# Wing Clipping



## Jack :) (Oct 22, 2008)

Hi,
What are your views on wing clipping? Are the tiels easier to tame, when their wings are clipped?

I want to decide everything before I get a 'tiel.
Thanks x
Jack


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

All my birds have clipped wings - my reason has nothing to do with taming - honestly I have never even tried to tame any of my birds, Some came to me tame others not so much and I let them come to me on thier own free will Even if it takes years that is fine with me 

How ever I can pick them up and move them from a different cage when needed, some scream and bite a little, Some just squirm and some really don't care - but In my opinion I don't consider that "tame" compared to my One tiel nibbles who is tame, and my one Love bird who is tame, and my one Quaker who is tame oh and my 4 hand fed baby tiels 


I trim all mines wings for safety reasons, having 2 small children who have a lot of friends, the door gets opened and closed a lot and there are many times(even know they know better) they stand in the door way and talk with it open!

and I am glad to say i've never even came close to having a accident, not even 2 houses ago when my main door was in my living room and the few birds i had at the time were all living in the living room.


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## Jack :) (Oct 22, 2008)

atvchick95 said:


> All my birds have clipped wings - my reason has nothing to do with taming - honestly I have never even tried to tame any of my birds, Some came to me tame others not so much and I let them come to me on thier own free will Even if it takes years that is fine with me
> 
> How ever I can pick them up and move them from a different cage when needed, some scream and bite a little, Some just squirm and some really don't care - but In my opinion I don't consider that "tame" compared to my One tiel nibbles who is tame, and my one Love bird who is tame, and my one Quaker who is tame oh and my 4 hand fed baby tiels
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply
Does wing clipping still enable them to fly? Or can they not fly afterwards?
Jack x


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I don't clip mine but they are in an aviary. I think it strengthens them to fly but I never even open the aviary door without having all doors closed, curtains drawn and the dog in another room. There's just too many way for a bird to get hurt or worse. You will see many stories on this forum about tragic events that have occurred from an unclipped bird and an open toilet, or an unleashed dog. So if I didn't have them in an aviary I would have them clipped. Yes it is easier to tame a clipped bird. It will be more dependent on you and easier to control. Also it is harmful to the bond you are trying to achieve if you have to resort to netting them or throwing a shirt over them to catch them.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

They can usually prevent themselves from hitting the ground too hard. The idea is to keep them from gaining altitude. Some are very strong fliers and it will take more feathers clipped to do the job.


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## Jack :) (Oct 22, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> They can usually prevent themselves from hitting the ground too hard. The idea is to keep them from gaining altitude. Some are very strong fliers and it will take more feathers clipped to do the job.


Thank You
He/She, would be living in a cage, but would be let out as often as possible. Therefore, would it be best to get him/her clipped?
Jack x


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes! That would probably be the best thing for both of you. There are differences of opinion but in the initial stages of getting comfortable in your house Definitely clipped is easier. If you want him to be flighted after that...that's up to you.


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## Jack :) (Oct 22, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> Yes! That would probably be the best thing for both of you. There are differences of opinion but in the initial stages of getting comfortable in your house Definitely clipped is easier. If you want him to be flighted after that...that's up to you.


Thats Great
Should I wait a couple of days, after him coming to my house, before getting him clipped? Would that be best?
Jack


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Better yet have him clipped before you bring him/her home. If someone else does it it's better for your relationship with your bird.


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## Jack :) (Oct 22, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> Better yet have him clipped before you bring him/her home. If someone else does it it's better for your relationship with your bird.


Oh Yea! I never thought of that! I will definatly get this done

I have made a long list of everything that I need, so I am all organised aswell I am really excited about getting him:d
Jack x


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Sounds like you're ready!


