To Clip, or Not to Clip. ):

[Lullx]

I'm having a bit of a dilemma right now.

My cockatiel, Lucy, has always had her wings. She's turning 1 next week, so she's still kind of a juvenile. The breeder I got her from never clipped her flight feathers, and I had no desire to trim them. I wanted her to grow up being fully flighted.

However, it's lately become a problem ):

She's becoming very hormonal and is constantly flying around the room, smacking into me, landing on the other birds, flying onto the molding and trying to attack the lights, and going to the top shelf of my built-in-the-wall bookcase. She's usually a very confident and controlled pilot, but lately she's been getting careless and has actually hurt me several times by carelessly slamming into my head or scratching my face when she misses my shoulder or the top of my head.

When she gets up on the molding or the bookshelf, I have a hard time reaching her, and with my health it's proven dangerous for me. I get dizzy easily, and have almost fallen several times while standing or even kneeling on chairs and stools. Even the act of stretching on my tip-toes to reach her often makes me very dizzy and light headed.

Since I'm getting a congo grey this summer, I'm doing my best to make my home a safe and calm environment. Lucy freaking out and flapping all over the place causes the other birds to take off and try flying, creating a very hectic environment. I also worry that she'll scare the grey or get in his face and he'll end up lashing out at her. I don't want anyone to get hurt! I also don't want to get annoyed and have to get up from doing something with the grey to go get her off of the bookshelf. That doesn't feel fair to anyone.
When I'm doing something that requires my constant attention for 10 minutes, or eating something dangerous like soup, I have to lock her up in her cage just so she doesn't get into trouble or get hurt. I hate doing that to her ):

I clipped all of my budgies for their own sake and they're much happier since they're allowed to be out and about all day without the danger of getting hurt.

But I'm scared that my tiel will react negatively to being grounded. I'm confident that she would be able to glide from her cage to where I usually am very easily (my juvenile conure with still-clipped wings is able to easily make it this far when she focuses), because Lucy is a very strong and confident flier. But she wouldn't be able to fly up to where I can't reach her and where she can get into trouble.
I've tried to curb this behavior, but she's looking for a nest high up and will not stop going up there and knocking things off the shelves (even heavy things that I didn't think a tiel could physically move).

She trusts me and is strongly bonded to me. Since she's still somewhat young, should she handle being clipped better? Is is a bad idea to get her clipped? What do I do ):

I love my flock and want everyone to be safe and happy and allowed to hang outside of their cages all day while I'm home.

 

[Sunset_Chaser]

Looky here

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/51789-wing-clip.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/51221-pros-cons-clipping-wings.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/50668-wing-trim-safety.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/50574-wings-clip-not-clip.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/50267-clip-not-clip-question-my-apologies-shakespeare.html

 

[Lullx]

Thank you for those links.

I'm very torn on the idea of clipping, so I'm hoping for some opinions on my specific situation. This is breaking my heart ):

 

[Sunset_Chaser]

Personally then, for her safety and yours (because of your health issues) I would clip. Her feathers will grow out again so if you change your mind down the road it's not like it's permanent

 

[Lullx]

I'm worried about possible psychological damage. Making her lose her confidence or her trust in me.
Is that a common issue with clipping birds who have been allowed to fly for several months (and for her, her entire life so far)?
I'd rather have her angry at me and safe, but I'm still worried that I'll be making the wrong decision.

 

[Sunset_Chaser]

From past experiences, while they do sulk for a bit they quickly adjust. Start with a gentle clip

 

[Lullx]

That's very reassuring, thank you so much!

I'll be sure to keep her extra comfy and preoccupied once I get her clipped until she adjusts to being grounded.
I just need to remember that it's for her safety. I'd never forgive myself if she got hurt because I didn't clip her wings.

 

[kalypso123]

In your situation I would clip. Im allowing my tiels feathers to row back in as they were clipped when I got her. She is learning how to fly and is becoming better. She isnt fully flighted yet but soon. If I were you I would make ways for Lucy to get to favirote places by adding ladders swaying and normal, cargo nets, and maybe even a boing. This would make your tiel more comfortable and confindent when she cant fly. It also provides enrinchment for your whole flock as I am sure they will want to use it too.

 

[Lullx]

I made a cargo net today actually! I hooked it up to the side of the cage so everyone can climb up from the floor. Lucy has gotten pretty good at climbing from trying to copy her conure siblings.

She normally flies from the cage to me or her play stand. I believe she'll be able to hover to both places easily. Their cage is tall! She also really likes walking around on the floor, which is a habit I've been instilling in all of my birds to help raise their confidence. They don't feel afraid on the floor anymore, which I hope helps Lucy adjust.

I wanted to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I think I am.

 

[veimar]

There is a half clip - my tiel can fly really well with that, but it prevents him from rushing and smashing into something. He was a rescue held in cage for the first 18 mo of his life, so he had very poor understanding of space and smashed into a wall on the first day. Tiels have very strong wings so even clipped they can fly well. You can do it yourself just clipping a halfway through the primaries and then trimming a bit so it looks nice. I never trust any vet to clip my birds wings because they have their own understanding of clipping and do way too short clips.
IMHO there is no question if birds can fly or cannot fly with clip, but if they fly too fast and too far away to cause damage to themselves and need to be a bit restrained in that.

