Quakers & Wing Clipping???

[Amanda_Bennett]

I'm not asking for personal opinions on the pros/cons or anyone's personal beliefs about wing clipping.

I have read several things about Quakers not doing well if their wings are clipped, so what I am asking is for those of you who do own Quakers, have you clipped their wings? How did they do?

I'm asking because I want Kick to be able to have out of cage time, but it's not safe for him to fly around my apartment and me not to be able to catch him. I also don't want to damage his confidence or do any other damage to him mentally or physically.

Would a light clip be OK until we get to know each other and I get him trained to come to me and not be scared of me? I am talking about a very light clip, Zilla has one and can still fly about 12 or 15 feet and slowly descends to the ground.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I don't have a quaker, but if you do, I might suggest you have someone else do it. I clip Kiwi (well not anymore, but when I did) it didn't seem to break our bond, but with Rio that was a different story and I always had the bird store clip her wings and do her nails, then I was always the good person who would rescued her from those horrible people

 

[PaulaB]

I do have a quaker and have the SO clip his wings. It allows us to let him have more out time. We clip all our baby bird wings until they fly to us and understand our flock rules lol.
I also have a Green Cheek Conure that has the ability to fly however he is so used to walking around everywhere that he chooses to walk over fly. LOL he is quite the weirdo though!!!

 

[cnyguy]

Ralph's molts always go on for so long, it often seems pointless to clip wing feathers that are gradually being shed and replaced with new ones-- so I haven't had him clipped in a long while. He rarely flies unless something scares or upsets him, and then always goes directly back to his cage. He prefers having me carry him anywhere he wants to go. If safety is an issue, then clipping is usually the right thing to do, and it sometimes can help with behavior problems.

 

[Pthomas]

When we rescued Rico he was our 1st bird. We struggled with this decision but I'm the end decded not to clip. Rico was SOOO scared when we 1st got him. He wouldn't let us near him at all. So at that point even if we had decided to clip I don't think we could have gotten a hold of him to get it done anyway. But we just kept the door open and continued through our day. Eventually he started to venture out. He still doesn't fly much. Only goes to the couch or us but still spends most of his time on top of his cage. When I cook he flys by the kitchen to see what I'm doing. But then it's right back to his cage. My personal opinion... If you are not planning on keeping them clipped don't clip. My thought process is and I am NO expert, but once they grow back wouldn't they just go crazy with the new freedom feeling? Like a teenager who is never allowed to do anything. When they grow up they try to do everything. IDK... I could be wrong. That is just my silly logic

 

[Kiwibird]

Have you asked Zilla's vet or the folks at the Bird Hut their opinion? Given his behavior and the circumstances in which you found him (i.e. probably NOT well trained/loved) it may be appropriate to give a light clip to ground him a bit. I'd take the advice from here and from some of the pro bird people you know well

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

Have you asked Zilla's vet or the folks at the Bird Hut their opinion? Given his behavior and the circumstances in which you found him (i.e. probably NOT well trained/loved) it may be appropriate to give a light clip to ground him a bit. I'd take the advice from here and from some of the pro bird people you know well

Thanks April, you're right he is NOT well trained and it's not too safe for him to have out of cage time not being trained. I wouldn't care if he would just go back in on his own or if I could catch him if/when I needed to, but he isn't safe flying away from me every time I try to put him away. I have talked to Dr. Lintner and Brian at The Bird Hut, and am weighing all responses on the forum. He is in the middle of a hard molt right now so even a light clip probly wouldn't last very long, but it just might be what he needs to take him off his high horse enough to get a little training, and he would be much safer.

At this point even stick training isn't working because he just flies off, and if my hands get anywhere near him he will draw blood if he can. He had to have been handled with gloves because he is not even a little afraid of the gardening gloves I put on when I have to get close to him, and he doesn't struggle or even bite the gloves much, but if I don't wear them OUCH!

 

[getwozzy]

Quakers & Wing Clipping???

IMHO, given everything you've said so far~ I would get him clipped.

Wing clipping is such a tense topic, so I hope folks can be civil here and that there aren't any harsh comments.

Feathers grow back, so this would just be temporary~ especially until he gets used to his new home. I would also have someone else do it so he's not holding a grudge against YOU.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

I am leaning towards a light clip, just to be safe and until he gets some training and learns the flock rules (Zilla is the queen and she will enforce that as rule #1) and "don't bite the c**p out of the hand that feeds you" or you might starve!

