Harness Help : Selection - Training - Use !

[Violet_Diva]

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a flight harness for my Bella (she's a vosmaeri eclectus.) I'm guessing there's going to be different brands available and I'm not really sure where to start. Are they all typically of the same quality or are there any to be avoided? I'd hate to buy something inferior or unsafe that could potentially harm my girl. Also what size would I need to get? I'm asking in an attempt to avoid buying multiple inappropriate harnesses!

Any advice relating to :
Harness Selection
Harness Training
Harness Use
would all be welcomed and very much appreciated!

I'd love for others to share their harness stories and experiences.

Questions :
Have you got any stories about your fid(s) and harnesses?
Have you had any accidents as a result of a harness?
How often do you use a harness?

Please share!

 

[Anansi]

Here's a thread I did regarding getting my Maya harness trained: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/57748-guess-who-finally-got-her-harness.html

And here's a link to a harness training thread that is chock-full of videos: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/59374-harness-training-videos.html

My personal recommendation is to buy the medium-sized aviator harness (The loop for the head will look small, but don't worry... it's the right size. Lol!). The quality is top notch and capable of standing up to chewing, and it has a bungee type leash so that your bird isn't jerked to a halt upon reaching the end of the tether. (Very important.) Only the tether is bungee, though. The harness itself is a far more bite resistant material.

It's also quite lightweight, so that it will accommodate your ekkie if you want to do flight drills outside with her.

 

[Violet_Diva]

Just to let you know, Bella's got a lovely new purple aviator harness! She's a bit cautious of it. She fluffed up at it like a scared rainbow chicken, so I wrapped it round my hand which I then fed her treats from. Looks like she might take a little while to warm up to it...

I've been able to individually lift her wings whilest she's eating treats (and I've added the association word 'Wing' whilest I'm doing this). I'm just trying to work on holding them there for longer periods of time so eventually it will enable me to put her wings through the harness with ease.

I also need to work on contact with her body in the area where I'll need to tighten the buckle once the harness is on, plus work on putting the harness over her head (both on and off) before I even attempt to get her to wear it.

This might be a long journey...

But I'll let you know of any progress!

 

[Anansi]

Sounds like you're on the right track. Definitely not a process to be rushed. Some birds are more open to it than others, and sometimes it takes a while to get them comfortable with the idea.

Looking forward to hearing your updates and following your progress.