# Clipping to aid in the training process?



## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

I know some people don't believe they should be clipped but I think it would help to prevent injury in my home and help gain trust between me and my feathered friend over time. I want him to be out of the cage but when i do let him out he flies and, luckily, last time he got out he wasn't hurt when he flew into the wall. What feathers are the most effective to clip and how much? It would be best if he could fly away but not upwards like my budgie, but do they fly differently? Or should I clip them the same way?


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

i don't know a lot about the actual physical process of clipping: that's something you could ask a vet or local pet shop perhaps. and do some google research. i've heard of many vicious clips which take way too many feathers.
it's entirely a personal choice to clip - though sometimes i feel that the relationship that develops between the bird and owner as a result is a forced one.
however it's up to you and longterm, feathers grow back. you need to realise, it's impossible to be entirely confident that they can fly away from or out of danger, and a clipped bird can also escape outside on a gust of wind. unfortunately no situation is perfect


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

Let him get used to the room first, when I first brought these home they had a few crashes but now they're used to it their manoeuvres are amazing haha banking around the lights and corners. I don't know if my babies were coparrented but they tamed quite quickly and easily as flighted birds


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## buddytiel (Jun 17, 2014)

I clip all of my birds feathers. I have small kids and there is constant action in our home. It does help with training, injuries and escape. You should get help the first time and be shown how to do it. They have pin feathers you cannot cut or they will be injured and bleed badly.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

I clipped Beaker for medical reason (his feathers grew in crooked). Once they came in as straight as they could get, I stopped and he is still practicing flying. That was over 6 months ago. I kinda sorta liked clipping, but when I saw how much mine liked to fly, I just kinda let them do their thing. I think fully flighted works in the sense that they now have an option to opt out of training if they feel stressed. It's your call in the end though


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## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

Me too. I'm the bird girl in my house but every one loves to come in my room to hang out with them. Including the dog and cat occasionally. I shut my door when i let them out but it is still a matter of him flying into the wall or window im scared of! I let him out just a few minutes ago and he wouldn't perch until he hit the wall and fell behind a fellow bird's cage. Which feather's do you clip? On my budgie I trim the first 3-4 flight feathers half way or a bit more to the major coverts. She can still fly it just is harder and they can't get enough altitude to hurt herself if she falls.


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## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

Alas, i let him out a few minutes ago and he was so scared he wouldn't perch. Instead he hit the wall again and fell behind a bird cage  Poor guy
I only clip my new birds once or twice. My first bird I remember, he was trained to fly to my hand after about 3 months of having him. So I decided not to clip him again. I think it will be the same with this birdie


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

I personally think that the pros and cons of clipping change from bird to bird. There is no concrete better option, I think that both should be tried (as ollieandme said, feathers grow back) and whichever the bird does best with, that should be what's done. Rocko turns into a nasty brat when he's flighted. Clipping helps with his behavior, but also, he can still fly perfectly well when clipped. Just this morning he was zooming around the living room.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Yeah, I tend to agree with ollieandme and CaliTiels. Ultimately, winning a bird's trust needs to be done with hard work, not by taking away their freedom of choice. My bonds with my birds have all strengthened since they've been flighted, and their attitudes have actually improved. For instance, Bandit, my whiteface male: he has always liked me, but when he first came to me (clipped) he was super grumpy and weird about me picking him up. Ever since he's grown his flights back, he's calmer, happier and more trusting of me. Sometimes he flies to me. Astrid, my untame female, was absolutely pitiful when clipped...but when she grew her flights in, she became graceful and a lot more confident. She started flying to me and hanging out on my shoulder, which showed a lot of bravery for a bird that had been abused. She still mistrusts people and doesn't want to be handled, but she does come to hang out knowing that she can always rely on her wings to take her to safety if she starts to feel uncomfortable.

The thing is, birds are prey animals, and as such can be skittish. Flying is a natural response and instinct for them when they sense danger. Taking that from them entitrely can really stress them out.

I would say if your bird is totally panicking and flying into walls head-on, and not getting any better, you might want to do a _*very conservative*_ wing trim at first. And I mean the outer two flight feathers on each wing, three at the absolute max. It depends on how strong a flier the bird is. What you absolutely do not want to do is take too many off and accidentally ground them. Nothing is sadder than a bird who falls to the floor like a rock. Not to mention they can hurt themselves that way, too.

In the end, it is up to you, but I do not recommend clipping in most situations. It's all about positive reinforcement and patience. Perhaps let the bird settle into his environment and get used to the sights and sounds of the house before letting him out. Even a bird who doesn't know how to fly all that well WILL learn and get the hang of it, if given the chance.


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## Marshall0507 (Apr 27, 2014)

Sydney came to me very clipped (6 primary flight feathers) which is a bit much for a baby according to my vet, and the poor girl never had the chance to fledge. Her attempts send her backwards! She's going through her first
Molt and I'm going to let her feathers grow in. As the previous poster said, the clip definitely made her more dependent on me to move from place to place, but not necessarily by choice. think she never really learned independence- she's almost 5 months now and very very dependent on me! However given that she is so bonded and tame my harness training has been going quite well (clicker training with aviator harness) so hopefully by the time she's fully flighted I can take her our with the harness right away.


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## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

Of course! My intent is not to disable him though. He's going to be harness trained. I really just need his trust at this point. I've seen those picture of bird that have been clipped beyond healing  I would never do anything like that. He is a young one though. Maybe 5 months, The first two flights would be sufficient, I suppose?


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

Since he's youngish, make sure he's proficient at flying BEFORE you clip. Some people clip far too early and they don't learn to fly as a result. Having said that, five months should be a fine mature age.
I guess it's a gamble you're taking: you may gain his trust, or you may lose it even more. Start with a small clip and see whether the results are what you were hoping for


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## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I always keep my tiels clipped but I think Moonchild made a really good point. I would trim the wings enough for your bird to coast, but not let him have full flight. I would think if he had full flight it would be much more difficult to train him because he will always be able to get away.


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## Tequilagirl (Mar 4, 2013)

My bird has never been clipped nor he will ever be and he is beautifully tame and friendly. Funny that, even though he can get away if he wants to he chooses not to. Some people's experience might be that clipping helps training, but my personal experience is that if you give respect you receive respect back.


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## Callie2013 (Nov 4, 2013)

I usually don't like to have mine clipped. Callie was when I got her but she now has her flights and she's a graceful flier. I had to clip Azazel when I got him though because he was injuring himself. His flights are back now and I won't clip him again even though he still is skittish of people and not the best flier. Now Lilianna she wasn't clipped and she thought she was dominate over me. She's my ring neck. She would fly and take chunks out of my flesh and then get away. So she is now clipped to the point that she can glide and hover but not fly. This has done wonders in her training. She has become sweet and it's helped so I can start working on her training about being so aggressive with other animals. I'm wanting her to be flighted so hopefully once she gets out of her bluffing or as I call it her terrible twos stage she can be. She is 4 months old and I was told she could be in this stage til she is 6 months. 

So I would only do what you think is going to be the best choice for you and your fid. The feathers do grow back so it's not permanent.


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## Sonneillon (Mar 5, 2014)

i clipped some of the flight feathers from my burd to help the bonding and training process. 

With flight, she would always end up flying away and getting lost/scared in a strange part of the room. I would have to throw a towel over her to get her back. I did not want to put her through this cycle any longer and clipped some flight feathers myself. 

Now that she is used to me and the environment, I am letting her flight feathers grow back out. No problem.


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