Quiet conure after clipping

[bitterknitter]

Hi all!

We recently moved into an apartment with big windows. Poor old Flanders was very confused, crashing into walls and windows. He did calm down, but the front room is very open to the kitchen, adn I was very worried about him and the stove. It takes ages for the stove to cool down (sometimes up to an hour) and I was worried about him flying onto it and getting burned. He would also fly from room to room, which made me very nervous.

After a LOT of thinking and deliberating, we finally decided to clip his wings. But ever since, poor old Flanders has been very quiet and not his normal drama queen, toddler tantruming self. I'm really worried. I really thought I was doing the right and kindest thing by having his wings clipped but he does seem depressed. Will this get better? Am I a bad owner? I love him very much and just want him to be happy, and as much of a headache the little bugger gave me when he decided to throw a fit, I actually miss it.

Will he cheer up? What's your clipping experiences?

[Wolf]

No you are not a bad owner just because you clipped him. I don't know your situation but I am sure that you are just trying to do what you know in order to protect him from harm. I do not clip my birds and I do not recommend it to anybody as I feel that it is bad for the bird both psychologically and physically. I would rather keep my birds caged for an extra hour, rather then to clip them, but this is my opinion. It may take him a little while but he will probably forgive you, but since he is depressed about this, I would definitely spend more time with him.

[cml]

You are not a bad owner, as you acted with the best of intentions, but you made an ill-informed choice that has a very negative effect on the bird.

Now, I dont think there is any reason at all to try and shove that down your throat because I think you've already realized that and thus joined the forums. I am very glad you did , it shows that you are a very responsible owner!

Parrots do get depressed when clipped, and it can lead to a lot of psycological issues. With your bird especially, which has had flight, I think he's even worse off. I really really reccommend that you let him regain flight.

Here's how you can deal with the new appartment being a bit scary, and him crashing into things when he regains flight.

*Put up covers over windows and mirrors.
*Remove all objects he could crash into.
*Put up a curtain between the living room and the kitchen area (I have put up several of these in our appartment in open hallways etc). I reccommend you do this right now, as a parrot has no business to be in the kitchen.

Again welcome to the forums, we will be glad to help you.

Here's an article on clipping:
http://trainedparrot.com/clipping

[Pajarita]

You are not a bad owner, you just made a mistake most likely guided by the wrong advice often given in birdsites or by stores/breeders.

Yes, your bird is depressed. But he also feels quite vulnerable (birds that can't fly, die in the wild) so add stress and anxiety to depression.

I've only clipped a single bird in my life. A male Senegal who had been neglected to the point of abuse (spent 11 years in a small cage) so he pretty much hated all human beings but most especially me because, when he came, he fell head over heels in love with one of the female senegals I had at the time which loved me to pieces. After two years of putting up with this bird daily attacks (he did not live in a cage so he would fly to bite me several times a day) and during a particularly difficult breeding season, I decided to clip him. He went from a self-assured, talkative (he is one of my best talkers), in your face bird to hiding for days. Literally. He would only come out to eat and drink and would scoot back to hide right after. I felt like the proverbial heel and promised myself never to do that to a bird no matter how aggressive.

Your bird will get better in a few days, and he should be either molting or going into molt right now so he will regain two of his flight primaries this year which will allow him some flight (thank goodness you did it this time of the year!). I agree with Wolf that caging them for an hour or two is the way to go and, if it makes you feel nervous that he flies from one room to another, close the doors or put a perch in each room. And, if he still crashes against the windows, put decals on or suncatchers in front of them - he'll learn to avoid them. There is always more than one way of preventing problems. They might involve more money, work, planning, etc while clipping is free, fast and easy but I would rather go with the harder but kind way than the fast an unkind.

Now you have your work cut out for you because you are going to have to let him ride your shoulder all day long to make him feel secure and that means that he is going to get used to it and demand it even when he can fly again. Like I tell my children and grand-children when they do something that backfires: "See? God punished you!" -LOL-

[bitterknitter]

Thanks guys! It was a genuine worry, I had several people say I should do it but I definitely think that I'll use this time while he's docile wisely- ie, train him more!!! Then, once he's flighted again, he'll be trained and happy again. He recently went through a HUUUUGE moult, and he was a grumpy little so and so during it.

Also, his clipping was done by an avian vet and was £30, so it definitely wasn't free!

[Wolf]

Wow, I am not sure how much that is, but for reference I figure that it is like a dollar is here in the States and to me that is expensive, for clipping. But I don't clip mine.

[cml]

Wow, I am not sure how much that is, but for reference I figure that it is like a dollar is here in the States and to me that is expensive, for clipping. But I don't clip mine.

Usually, you can say 1$=1£=1Euro in terms of prices on stuff etc, but 1£ is worth about 1.7$.

[Wolf]

Haha! That makes it about 70 cents on the dollar more expensive than I thought. What a rip off!

[bitterknitter]

He's the only avian vet in the county- and he travels around. All the others are closed down! A normal vet won't have anything to do with parrots here.

In other news, Flanders seems to have bounced back! His tantrums are returning and he's playing with his toys- and has a monster appetite! He's still more docile than before but that's because we're treating him differently. We're really stepping up the training game with him. We have a long way to go but he's definitely improved!

Thanks for all your help

[Wolf]

Oops ! I really wasn't meaning to cast any shadows in your way, bitternitter, I know that avian vets are very expensive, as well as limited in number, a fact that they are well aware of and that is reflected by their fees. Shut up, Wolf.
I reckon that I must be getting older, I think everything is priced way out of line!