flying here we come! (oh boy)

[skeetersunconure]

so after nearly 7 monthys of little skeeter comeing to live with me he will soon start his flight adventures! he has been clipped his whole life but just shed three of his old clipped flight feathers! im a little nervous about him going to be flighted probably in the next month or two ( right?) as it will create differant challenges and will be a little difficult at first. but this is what i have been waiting for so here we go!

[Brittanyv326]

Congrats, I can't wait for that time for us! Great timing too, you can follow right along behind Michael and Truman as he writes about Truman's flighted adventures.

=) have fun!!

[Michael]

A) They don't start flying immediately when they get the feathers
B) It's a gradual transition
C) It's bad to fly until most or all flight feathers are in
D) If you encourage flying the way you find acceptable, more likely that is how he will fly

[skeetersunconure]

what would encouragable acceptable flight for instance?

[Mr.Darcy]

I do not have my bird yet as he is still being hand fed. I do not intend to clip his wings. I had a lovebird 15 years ago and we never clipped her wings. It was more of a moral/ethical thing for me I felt so bad about having a caged bird. That said, we let her wings grow in and she was awesome. Never hit the windows, flew upstairs and would walk along the edge of the bathtub when the kids were in it. ( i always put a damp towel on the edge so she would not fall in!) I felt sooo much better about letting her fly and I am excited about getting my new bird and letting him fly tooo..
You wont regret this! and your bird will love you for it!! all that exercise and choice!!

[Michael]

what would encouragable acceptable flight for instance?

Many things. Where is it ok to fly to, where it isn't ok to fly to. Encouraging flight to you when called. Lots of these kinds of things can be shaped if you are the one to teach the parrot to fly before it has the chance to learn to on its own.

[Kim S]

I am really curious about that was well. I hope Kika will be able to fly by the end of this year and teaching him how and how not to fly would be great!

About skeeter. Be carefull how he lands when he starts to learn how to fly. I have known an african grey who's wings were severely damaged after they grew in. They didnt grow in symetrically and he fell down on the same wing over and over again, breaking off all the new flightfeathers on that side. They got so irritated that he started plucking them!
Not to scare you though, just a heads up.

Cant wait for pictures of him stretching his wings