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Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby pchela » Tue May 11, 2010 3:41 pm

I guess specific safety concerns could be listed...

Let's see...

Running into ceiling fans
Running into windows and breaking their necks
Escaping out of open doors or windows
Landing in a hot pot of boiling water or hot oil
Landing in standing water such as the toilet

Hmmm... there must be some I'm missing but if you add ease of training/bonding and reduced aggression we've got 7. Just need three more. :mrgreen:
"I bet the sparrow looks at the parrot and thinks, yes, you can talk, but LISTEN TO YOURSELF!" ~ Jack Handy ~ Deep Thoughts
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby Michael » Tue May 11, 2010 4:36 pm

pchela wrote:I guess specific safety concerns could be listed...

Let's see...

Running into ceiling fans
Running into windows and breaking their necks
Escaping out of open doors or windows
Landing in a hot pot of boiling water or hot oil
Landing in standing water such as the toilet

Hmmm... there must be some I'm missing but if you add ease of training/bonding and reduced aggression we've got 7. Just need three more. :mrgreen:


BTW, except for ceiling fan, only severe clipping prevents those. A light clipping or a great flier (clipped budgie or cockatiel) wouldn't prevent the rest of those.

Funny thing happened when I was at the bird store. A woman brought in her cockatiel for trimming but it got scared and flew down to the floor (I'm pretty sure it was well clipped) and made for the open door. I think it got a few steps outside even before the owner could get it. On the other hand I freefly Kili at the store (with door closed of course) but she has never once come close to getting out or hitting a window. :mrgreen: It's almost easier to recall her there than at home. All I have to do is hide behind an aisle for a few seconds, then pop out and call her and she comes right down to me cause she wants to be back with me.
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby pchela » Tue May 11, 2010 5:37 pm

I agree that only severe clips will prevent most of these and I am absolutely against severe clips.
"I bet the sparrow looks at the parrot and thinks, yes, you can talk, but LISTEN TO YOURSELF!" ~ Jack Handy ~ Deep Thoughts
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby HyperD » Tue May 11, 2010 5:58 pm

Just a thought here, most ceiling fans can either pull air up or blow it down... People say pulling it up is better as you dont get the direct wind on you... But surely this would affect a clipped bird so that it gains lift? Or would the effect not really be noticeable?
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby issy » Wed May 12, 2010 6:58 pm

I have heard that a person with multiple birds will sometimes clip the wings of a bird that is aggressive to another, allowing the bird getting attacked to escape faster..

I don't think Sheldon is missing out on anything by having his wings clipped. He can still fly very well but can not gain height. I like being able to take him outside on the grass without him flying away.
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby miajag » Wed May 12, 2010 8:07 pm

issy wrote:I don't think Sheldon is missing out on anything by having his wings clipped. He can still fly very well but can not gain height. I like being able to take him outside on the grass without him flying away.


I'd still be really careful about that. If he can fly at all, a strong gust of wind or a burst of adrenaline from getting spooked could allow him to get up into a tree or out of sight completely.
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby issy » Wed May 12, 2010 8:26 pm

Yes, I am very careful when I let him outside, I don't let him out when it is windy and always keep his cage near which he goes to right away. =D
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby skeetersunconure » Thu May 13, 2010 3:25 pm

skeeter came to me clipped and it toook me awhile to decide whether or not i should let his wings grow out or not. one of the reasons i didnt want him to fly was for safetly and easier handling but i decided on flying because it would be healthier for the bird i think ot would make him feel more safe and he would be less rabunctious because he would get proper exercise plus there is just a lot more things your parrot can do if he is flighted.
another thing as mentioned before predators. skeeter had a sliding door once well he opened it and let himself out. my sister who was int he bathroom saw our cairn tarrier sandy playing with him. when we finally got sandy to let go of him i didnt know if he was alive or not. he was very stunneda nd clinged on and snuggled close to me for about an hour and then he relaxed and i started making sure he was physically okay i cued his tricks to make sure his memory was fine and checked for broken bones but he is fine. i just think something like that could be avoided with flighted wings. m
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby entrancedbymyGCC » Wed May 26, 2010 5:18 pm

I think the problem with listing specific safety concerns and then saying "yeah, well, but even a clipped bird MIGHT do that" is missing a fairly key point. IMO the main contribution of clipping to safety is that

    you can keep track of where the bird is a limit/monitor the hazards within range much more easily

Take the toilet example... if I am in the bathroom with Scooter and a guest has left the toilet lid up, for one thing I'm going to see the hazard as soon as the bird is in range and for another I'll be right there to rescue him if necessary. If I'm in the office/bird room with him sitting on top of the playstand, he could get as far as the door to the hallway on his own via air, and I suppose if I really wasn't paying attention, he could walk into the bathroom from there, but he wouldn't be able to get up to the toilet, so if the toilet lid were left up it would be pretty unlikely he'd manage to get in there. If he were flighted, he easily could without my being aware of it.

It's not that clipping renders the hazards safe, it's that they allow you to keep track of where your bird is and to control the bird's location and monitor the presence of hazards in the vicinity much more tightly even when the bird is out of cage.

You are trading a measure of freedom for a measure of safety. No absolutes here.
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Re: Top 10 Reasons for Clipping

Postby MandyG » Fri May 28, 2010 1:21 pm

entrancedbymyGCC wrote:It's not that clipping renders the hazards safe, it's that they allow you to keep track of where your bird is and to control the bird's location and monitor the presence of hazards in the vicinity much more tightly even when the bird is out of cage.

You are trading a measure of freedom for a measure of safety. No absolutes here.


I definitely have to agree with the above. Many people are able to arrange their houses and their lives to limit dangers as much as possible so they can allow their bird to fly. Unfortunately that simply isn't true for a lot of people.

Besides the above, my only reason for clipping is my husband's safety :lol: . If Mojo was flighted he would be forced to spend all of his time in his cage whenever my husband is home, which is usually the entire time that I'm home. Things seem to be going much better between them lately so I'm really hoping that after his next moult I'll be able to leave him flighted again. I'm lucky enough to be able to alter my lifestyle to accomodate a flying a bird. As long as Mojo learns to play nice :lol: .
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