Clipping pros and cons

[Sophie's Mama]

Marnie is clipped. i think its best for her not to be able to fly away from me or escape. there is a lot of debate about this on the other board, but this is my thoughts.....
yes birds fly, its necessary for their survival in the wild, but when we subject them to living in our homes with our "stuff", many of it dangerous to them,
then we need to be sure they are safe.
Marnie is very precious to me and i would die if anything happened to her because she flew into a window, the fan, on the stove, or out the door etc.
when i find her on the floor i can just go pick her up, give her a little cuddle time, and put her safely back in her cage.
i take her camping with me and outside all the time. she gets to explore the low (safe) branches and has a great time.
right now she is going out on the deck with me while i enjoy a cup of coffee with her and keep and eye out for my free flying budgie who is now lost forever.
1st camping trip:

4th of july camping trip: she blends in well

close up:

Beautiful Pics!

 

[herper]

could someone please list the cons of clipping. At the vets advise we had our cats declawed(eye injuries from fighting). When I sadly had to get rid of them do to a move, animal rescues treated me like a sadistic vlian. We did it for their protection as they NEVER went outside. When I get a bird I do not want to do something that hurts them, but want them safe(good grief I am already using them instead of it). Does clipping hurt a bird if done by a vet? Can a clipped bird fly at all ? Dont want to be labeled a monster again. My pets are my family and believe me I cried like a baby when each one left.

 

[Aussie Ben]

Clipping will not hurt your bird if done correctly and safely. Excessive clipping can hurt your bird, not necessarily the actual process, but when he has nothing left to use as a parachute and hits the ground hard. Blood feathers (growing feathers filled with blood) need to be avoided when clipping, and I HIGHLY recommend you get it done by a avian vet if you have never had anyone show you the proper method. There are a couple of different clips that can be done. Only the primary flights should ever be clipped (Usually the first 5-6 from memory).

Some clipped birds can still fly depending on their size and the type of clip. It is mostly the smaller species that can still get some altitude and speed when clipped but some bigger birds have been known to, especially with the assistance of a strong breeze. Ideally, even when clipped, they should be able to produce enough lift to cushion a fall so they don't break bones and injure themselves

There are not many 'cons' to clipping, more like 'differences'. For instance your bird will rely on you for all its transport from room to room. A flighted bird can be taught to fly itself there, but again this needs to be monitored and trained carefully. You will also have to be more careful if you have other pets as your bird won't be able to escape quickly (that is kind of a con)

The only real 'Con' is that some people are going to say that you are a monster. Although, most 'educated' bird people will understand and have nothing against it even if they personally don't clip their birds. If you do cop any stick for it, you just have to be strong and know you have done what is safest and best for your bird, regardless of whether you have chosen to clip, or leave them flighted. It is a choice and you need to make it based on yours and your birds lifestyles. Personally I don't clip anymore, I find my birds like to fly, but that is just what suits us. If my house was really not 'bird safe' then i would probably reconsider.

 

[wildheart]

We had to clip because my IRN attacked everybodies heads. Clipping sorted that problem out immediately and with lost of work and dedication I got her tame and begging for attention all the time.

I will always keep her wings clipped for the following reasons:

We travel back and forth between houses and I take almost all my pets with. She loves sitting in the tree by the holiday house and watch over the Crocodile River.
Sterretjie loves coming with me into the garden every morning when I cut herbs for my iguana.
She does gardening with me on weekends.
She sits in the tree by us when we are at the outside bar playing pool.
She hangs around the swimming pool with me on hot days.
She goes shopping with me.
I having a roaming iguana and bearded dragons in the house so for safety reasons.
Because she is clipped she is never caged.

If you are a person that travels and go on holidays and if you are person who loves the outdoors then I would recommend clipping.

 

[HRH Di]

If you decide to clip, you're going to get the same reaction from some people as you got when you declawed your cats. Personally, I completely understand the need for either procedure. And, I'd probably be more likely to declaw my cat than clip my bird.

The only con I would add would be that clipping can limit your bird's ability to escape should the need arise - specifically if you have other pets around. A flighted bird can get away from another pet much more easily than a clipped bird.

 

[GreenCheek]

Alright, I have to step in here. I ABSOLUTELY do NOT agree with declawing cats! It is NOT the same as clipping a bird. Clipping a bird is a painless procedure, and it's reversible. Declawing a cat is extremely painful, it's the equivalent of cutting the tips off of all of your fingers, and THEN having to walk on them. Any vet that would actually recommend this procedure is NOT a competent vet. There is no good excuse for declawing a cat. I don't blame you either, most people would listen to what a vet recommends, but it is really very cruel.

Now to clipping. I don't have an issue with clipping when it's done right. I would prefer that everyone had a bird safe home and could let their birds fly free, but it doesn't always happen that way. I find that with clipping, birds are definitely more dependent on you. Cody was sooo clingy when he was clipped, but now that he's flighted, he has a lot more independence. So, depending on which you'd prefer (a more clingy or more independent bird), that could be either a pro or con. A big con that I have with clipping is the chances of your bird being stepped on. Cody had a few close calls when he was clipped because he was unexpectedly fly to the middle of the floor as people were walking. That scared the heck out of me. But of course, with a flighted bird, you then have to watch for open doors, toilets, the stove, windows, and other things, but it's really not that difficult. I vote for no clipping, but I completely understand why some have to do it.

 

[Quantumcat]

The cons to clipping is that you will have a bird with a different personality. This is caused by the fact that they cannot run away from danger, and they are totally dependent on you.

They may scream more, to get your attention. They may get frustrated when they want to go somewhere or do something that they can't (especially if they have experienced being flighted) which could make them more aggressive (they may get angry for what seems to you is no reason whatsoever). They may be more aggressive and fearful - more biting, more spooking, more clinginess.

The other cons are that if you have any other pets, even if they are great friends with your birds, it's possible they may change their mind for the two seconds you are not in the room, and the bird can't get away, so it gets chomped. Remember, cat's saliva is poisonous so even a little nip could kill them. Also, it's possible even a very experienced clipper could make a mistake and chop a bloodfeather, leading to the bird bleeding to death.

If you can imagine what it might have been like to grow up with no legs and arms not strong enough for a wheelchair and before electric wheelchairs were invented, and also not able to talk, that's probably what it would be like being a clipped bird. Sometimes you could get your parents to put you where you wanted, but most of the time they would be guessing and would get it wrong.

A flighted bird is more confident, its behaviour is more predictable (constant underlying frustration leads to unexpected bursts of anger), it is less clingy and is unlikely to scream. The cons are that your home needs to be bird-proofed and every family member has to be co-operative (people can't go leaving doors or windows open indiscriminately). Households with large numbers of people including children may not be able to have a flighted bird.

Many of the pros of having a clipped bird can be reproduced by teaching a bird to wear a harness.