No Wings = not a happy bird

[CarlosQuaker]

Today, Carlos got his wings clipped for the 2nd time. When I purchased him, the breeder had already clipped his secondary feathers. It's been almost a year (1 year in January) since he's been clipped by them.

I took Carlos to his avian vet where they cut primary feathers, and he is now unable to fly. I would love to keep him fully frighted, he really does love flying freely around the house. Every year we go on a trip to our holiday house in the country. Usually it's just my family going, so I trust them not to leave doors/windows open. But as we have two other families joining us this holiday, my mum had a bad feeling one of them would leave a door open and out Carlos would go.

He's not dealing with it too well, and has been quietly sulking in the corner of his cage all day. Carlos took a few attempts at flying, and fell straight onto the floor. He's eating and drinking as normally, but has certainly become upset.

I feel so sorry for him. Carlos has had flight for a good few months now, we all loved having him sitting with us and then flying to his cage for a snack. But living with "non-bird people" and an un clipped parrot could result in him getting lost (according to my mum) So she wanted to play it safe and got him clipped

Has anyone else's parrot become distressed or upset after being clipped??

[GreenWing]

I am sorry to hear this about Carlos. I can tell you love your bird and want what's best for him. Perhaps, after planning some more safety precautions, you can give it some more time, and let him be flighted again in the future? Maybe give him some of his favorite foods and some new toys to help perk his mood in the meanwhile...

[CarlosQuaker]

I am sorry to hear this about Carlos. I can tell you love your bird and want what's best for him. Perhaps, after planning some more safety precautions, you can give it some more time, and let him be flighted again in the future? Maybe give him some of his favorite foods and some new toys to help perk his mood in the meanwhile...

Yes, I don't plan to clip him again unless I absolutely have to. He has had a few treats today, a nice fat walnut, a pit of pasta and some sun flower seeds

[marie83]

Glad to hear you dont plan to clip again. Next time keep him in the cage for a few weeks or alter your routine to fit in with him. I assume there is a seperate room you could have taken him into to let him out for a bit but I think even being cagebound for a couple of weeks is more preferable than clipping.

[Pricey_boy]

Maybe when you have a lot of people around you could put a lock on his cage

[Michael]

That's not playing it safe. That's throwing the bird under the bus.

[CarlosQuaker]

That's not playing it safe. That's throwing the bird under the bus.

I completely agree!! But my mum made me get his wings clipped. I was all ready to buy a flight harness from our pet shop so he could stay outside with me, but my mum said get them clipped or he'll stay at home the entire holiday I didn't want him to only have daily visits from our neighbors for two weeks, so I agreed on taking him to the vet for his clip.

I told her it's better for him to stay flighted, but she said no because he can't fly away. But I said he can't fly from danger, and she ended up clipping them at the vet anyway

[Bobioden]

That's not playing it safe. That's throwing the bird under the bus.

No, Michael. That is not throwing him under the bus. Throwing him under the bus is taking him along, which is what he WANTS to do, keep him flighted, also what he WANTS, to do Then have someone un-intentualluy leave the door open, which can happen very easily when there are lots of people around, and he flies away. THAT is throwing him under the bus.

His wings will grow back, and in the meantime he can enjoy tons of attention, and the threat of him flying away is eliminated.

Sometimes there really is a reason for clipped wings.

I had a Scarlet Chested Parakeet who flew laps around my condo. He had never been clipped. One day my roommate mistakenly left the patio door open and he was gone. I am sure by the time he landed he was at least 2 blocks away, in a heavily populated area of downtown Denver. I never saw him again. All my signs, posters, on-line posts, visits to the shelters, etc... where all in vain.

I don't condone clipping, but sometimes it just makes sense. This is ONE of those times.

Doing what he did WAS playing it safe.

[Michael]

No, it doesn't make sense. Why should the bird suffer 6-12 months of remaining clipped for someone else's 2 week pleasure? The bird can just as well remain locked away in the carrier for the 2 weeks with limited out of cage time only in the same room as the owner and then enjoy a normal bird existence for the remaining 6-12 months as a bird. Selfish cruelty is no place. People shouldn't get "birds" if they don't like what "birds" are. Physically altering their body for convenience is unacceptable. If someone cannot control their environment to the point that it is safe for a bird, then the logical thing is not to get one... not to get one and condemn it to a flightless life.

[CarlosQuaker]

People shouldn't get "birds" if they don't like what "birds" are

I fully agree with you!!!!
If it were up to me, I would definitely kept him flighted!! My idea of a companion bird was something that talked, like to be handled and could fly. My mum does not want a flighted bird in the house the could fly away. As I'm still in middle school, she has control of his feathers. My dad's on both sides, but sided with my mum. So I have the last say in whether he can fly or not.

BUT, I just bought an Aviator harness and my mum finally agreed to leave him fully flighted!!!!! YAY! So this is a great victory for me (and my baby), and hopefully it will be the last time my Quaker will be clipped