# How to catch and clip



## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

I have decided that I want to clip, or have clipped, my 7-month old cockatiel, Emma. 

She has never been clipped before, and I have not found any way to catch her. She's very quick. Even if I turn the lights out and try to get her in a towel, she will fly away into the dark.

I would welcome any suggestions, tricks, or totally underhanded tactics you can suggest.

I am not clipping her in order to tame her. She is getting tame and friendly in her own way, on her own time. She will jump on my arm to get treats and fly to my shoulder. 

However, I have other reasons for wanting to clip her. I don't want to go into them, or get a lot of reasons why I should not clip her. It has taken me some time to come to this decision, because I love watching her fly and what a strong, skilled flyer she is.

Any help, if you have had an impossible to catch bird, would be welcome.


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## bobobubu (Dec 12, 2011)

There are not many reasons for wanting to clip a bird's wings. 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk


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## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

Do you have a net of any sort? If you can't get close enough to towel her, that might be the easiest way to go about it.


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## Ziggibaby (Mar 26, 2014)

SoCalTiels said:


> Do you have a net of any sort? If you can't get close enough to towel her, that might be the easiest way to go about it.


I recommend having 2 people to help! I'm 14 so I get my mum and dad to do it for me, plus I don't want my bird thinking bad of me. My mum holds the bird on her stomach and pulls out a wing and my dad clips. 

If they bite don't let go, pretend you don't mind or he will keep going. If he finds it hard to deal with the first clip give him 5/10 minutes to calm down and then do the next. 

Good luck


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

Thank you.


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## StellasMom (Feb 12, 2012)

Definitely have 2 people. One to hold her still and one to clip.


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

Wow!
I got a butterfly net. 
The minute I got out the net, Emma started shrieking her head off. The other birds joined in. It absolutely terrified them. I guess they thought it was a hawk or something. I did manage to catch her with it, but I really don't think I will do it again. It was much too stressful for her. She did, however, forgive me a day or so later. That was a relief.

I have ordered a small travel cage. I'm going to see if I can get her into it with a food bribe. If I can, then I can take her to the vet for a clip.

I really love her, and I love watching how well she can fly. We have a reasonably good relationship, even though she's so stubborn. But, I have to be able to catch her in an emergency situation. The current situation just cannot go on. :-(.


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## Sunnyvmx (Feb 8, 2013)

When I have untamed birds like I have now with two new ones, I remove all perches and food cups in the cage first. Then with the towel covering my hand, I catch the bird in the cage. The bird is either on the bottom or hanging on the side and a lot less risk of hurting a wing. With the bird in my lap and the head covered so it can't bite me, I gently pull out the wing and trim five feathers in from the tip and even with the second row of feathers showing on the outside. If the bird is a strong flyer you may want to trim another feather or two. Be sure to do both wings. Do not cut any feather that has blood in the shaft or hasn't reached it's full length. After clipping look for any sign of blood. Flour can be used if necessary and hold it awhile until the bleeding stops. Sometimes it's better to pull a bleeding feather and then pinch the hole. I've never cut a feather too soon, but I've had to doctor an injured feather in this way because of a night fright. Whatever your reasons are for clipping, they are your birds and it's your choice. I prefer to have learned and do it myself since it's quick and over without a scary trip to the vet, the birds are less frightened of me than a stranger in a strange setting and I now have the experience to be able to handle the birds with confidence in an emergency situation. Also it's not permanent so it's something you do repeatedly as a new feather grows in. Look for diagrams and more info on the internet.


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

Sunnyvmx,

Oh, thank you so much for taking the time to post this detailed explanation. It makes a lot of sense. When I get the small cage (in the next day or so), I may try it.

I agree with your reservations about the disadvantage of having a vet do it.


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## Sunnyvmx (Feb 8, 2013)

With my birds that I've had now from one to two years, I can carry them on my finger to the bed and catch them in a towel. Cockatiels can bite hard and draw blood. Also they immediately become quiet and calm and I'm able to clip wings or nails as needed. A couple of my birds will now let me do it without biting. I now have two new tiels to hand tame and I immediately noticed their nails were much too long causing them to have trouble climbing around the cage. I had a friend come over to help rather than take a chance that I couldn't do it by myself and then I would scare them and fail. With her help it went very well and now the birds are much happier and agile. I've started their taming and hopefully it won't be too long before they can join the others on the gym. Good luck with your young one. At first my birds pouted for several hours, but now they are over it as soon as they are returned to the gym or cage. A spray of millet in my fingers and all is forgotten. You'll get over being nervous and become more confident so take a deep breath and just "do it."


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