# Advice on wing clipping for behavoural/training purposes?



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Hi, i was wondering whether or not clipping Smokey's wings would be beneficial for helping to tame him?

We have made some big steps lately but it seems like we're not getting any further. He will step up onto a perch (after attacking it first) and he has been on my arm/shoulder twice after being bribed with millet.

Whenever my hand goes near him though he'll hiss, bite and back off or just fly away.

Would he cope ok with clipped wings after being flighted and doing what he pleases for the last 7 years? If i got his wings clipped and managed to tame him would he go back to being aggressive when his feathers grow out again?

Also, anyone in the UK - have you taken your bird to the vets to get trimmed and how much did it cost? I don't think i'd have the confidence anymore to clip his wings myself, though i used to be able to do it with various birds. But mostly chickens. Lol.

I've had Smokey for about 4-5 months now and we don't seem to be getting any further


----------



## Ghosth (Jun 25, 2012)

Well my Cara came clipped, and we bonded quickly and well, and I'm glad we did as his flight feathers are almost all grown back. In fact as soon as he had 1 long flight feather on each side he could fly "Up" or long.

If he hadn't been clipped I would have clipped him. It just makes them a bit less independent, forces them to rely on you just a bit.

I've been going around and around with clipping Joey the bird I rescued from Craigslist. 
She is 5+, fully flighted, and a real nervous nellie type. Get a hand a foot away from her and you start seeing feathers tremble.

However I have to balance the possible benefits of clipping against the trama it is sure to cause. She knows all about towels and what happens when caught in one. The hard part for me has been to slow down and work at her pace. And it is slowly working, Cara and I are both working at winning her over. And it is working, it is just taking a long time. But then she's only been here about a month and a half. 

If you are going to clip, go ahead, but then to me the burden is on you to see it that the bird has safe ways to get from cage to play area and back, floor to cage (they will end up on the floor especially at first)


----------



## Korvia (Aug 3, 2012)

I have both my tiels clipped for training/taming. Cookie came to me already clipped and we bonded almost instantly. Angel on the other hand came flighted, she is really skittish and nervous, so I decided to clip her, she's a completely different bird now, she wants to sit with me, looks over all really happy. Just remember to take smokey to his cage more frequently for food and water as he won't be able to fly back if you clip him.


----------



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Ok thanks for your views guys. I'm going to give the vets a call tomorrow and see how much they would charge for a wing clipping. I'm hoping it's not too much but as i said i'm not confident enough to do it myself and i don't think i'd know anyone else who could do it. Hopefully i can get an appointment for thursday


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I've clipped my Taz because..well frankly, he just doesn't really like being handled. He came to us clipped and was 2 years old. We thought having him flighted would be beneficial to his health. But he began flying off each time we needed to cage him (this would make us run late everytime we left the house). He is clipped and will remain clipped unless he magically begins enjoying human attention.

My other bird Luna will be clipped soon as well. He sometimes flies off when we're trying to cage him..and he also goes places he isn't supposed to (like the curtain rod). So as soon as his secondary flight feathers (bad clipping job) grow back, his primaries will be clipped. In fact, I think tonight a will do a very light clip on him..just taking off an inch or so on the primaries to slow him down/make him more controllable.


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Also, I think once a year we will clip all birds (except Allie) to cool them off because they get too cocky. Lol.


----------



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Smokey quite often goes places where he's not supposed to go to. I've managed to discourage him from the tv but he's still obsessed with the budgies cage (she tries to nip his toes and pulls his tail feathers... maybe he likes it a little? ) and he still seems quite clumsy with flying into the windows and with landing, i'm wondering if that might be because he didn't really get out of cage time before he came to me?

I also don't have a door leading into my kitchen, it's like an archway. I always keep an eye on my birds when they have out of cage time but it only takes a second for him to get into the kitchen and stuck behind the sink on the window ledge like he did the other day.


----------



## Simbah (Feb 9, 2012)

_All_ of my birds are clipped. I do this to ensure that they are able to fly from one side of the room to the other - but not enough that they can fly out the door and be gone forever. Its a safety precaution  
Also the clip keeps my babys from getting so macho, without removing their ability to fly completly.


----------



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Ach all the vets seem to be closed today because it's a bank holiday. Not good cos as well as wanting to book Smokey in to get his wings clipped, the budgie seems to have a bacterial infection. >.<


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

That's a pain..I hope the budgie can hold over. 

And wing clipping is not hard, if you have someone to restrain Smokey while you clip. I know it is stressful the first time you do it but if you pay attention to how much the vet takes off and how many feathers he clips then you might be able to take care of it yourself next time anyone needs it (why not avoid a bill if you're capable?).  

Here's a brief sticky. Here, it demonstrates that you cut the first 8 primaries..but you can do less if you'd rather a lighter clip. I usually clip the first 6. 
http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=682


----------



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

I'd have to get someone i trust to hold Smokey while i do it though. I think if i got a refresher from the vet i'd be able to do it fine. My dad would probably be the best to hold Smokey as he's not afraid of getting a few nips lol.

I used to do nail clipping/wing clipping etc quite often when i did vet science/animal care at college but the last time was like 8 years ago. I'll have a look at the link you posted 

I think i'll move Bob the budgie into the spare room. It's warmer in there and today she's doing the full on tail bobbing and panting which means its more than likely respiratory. Last thing i want is for Smokey to catch it.


----------



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Actually, looking at that i think i'd be more than capable of doing it, i'm just nervous about it so would probably use nail clippers rather than scissors and keep the flour on standby.

Now who could i enlist to be bird holder lol? Number one choice is my dad but if he's not available it'd be my brother who is much more of a wuss when it comes to getting bitten lol


----------



## angielulie (Jul 31, 2012)

hi all little help here got my secondy teil rico yesterday got him clipped as i did with my first spike but rico can still fly fast an high got them both done by the same vet spike cant get high or fast what should i do afraid to let rico out as he flew into the window an on top of the light which gets hot


----------