Mr. Glove and Mr. Towel don't even faze him, he's not scared and doesn't even try to get away from either of them, so I'm sure that is how he was handled in his previous home. I would like to get to the point I can at least handle him a little without having to resort to gloves or towels. Maybe feed him without him going ballistic and turning into "vampire bird"!

I won't even attempt to clip him myself, I don't clip Zilla even though I probably could. I take her to The Bird Hut and Brian does a wonderful job for $4.00, and Zilla still LOVES him and hangs on his shoulder for 15 or 20 minutes after he's done with her!

 

[memacdou]

Hi Amanda, I am having the same concern with our IRN. He is obsessive about getting into our kitchen and has flown too close to the stove. We are considering putting a door up so he can't enter the kitchen at all but in our small house that option is not great. He was clipped when we brought him home, but I like that he gets exercise and freedom. But if he is in danger, I may need to have them clipped if we don't get that door. Such a difficult choice!

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

I'm tending towards the option of a super light clip. My Amazon Zilla gets just 2 feathers clipped in half and she can still fly about 10 to 12 feet if she wants to, she just kind of glides down and can't get lift (at least inside) I don't want to take away all ability to fly, no dropping like a rock, just a light clip so I can work with him and he can't get away so easy. I might even get 3 feathers on each side clipped, so he would have a little less range than Zilla does, just until we bond and he doesn't fly away from me. Once he learns and we bond he can have his flight back. I just need to be as safe as I can be.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I am leaning towards a light clip, just to be safe and until he gets some training and learns the flock rules (Zilla is the queen and she will enforce that as rule #1) and "don't bite the c**p out of the hand that feeds you" or you might starve!

Mr. Glove and Mr. Towel don't even faze him, he's not scared and doesn't even try to get away from either of them, so I'm sure that is how he was handled in his previous home. I would like to get to the point I can at least handle him a little without having to resort to gloves or towels. Maybe feed him without him going ballistic and turning into "vampire bird"!

I won't even attempt to clip him myself, I don't clip Zilla even though I probably could. I take her to The Bird Hut and Brian does a wonderful job for $4.00, and Zilla still LOVES him and hangs on his shoulder for 15 or 20 minutes after he's done with her!

Yeah an attitude adjustment just might be in order. Especially if Mr. Glove and Mr. Towel do not faze him. At this point clipping may be the safer option for him, and give you piece of mind. It will be easier to handle him and knock him down a notch. One thing though if he is going through a hard molt, you probably haven't seen his "real" personality. He is probably a bit on the cranky side. But even if you clip and then have to do it again in a couple of weeks, he will survive.:54:

 

[RavensGryf]

I'm tending towards the option of a super light clip. My Amazon Zilla gets just 2 feathers clipped in half and she can still fly about 10 to 12 feet if she wants to, she just kind of glides down and can't get lift (at least inside) I don't want to take away all ability to fly, no dropping like a rock, just a light clip so I can work with him and he can't get away so easy. I might even get 3 feathers on each side clipped, so he would have a little less range than Zilla does, just until we bond and he doesn't fly away from me. Once he learns and we bond he can have his flight back. I just need to be as safe as I can be.

Keep in mind though, a super light clip doesn't work for all birds... You might have to adjust it little by little. For example, Raven (Pionus) which is twice as heavy as a Quaker, can still fly slowly over about 15 feet with a FULL clip. His ability shocked me at first. If he had a "light" clip he'd be flying very well!

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

It's a good thing The Bird Hut is only about 3 miles from me And Zilla LOVES LOVES LOVES to go on "field trips" to visit Brian! We can get him some adjustments until we get it right! I really am thinking for his safety and my sanity he is going to have to be clipped at least until he learns.

 

[SoCalWendy]

It's a good thing The Bird Hut is only about 3 miles from me And Zilla LOVES LOVES LOVES to go on "field trips" to visit Brian! We can get him some adjustments until we get it right! I really am thinking for his safety and my sanity he is going to have to be clipped at least until he learns.

Do they have toys there too? :54: just saying...

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

It's a good thing The Bird Hut is only about 3 miles from me And Zilla LOVES LOVES LOVES to go on "field trips" to visit Brian! We can get him some adjustments until we get it right! I really am thinking for his safety and my sanity he is going to have to be clipped at least until he learns.

Do they have toys there too? :54: just saying...

Toys and treats and lots of birds to "talk" to!

It's a VERY Bad place for me to live so close to...LOL I spend way too much money there, and I've only had one bird to spoil, this could get really bad now that I have 2 feather kids