conure harness

[clark_conure]

I'm not saying I'm going to get one yet but...

To owners that use a harness...which of these is something you use and have had success with.

https://www.amazon.com/Avianweb-Har...qid=1505491783&sr=8-2&keywords=conure+harness

https://www.amazon.com/Harness-Gree...qid=1505491783&sr=8-1&keywords=conure+harness

https://www.amazon.com/RIDER-Harnes...qid=1505491783&sr=8-8&keywords=conure+harness


https://www.amazon.com/Premier-Feat...qid=1505491783&sr=8-7&keywords=conure+harness


personally the more i look at them I think I'm fine not going out in strong winds and feathers clipped. But if someone can really vouch for something I might consider it in time. I'm not giving into the "you must have a harness" mafia but I always consider all opinions. I've even looked at some pack-o-bird things. But my mental leash and my knowledge of physics...and clipping flight feathers making flight basically as impossible as tossing up a kittten, even a flying squirrell.....well we will see.

 

[SilverSage]

The first one I haven't seen but it doesn't look very adjustable so I wouldn't use it.

The second one I absolutely hate. It tightens on the neck when they pull.

The third has a buckle. I wouldn't use anything that buckles on a hookbill since they can easily unbuckle it when you aren't looking.

The feather tether is deceiving; you won't actually receive that design. The conure size is a figure 8 that again, wraps around these neck and body in such a way that it tightens on the neck when they pull. When I got mine I was appalled and they wouldn't refund me because there was "no flaw with the product."

I use the Aviator. NO QUESTION the SAFEST option out there. And it is extremely easy to use once your bird is trained. Sure the others may be easier to force a bird into but that's how you get a bird who is terrified of all harnesses for the rest of his life. You can also find them on Amazon but this is the website of the creator.
https://theparrotuniversity.com/content/aviator-bird-harness


I also use the FlightSuits by Avian Fashions. Some of my birds are a bit too eager to chew for this option to work well but my tiels and GCCs do really well in them.

http://www.flightquarters.com




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[SilverSage]

Oh, and I've had a clipped bird fly away. He was properly clipped too. He was never recovered. I'm sorry but clipping is not and will never be enough, and I'll never let a comment like that pass. A breath of wind can carry a startled bird away in a heartbeat. They don't have to fly into the sunset, just into the street, into a tree, over a fence into a yard with a dog, into a bucket for a second too long so he dies of water inhalation days later.


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[clark_conure]

to your last comment that's why I no longer try to argue for or against clipping, I learned about a week ago it's tic-tac-toe; it s a no one wins stalemate. I own a large yard and no predators about. In my particular situation I feel comfortable just walking out on the patio with my bird...with the harness; I'm thinking OFF my property....I'm going to look into your brand you recommend. I think each owner kinda-sorta knows the risks in his area, I'm comfortable with mine with a clipped bird.

 

[Katu]

I have a lot of predator birds flying over my backyard and general area because we are very close to a big provincial park. I don't think I would ever feel safe with a bird using a harness. I don't think I'll even try, unless someone can give me a reason to harness train anyway. I'm undecided on wing clipping. Maybe a one time thing, maybe never. I'm really worried about hawks. We have tons.

 

[SilverSage]

And I won't go on a rampage against you, no worries. But after my personal loss I feel the need to at least state my belief, or I would feel personally responsible for not speaking up if you ever lost your bird. You are correct that we each pick and choose our risks; we can only make recommendations to each other and all do our best to offer the best quality of life to our fids.


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[wrench13]

Aviator Harness hands down. Salty never goes outside unless he has his on, or he is in his pac o bird. I love him too much to take a change of that stray puff of wind. And he is clipped, by my CAV. Aviators take training to desensitize your parrot into wearing one. Once they are comfortable wearing one, they forget about them and instead take enjoyment in looking around and getting treats. But Clark's your bird, you make the decision.

And I too have had a clipped parrot fly away never to be seen again.

 

[clark_conure]

silversage when I was about um 13ish I lost a cockatiel when a neighbor came over and and it flew out....that's why I clip, devastated, I know the loss of a bird getting away. Ads in the local paper etc. But with clark and monitoring his flight I feel secure in his safety. It's personal to everyone, I get that, I think I'm fine in my own yard I was just thinking about you know festivals and such. I'm fully cognoscente of the risk but I also know my bird and my location. I don't recommend to anyone else that isn't aware of all the risks around them.

 

[Pilaf]

I have the aviator harness for Echo. I read that that's the best one. I'm in the middle of harness training him. It goes very slow though.

 

[wrench13]

Pilaf, keep at it, its so worth it.

 

[SilverSage]

It took me about 11 months to train Flick (one of my GCCs). It takes about 3 days to train a baby in the nest; that's why it frustrates me SO MUCH when breeders don't bother to do it.


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[IndySE]

I'm using the aviator harness with my GCC. I've had it for a while, but we both had to take a break from training. We are as far as 'I stick my head in the hole and get a blueberry, then immediately back out'. It's very slow training LOL. But I can't wait for when I can take her out with me

 

[wrench13]

Indy good for you, thats the hardest part is getting them to voluntarily put their head in the head loop. try to get Kermit to leave his head in there longer ( more blue berries) and use verbal commands "ON' , lots of good boys while he has it on, and "OFF" when he starts to pull his head out. Treat for that too. Can you handle Kermit reasonably well, ie hold his body and manipulate his wings? If he knows there are treats involved, Its easier to put him on your lap. Lightly hold his head and slip the head loop over , treat, and then put one wing then the other thru the wing loops ( they should be loosened up to the max and made even). Start to tighten up the slide buckle a bit at a time, treating the whole time. Make sure his legs are in the right position, and tighten up the rest of the way. Watch my video "How not to put harness on" - i try 2x the first is a disaster, the second time , it goes on easily.

