# Wing Clip



## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

Emma and Silver have been pretty good about going into the cage when I need them to. 

About a week ago, they seemed a bit hormonal and started giving me trouble about going in and hanging out on the highest place they could find.

I couldn't deal with it. So, I took them to the vet Tuesday. I asked him to do a "moderate clip." He said he thought he should trim five flight feathers. I suggested four, which he went with. He clipped them just down to nearly where the secondaries are.

I am pleased with the clip. They can fly quite a bit, but it is more tiring for them to get any altitude. They are able to fly across the room, but not out to the dining room, where the highest problem areas are. When I got them home, they did come out of the cage. They haven't been sulking.

I just wanted to share my experience, in case it's helpful to anyone else.


They have been as close to me as ever.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

Aww you shouldnt have clipped them Rocko used to do that too the exact same as yours but over time he just stopped well I dont know if yours would have stopped but as soon as the feathers come back they might do it again you need to teach them not to do it birds shouldnt be clipped unless its for a medical reason all birds getting into trouble flighted or not I made the mistake of clipping with my budgie and he died of a heart attack because he couldnt fly to get away from the person who jumped next to him please dont clip them again just see how they get on now and act normally with them.


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## onyx (Oct 1, 2014)

Thank you for this tip. I'm probably going to give Spooky a moderate clip to protect him from ceiling fans as summer comes (my rooms get really hot) and to keep him from landing in high places when he's feeling rebellious, which he has started to do the past few months. But he was clipped twice when he was too young, all five primaries, and both times it left him dropping like a rock on his breastbone or butt, trashing all of his tail feathers... I'm hoping now that he has muscle strength in his wings he'll be able to handle a clip better, but I am still afraid of grounding him completely. He loves flying around so much!


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## devilangel09 (Feb 5, 2008)

Onyx you shouldn't gave a bird out while the ceiling fan is on anyway as even clipped there's still a chance of getting into it ... clippings wrong ..


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

devilangel09 said:


> Onyx you shouldn't gave a bird out while the ceiling fan is on anyway as even clipped there's still a chance of getting into it ... clippings wrong ..


So true im against clipping I think it should only be done if its for the birds health I lost a bird over clipping and I know now its wrong I hate when people say like you wouldnt like if they flew out your door or window and I do be thinking why would anyone have the door or window open near their bird in the first place silly people lol and ive noticed tiels can fly very good clipped.


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## onyx (Oct 1, 2014)

Good point re: the fan, but clipping isn't "wrong". It doesn't mutilate the bird the way, for instance, de-clawing a cat does. It's an owner's choice and can be done for many reasons, from safety to temperament, and it's pretty uncool to come into a thread _about clipping_ just to categorically bash and condemn the author's choice.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

devilangel09 said:


> Onyx you shouldn't gave a bird out while the ceiling fan is on anyway as even clipped there's still a chance of getting into it ... clippings wrong ..


So true im against clipping I think it should only be done if its for the birds health I lost a bird over clipping and I know now its wrong I hate when people say like you wouldnt like if they flew out your door or window and I do be thinking why would anyone have the door or window open near their bird in the first place silly people lol and ive noticed tiels can fly very good clipped.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

onyx said:


> Good point re: the fan, but clipping isn't "wrong". It doesn't mutilate the bird the way, for instance, de-clawing a cat does. It's an owner's choice and can be done for many reasons, from safety to temperament, and it's pretty uncool to come into a thread _about clipping_ just to categorically bash and condemn the author's choice.


Clipping actually isnt for safety most of the time its just what the owner wants but of course its not what the bird wants I would never clip Rocko.If you clip your bird they can still bash into walls they can still fly outside and they can still get into other troubles and clipping is wrong the bird dosent want to be clipped so let him keep what he was born with my budgie actually died because he was clipped because he was on the floor eating millet and almost got stepped on and took a heart attack but if he was flighted he would have flew somewhere else and I know that was my fault thats why birds need their wings to prevent things like that happening


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## onyx (Oct 1, 2014)

Sorry about your budgie, but that could happen to a flighted bird too. Accidents don't discriminate. Neither do heart attacks. A forum member's flighted bird broke her leg because she was perched on a door that someone accidentally closed... bad stuff can always happen. That's life.

