too weak to fly (I believe she may have brain damage) and the other, well she gave herself a permanent clip... so I can't say whether or not flying would do them any good! However, I do think that daily exercise, if the bird will allow it (if the bird can't do so on it's own) is certainly a great thing! Besides those two birds who can't fly, the rest of the birds here are flighted! With the birds who can fly, I have noticed that they have become calmer birds (as opposed to being untame in a cage, and thus "cornered"), and happier! Only two of my flighted birds are tame, and both fly to me for attention!

I am wondering however, what is your hahn's diet? What is he fed every day? (I know your switching from Zupreem to Harrison's, which is good... if Harrison's is too much for you, I'd also recommend TOP, Foundation Formula, or Roudybush). What size cage does he have? What toys? Does he have any way to forage? Do you have any pictures to show us his setup?