 

[LordTriggs]

Aviator by far. Just make sure you check check check sizing before putting it on. I found with conures the sizing is a little off as they have slightly bigger heads than other birds that size

 

[Flboy]

……as impossible as tossing up a kittten……

Is this still done in Minnesota? Is kitten tossing an annual event still?
Long winters-interesting diversions!

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I have always wanted to harness train my birds, but just never got around to it. Ducky abolutely hated the harness, tried to rip it off, and Kermit is afraid of it. I can't even get the harness near him without him flying away. I have heard many stories of when just one flight feather grew out and that was enough to carry the bird into a tree. Don't trust clipping. You may have never had a problem, but clipping is giving you a false sense of security and Clark will end up just like your cockatiel. Now, my birds never go outside without a carrier, but they are flighted so anyone who wants to keep their bird would never take them outside unrestrained. I think you should harness train Clark and let his flights grow out so he'll be happy, you'll be happy, and he will be safe.

 

[ZephyrFly]

The aviator is easily the safest and best reviewed. And while I do have one that is sized my my GCC, the head hole is too small. It's not like I have a particularly large GGC either.

 

[IndySE]

Indy good for you, thats the hardest part is getting them to voluntarily put their head in the head loop. try to get Kermit to leave his head in there longer ( more blue berries) and use verbal commands "ON' , lots of good boys while he has it on, and "OFF" when he starts to pull his head out. Treat for that too. Can you handle Kermit reasonably well, ie hold his body and manipulate his wings? If he knows there are treats involved, Its easier to put him on your lap. Lightly hold his head and slip the head loop over , treat, and then put one wing then the other thru the wing loops ( they should be loosened up to the max and made even). Start to tighten up the slide buckle a bit at a time, treating the whole time. Make sure his legs are in the right position, and tighten up the rest of the way. Watch my video "How not to put harness on" - i try 2x the first is a disaster, the second time , it goes on easily.

Thank you for the advice ! I've been unsure the next step, but I've been trying different tactics to encourage her to keep her head in it longer. Blueberries are a nice treat because she can't eat it all in one bite, so I'm hoping she'll figure out she can get all the blueberry she wants if she just keeps her head in... no luck so far. I'll try to make the on and off a verbal cue, though. She's comfortable with handling, though doesn't like her wings touched much. I've been trying to desensitize her to this by gently manipulating them when I play with her.

The aviator is easily the safest and best reviewed. And while I do have one that is sized my my GCC, the head hole is too small. It's not like I have a particularly large GGC either.

I thought the same thing. Since GCC are so small, the hole is designed to be much snugger around the neck. They explain in greater detail on their website why it was designed that way. It does fit, I promise ! You have to stretch out the opening a bit. But for that reason, smaller birds are more difficult to train with the harness.

 

[Pilaf]

Indy good for you, thats the hardest part is getting them to voluntarily put their head in the head loop. try to get Kermit to leave his head in there longer ( more blue berries) and use verbal commands "ON' , lots of good boys while he has it on, and "OFF" when he starts to pull his head out. Treat for that too. Can you handle Kermit reasonably well, ie hold his body and manipulate his wings? If he knows there are treats involved, Its easier to put him on your lap. Lightly hold his head and slip the head loop over , treat, and then put one wing then the other thru the wing loops ( they should be loosened up to the max and made even). Start to tighten up the slide buckle a bit at a time, treating the whole time. Make sure his legs are in the right position, and tighten up the rest of the way. Watch my video "How not to put harness on" - i try 2x the first is a disaster, the second time , it goes on easily.

Thank you for the advice ! I've been unsure the next step, but I've been trying different tactics to encourage her to keep her head in it longer. Blueberries are a nice treat because she can't eat it all in one bite, so I'm hoping she'll figure out she can get all the blueberry she wants if she just keeps her head in... no luck so far. I'll try to make the on and off a verbal cue, though. She's comfortable with handling, though doesn't like her wings touched much. I've been trying to desensitize her to this by gently manipulating them when I play with her.

The aviator is easily the safest and best reviewed. And while I do have one that is sized my my GCC, the head hole is too small. It's not like I have a particularly large GGC either.

I thought the same thing. Since GCC are so small, the hole is designed to be much snugger around the neck. They explain in greater detail on their website why it was designed that way. It does fit, I promise ! You have to stretch out the opening a bit. But for that reason, smaller birds are more difficult to train with the harness.

I'm exactly at the same spot with Echo. Echo reaches his head through the loop for a snack but then immediately wants out, no matter how many snacks he gets. The other day I tried it a bit longer and he panicked. So I decided to give him a break. I just don't know how to get him past this point to be honest. Everything is good and he's comfortable until the loop goes around his head longer then 1 second (the time he can get his treat through the loop). The head loop is not too small though, it fits perfectly.

 

[DerTier]

I had an aviator harness but i hated it. Always managed to put it on backwards, to the extreme irritation of my conure lol