I'm not going to debate this any more... hi-jacking threads is really rude. :thumbd:

Thanks again to dianne for sharing her experience, because I found it helpful.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

onyx said:


> Sorry about your budgie, but that could happen to a flighted bird too. Accidents don't discriminate. Neither do heart attacks. A forum member's flighted bird broke her leg because she was perched on a door that someone accidentally closed... bad stuff can always happen. That's life.
> 
> I'm not going to debate this any more... hi-jacking threads is really rude. :thumbd:
> 
> Thanks again to dianne for sharing her experience, because I found it helpful.


Yes but its less likely to happen to a flighted bird and im not hi-jacking I have a right to share the truth no bird wants to be clipped they want to fly their ability to fly is what makes them different to other animals.and im not trying to start a debate because lots of people clip their birds and many do it for stupid reasons and for themselves and I know bad stuff happens you just have to try your best to prevent it people often say if you dont want your bird flying why get a bird if thats what they do if I was a bird I would actually hate my owner for taking my ability to fly I mean dont you sometimes wish you could fly and what happened to my budgie was because of being clipped its the same as if a fledgling fell from a tree and theres a predator below the bird cant fly to get away same as being clipped another example if a visitor came to your house and your bird was scared he cant fly to get away so he might bite to protect himself and there is no reason for a bird to be clipped no reason at all please think about it and ask yourself why you want to clip your birds.


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

I am very happy with the clipping. The birds can still fly. It's made it easier getting them into the cage. I think four feathers is a good compromise.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

onyx said:


> Good point re: the fan, but clipping isn't "wrong". It doesn't mutilate the bird the way, for instance, de-clawing a cat does. It's an owner's choice and can be done for many reasons, from safety to temperament, and it's pretty uncool to come into a thread _about clipping_ just to categorically bash and condemn the author's choice.


Exactly its the owners choice but it should be the birds choice and of course the bird would say no tell me how its for SAFETY go on because theres no reason at all for clipping.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

dianne said:


> I am very happy with the clipping. The birds can still fly. It's made it easier getting them into the cage. I think four feathers is a good compromise.


Atleast they can fly maybe when they grow back they wont fly high places anymore.


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## onyx (Oct 1, 2014)

dianne said:


> I am very happy with the clipping. The birds can still fly. It's made it easier getting them into the cage. I think four feathers is a good compromise.


Awesome, I'm definitely going to try this with Spooky. :yes: He goes in bouts of being a total brat when he doesn't want to be put away, flying around the room and landing in high places. It stresses him out (the more he realizes we're "mad" at him, the more he freaks out), it stresses me and my fiance out, and it damages the trust between us because I usually end up having to towel him. And he's so out of breath and scared, I'm afraid his little heart will burst D: His flight gets more erratic the more he does it, too, and he starting bumping into things like frames pictures and display items on shelves... I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself and/or end up breaking something. I hate putting him in his cage on "bad terms" because it's his house, not a punishment. Millet treats afterwards only mean when he gets that upset.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

onyx said:


> Awesome, I'm definitely going to try this with Spooky. :yes: He goes in bouts of being a total brat when he doesn't want to be put away, flying around the room and landing in high places. It stresses him out (the more he realizes we're "mad" at him, the more he freaks out), it stresses me and my fiance out, and it damages the trust between us because I usually end up having to towel him. And he's so out of breath and scared, I'm afraid his little heart will burst D: His flight gets more erratic the more he does it, too, and he starting bumping into things like frames pictures and display items on shelves... I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself and/or end up breaking something. I hate putting him in his cage on "bad terms" because it's his house, not a punishment. Millet treats afterwards only mean when he gets that upset.


Oh sorry I didnt realize what was going on with him I think you should clip him I know I dont like clipping if these things are happening he could get hurt atleast your not a person who would clip them too short I hope it works out for you when we first got our african grey 6 years ago she was only a baby and she flew into our big tv luckily she didnt smash it because she banged off it very hard and we clipped hurt so she wouldnt get hurt but now shes 6 years old and fully flighted and has never been clipped again she knows what go in your cage means and she can fly perfectly now and land.when I had budgies they also used to fly high places together and it was hard getting them back in the cage but Rocko he just steps up and gets in his cage.


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