 

[Lullx]

I usually clip my budgies and I like to think I've gotten very good at it.
I think it'll be less traumatic if I do it here at home instead of taking her in to see the vet. My boyfriend used to be a vet assistant so he also knows how to properly hold an animal (including birds) and perform basic grooming. I'll make sure he's here to help so Lucy doesn't get hurt with me trying to hold and clip her at the same time.

I'll look into the half clip as well. I forget that clipping doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. I kind of do a long clip on my budgies (but not what I'd call a half-clip). Sometimes they can get enough lift to get up to the bottom of their cage (it's on a built-in stand), which is about a foot and a half off of the ground.
By that logic, I think Lucy would be able to get up to the moldoing and bookshelf from on top of her cage with a half clip. The top of the playstand on their cage is about 5 and a half feet tall, and the top shelf is probably a foot above that, and the molding only a few inches higher up.

I'll probably have to fully clip Lucy ):

 

[veimar]

I'd try to start out with a half clip and then clip more if it doesn't work. With the half clip the flying becomes physically difficult to them and she'd get tired of flying very quickly and will slow down to keep her energy. And the transition to the full clip (if you need one) will be less stressful. But if she is trying to make a nest then it's a whole different problem. Does she know the word "No!"? My parrots are trained just like dogs not to do whet's not allowed - it's totally possible to teach them not to do things you hate them doing. Mine are not allowed on the floor at all and they fly off right away if they happen to land there (out of my six fids 5 are half-clipped and one is fully flighted). Can you teach her not to go to that bookshelf?
My other observation is that tiels are not very well equipped for climbing like budgies or gccs, and it would be difficult for her to move if she wouldn't be able to fly. Have you seen her walk? It's probably pretty awkward... I'd be just careful not to hurt her psychologically especially that she is hormonal. You don't wan't her to become a perch potato because she wouldn't know how to move around.
It's all up to you to decide - I'm suggesting just some things to think about.

 

[Lullx]

I appreciate your suggestions!

I encourage my birds to play around on the floor often. I'll sit down there with them and they'll walk around and "forage" on the floor and climb all over me. Lucy is actually pretty good at climbing! She likes to follow along with what my conures do. She holds bigger pieces of food up in her feet like other parrots do and tries to rip pieces off, because that's what my conures do. She's climbed up my couch before, and very often up the charging cable for my phone (she loves my phone). She normally prefers climbing somewhere over flying, unless it's only reachable by flight. She grew up with and continues to mature with the conures, so she's taken on a lot of their characteristics. Her legs are getting so strong! And she uses her beak to hold on to things while she's climbing

Part of me is hoping this helps her bond with the conures become even stronger. They all get along but don't really hang out. Lucy is always flying over to bug me and leaving them behind. She's become far too spastic and has actually physically hurt me (but luckily she's been okay every time; I have fibromyalgia).

I'm here all the time to help her cope with and get used to the adjustment to the best of my ability.

 

[Lullx]

Also, I'm sorry and got caught up in how gremlin-like she's become.

My birds are still learning verbal commands such as "No!". Lucy just misbehaves and gets into everything she can, ever since she started acting hormonal. She's out of control ):
But only when she wants to be. When she doesn't seem to be at the mercy of her hormones, she's a fantastic little chicken and listens much better.
But once those hormones flare... Forget it. She's a tyrant.

I've been trying to teach her to not go to the bookshelf, and trying to distract her so she's not even tempted, but that seems to be her favorite nesting spot and nothing has come close to swaying her.

 

[jasper19]

Hi Lullx!

I share you same thoughts about not clipping. I will not clip if i can avoid it. And so far it hasn't been a problem.

But in a circumstance where the bird with the ability to fly is having it cause safety problems, i think this is a totally legitimate reason to clip.

If angel ever started constantly flying around, into lights, doors etc...i would get her clipped. Though she hasn't so i don't see a reason to.

Also others have made good points, in that you can start with a light clip, and whatever kind of clip they will grow back eventually.

 

[Lullx]

I really appreciate your input, thank you so much.

It's making this difficult decision a little easier. I'm going to have my partner help me clip her this weekend. I need to remember that it's for the safety and well being of everyone, including myself.

 

[Lullx]

Well, I decided to get it done today before my guilt overwhelmed me and I backed out of it.
She's always very calm and relaxed after a shower, so I took her in with me and clipped her wings lightly myself. She didn't even realize I did anything! She must have thought I was just snuggling her oddly or something. I kept her in the bathroom for a while to make sure she wasn't going to freak out, and now she's perched on the playstand and preening happily enough. She hasn't tried flying yet, but I'm watching carefully.

I did a shallow clip so the change isn't too drastic. Hopefully this is enough to dissuade her from trying to eat my molding and bookshelf.

 

[MikeyTN]

Lullx,

Please review those links that was provided to you earlier. Your situation isn't any different from anyone else for this specific topic to go on. It is a controversial topic as everyone have different views on it. So make your decision on your own and read through past discussions and make your own decision on what you want to do and what's best for you and your beloved fid.

Thank you!

 

[Lullx]

Thank you, I did.
I also decided that it would be best to clip her, and I did today.

 

[MikeyTN]

I just read through your last reply. I'm on it through my phone and it's giving me issues....anyways, she will try to jump off but she'll learn over time she's not going no where if she's not able to fly. It just takes them a few times of jumping off to learn.