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

if done correctly and not a chop job (i've received many birds with chop jobs done) they can still fly - but can't get the height they need, its more of a glide, and they can't stay up as long once they do get up (usually by climbing on top of a cage and flying off or something else high up) but they can't get from the floor UP like they can being unclipped

They grow back (mine grow very quickly) it doesn't hurt them (again unless done wrong) 

its very similar to a humans hair cut, our hair grows back - their feathers grow back 

Some take longer then others ,


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Personally, I think it's generally best to clip a new bird even if you plan to let it be full flighted later. A bird in a new home tends to panic easily, and they can get hurt or killed crashing into windows and walls. If you want your bird to fly it's a lot safer to do it AFTER the bird is thoroughly used to you and the home.

A cockatiel with a good clip will generally be able to fly a few feet before it's forced to land. This is fine because the bird will try to fly sometimes (especially if it's scared) and you want it to land well and not crash to the floor like a rock.


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## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

I hate not having Quinn clipped, but he came from a bad background and his pectoral muscles have atrophied so he has to have them unclipped so he can rebuild his muscle mass.

My windows are huge and span the entire wall so it would be very easy for them to panic and fly into them. It makes me feel much safer having Harley clipped. Quinn's not a strong enough flyer to get up the speed to do much damage to himself, but it still worries me.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

tielfan said:


> Personally, I think it's generally best to clip a new bird even if you plan to let it be full flighted later. A bird in a new home tends to panic easily, and they can get hurt or killed crashing into windows and walls. If you want your bird to fly it's a lot safer to do it AFTER the bird is thoroughly used to you and the home.
> 
> A cockatiel with a good clip will generally be able to fly a few feet before it's forced to land. This is fine because the bird will try to fly sometimes (especially if it's scared) and you want it to land well and not crash to the floor like a rock.



I totally agree that is what actually made me name one of my budgies crash - She is the only one who crashed into a covered window when i brought her home more then once (all my other birds only hit a window or wall once and didn't do it any more) but she did several times Before i caught her (i was taking her out of the take home box to put her in the cage to let her settle in for a bit before i clipped her) But she got clipped As soon as i caught her 
thankfully she just bumped the center of her cere and took a tiny chip out of it, it was all healed within a week 

Then I had a baby albino who fledged normally my babies are pretty good at just flying around the room when i let them out of the cage for the 1st time - not the albino it flew straight in to a covered picture window and broke its beak (there was a good sized crack going down its beak) So back to a cage it was for him/her until it was healed I put him/her in a cage on her own so no one would try to feed it and make its beak worse ( i was afraid that if its mom or any of my other birds tried to feed it they'd accidentally rip the broken piece off) and since he/she was eating great on its own, there wasn't any need to let another bird even try to feed it.


Rouille said:


> I hate not having Quinn clipped, but he came from a bad background and his pectoral muscles have atrophied so he has to have them unclipped so he can rebuild his muscle mass.
> 
> My windows are huge and span the entire wall so it would be very easy for them to panic and fly into them. It makes me feel much safer having Harley clipped. Quinn's not a strong enough flyer to get up the speed to do much damage to himself, but it still worries me.


I have one that will never fly again I bought them from a so called rescue (Which i turned in as soon as i got home, Did not even have to tell the ppl the womans name they already knew who i was talking about - which was sad on its own)
but they cut one of Sun Dances wings clear through the bone - they cut bone and all off this was no accident it was intentional - some where they got the hair brain scheme if they did that to just one wing he'd never breed

well for the first several months i had him every time he moved his wing Even if he just lifted it up and then sat it back down he bled - I always gave him the option to come out with the rest of the birds, He won't come out of a cage (not willingly anyway) he's came to the door and sat there but that is as far as he goes. I honestly think he knows he can't fly (can't fly with only one correct functioning wing) 

But that is the only thing they stopped him from doing from cutting his wing bone off. It did NOT stop him from breeding I have 7 beautiful babies From him and he is a Great dad ( I WAITED a long time after his wing stopped bleeding to even set him up for breeding, HE had plans of his own and kept breeding before I wanted him too) 

Seriously how could some one look at this beautiful bird and then cut his wing bones off?


