Harnesses??

[danelvr]

I am wondering what the forum concensus is about bird harnesses/flight suits... I haven't had any experience with them but they sound like a neat idea in theory. Please if anyone has used them or knows stories (good or bad) about their use I'd really appreciate the input. Thanks! )

 

[ann]

well, i dont have any experiences with them myself, but it sounds like a good idea. here are my pros ond cons:
pros: your bird cant fly away, depending on the size and temperment of your bird it could prevent him/her from bitting a stranger and causing possible law suits, its a fun and safe way to take your bird outside, and it keeps him/her safe from predetors for the most part.
cons: your bird could get tangled in it, if your bird falls and your holding the leash he may hang and injure him/her self, it could be too tight or too loose. if the leash came out of your hand and your bird somehow managed to glide away the leash could get caught on something while he is trying to gllide (which would stop him from flying away but also possibly injure him.

these are based on the assumption that your bird has clipped wings. and about the law suit, i dont mean birds are some vicious creature bent on removing all fingers who come his way lol:11:, but that there are some crazy people out there who dont respect birds boundries and blame the bird when they get bit. size also matters with harness, budgie- mabey a little dangerous for him, cockatoo- seems pretty safe with the right precautions taken. hope this helped

 

[danelvr]

Thanks It seems like a wonderful idea to me, especially with the warmer weather coming...was just wondering if anyone knew of any safety reasons/horror stories because her safety is my primary concern. Her wings are clipped but I was considering leaving them after her next moult. I've been a Cockatoo owner for less than a week although I did have a Cockatiel for almost 20 years. I was never moved to look into it for the Cockatiel but Ziva is so friendly and just wants to be with me all the time...I spend a lot of time outdoors with my dogs as the weather permits and I'd love it if she could safely join us.

 

[Chaos_1.0]

If your bird hasn't had one on before it will take a while for her to get used to it. My tiel is used to wearing one and still throws a fit when I try to put it on, but once its on he is perfectly happy. It takes conditioning to get them used to it.

 

[danelvr]

Have you ever had any safety concerns?

 

[Chaos_1.0]

nope. It is really safe. My tiel has tried to fly and just hits the end of the leash and stays about the same height until he realizes he isn't going anywhere and just stops flying. Then he just grabs the leash and hangs there.

 

[danelvr]

Is there a brand or type you recommend?