Flighted or clipped

weimdog2 · Dec 9, 2012

I have a question for you all. I got my TAG, Penny, at the end of the third week of March, this year. She came with clipped wings and I haven't trimmed them at all since I've had her. She will be one right around Christmas and has a lot of pin feathers coming in. First, is this considered part of a molt, and second is there anyway to help her with the pin feathers? I can tell they are bugging her. Anyway, if people could also weigh in on whether to have your grey flighted of clipped, I would really appreciate it. The only thing that bothers me about having her flighted is that I do a lot of tutoring with students in my home after school with parents and kids coming and going all evening. I would hate for her to get out the door. Advice please!

Thanks,

Jill and Penny

MonicaMc · Dec 9, 2012

Yes, pin feathers are a part of molting. You can help her, if she'll allow it, by gently pinching the ones on her head and giving extra bathes.

There are pros and cons to both sides... this article tries to go into both.
Should you clip your parrot

Here's what owner did for her african greys
Front door bird security! - a set on Flickr
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d5Jx-dvux0]Bird-proofing the front door - YouTube[/ame]

And you can always teach recall training.

Blue · Dec 9, 2012

None of my birds are clipped but Eclectus's wings are kind of shredded, so he cant fly. If a door is going to be open for more than a second, the birds are in their cages or in another room with the door closed.

Baths or misting can help and you can roll the pin feather between your fingers to help remove the ones your bird cant reach

weimdog2 · Dec 9, 2012

Thanks Monica and Blue. I appreciate the input, links and video. I can just tell those darn pin feathers are bothering her. She's crabbier than she usually is. I've just held her when she lets me and have rolled the pins, pinching and trying to pull the sheaths off when I can. How long does this usually last? I've had cockatiels but haven't really dealt with the pin feathers like this before.

Jill and Penny :grey:

MonicaMc · Dec 9, 2012

A few weeks to a couple of months.

My birds are currently molting as well.

lene1949 · Dec 10, 2012

If I need to go out the door, while my birds are out, I give them the 'stop' signal, open hand up towards them... I am, of course extremely careful exiting and entering..

All my birds are flighted, but only in the house...

Flighted or clipped

weimdog2

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MonicaMc

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Blue

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weimdog2

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MonicaMc

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lene1949

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Mishka - face to face with a cat OMG

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