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## crazy4tiels88 (Aug 10, 2008)

Yeah wow thats sad!! But if you clip your birds wings and clip to close you can cut the bone I have heard so it could of been a accident? I clip my birds wings cause it is easier to catch them, but I wish I never clipped Avalanche cause he gets hurt with clipped wings like breaking tail feathers and bleeding so I will let him grow out!! I also let my breeder birds keep their wing feathers, So if you want a bird that is easier to tame and catch I suggest someone show you how to clip wings. Melissa & The Flock


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## poppabill (Dec 11, 2007)

When you clip the wings there are different ways to do it. The first 2 primaries (1 & 2) on my chart, this still lets them fly but not as good usually. Then the (#2 #3 #4) on my chart, basicley can not fly very good but it looks better as the (#1) primary is still there making it look like there unclipped. The way i do my own birds is to clip (#1-#5) and that way most of the time they cant fly at all. Remember though that Tiels are light and even sometimes with there wings clipped if they hit a air current they can get enough lift to get to a tree limb or a higher place. The chart is what i give folks along with other stuff when they buy my birds, thought i would share it with you good folks...be happy.


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## jerry2006 (Oct 10, 2008)

How often should I clip my pets' wings?
He is recovering from severe plucking from abusive cage mates, whe we rescued him a month ago
1 wing feather is almost grown back, the other is still only partially grown back.
He now has 4 tail feathers-none when we rescued him.
any advice is appreciated.
Thanks,
Jerry2006


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## PtsRPpl2 (Sep 22, 2008)

I have to keep my girl's wings trimmed - she frightens very easily and flies into things. My first tiel (who was unflighted) flew out a suddenly opened door when he became frightened and I never got him back.  So I keep this one's trimmed! I clip all her primaries though b/c she flies too well even with only a few done! She EVEN then can still fly but not at such depth and speed as to harm herself. I also think it helped me to tame her drastically because she depended on me more. After the first clip, I started to let them grow back but she was nippier and tried flying all the time - most especially to places she did not need to go! So, personally, it works out best for me and Kiki to keep her constantly trimmed. I did have a Senegal, however, that was full flighted. I never had a problem with him at all flying into things or to places he shouldn't. So I think it just depends on you and your bird. I think you have to clip every few months? I generally clip when she starts flying too well!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Oh My God atv. I cannot imagine someone clipping like that. That is absolutely barbaric. So glad you turned her in. Somebody needed to clip her wings. Bones and all.


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## Tike2 (Jun 16, 2008)

I had Tiki and Torchs breeder clip their wings just before I brought them home. Now Tiki was a year old and had never been clipped. He was off balance for a while. It surprised him that he couldn't fly. Torch was about 10 wks old and it didn't seem to faze him at all. They can get around, Just can't fly very high or far. Mostly they take off and coast to the floor.. But they are always supervised when out of the cage.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

atvchick95 said:


> I have one that will never fly again I bought them from a so called rescue (Which i turned in as soon as i got home, Did not even have to tell the ppl the womans name they already knew who i was talking about - which was sad on its own)
> but they cut one of Sun Dances wings clear through the bone - they cut bone and all off this was no accident it was intentional - some where they got the hair brain scheme if they did that to just one wing he'd never breed
> 
> well for the first several months i had him every time he moved his wing Even if he just lifted it up and then sat it back down he bled - I always gave him the option to come out with the rest of the birds, He won't come out of a cage (not willingly anyway) he's came to the door and sat there but that is as far as he goes. I honestly think he knows he can't fly (can't fly with only one correct functioning wing)
> ...


I don't understand them, what the heck. If you want to trim your birds wings you take them to a flipping Vet or a breeder who knows what they're doing, who in their right mind would do something so horrible? (them obviously) I'd hate to see what they've done to other birds and their wings, I can imagine.

Now this poor 'tiel can't fly because of them brainless twits..


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## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

That's horrible, I'm so glad he's a happy tiel now, even if he can't fly.


When I got Quinn the shop said he couldn't fly, which is completely untrue - he's a very weak flier but he certainly can fly when he wants to. He was severely malnourished and as a result he has distended wings and literally no pectoral muscle mass. His keel bone actually sticks out because there's nothing but feathers to cover it.

He just needs a lot of good food and confidence. He's come along a long way with his flying just from being more confident.


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