Arrrrrrr, I Want to Clip Truely's Wings Soooooo Bad! Talk Me Out of It!

[melissasparrots]

Well, I'm not going to talk you out of it. I think I'd clip the outer 2-3 flights on each wing. It will likely take her down a peg. It will make her think twice before doing an aerial attack. The down side is she might start going after your feet. If it were me, I'd combine the clip with a good look at what situations trigger an attack and some good behavioral modification. I get the feeling she thinks of it as a game and gets a power rush out of it. Its easier to rework your interactions so she can't do that if she's clipped. If nothing else, its easier to control them when the try a ground assault.
Melissa

 

[melissasparrots]

Oh, forgot to say, when I clip, I do a traditional clip on the first 3. That means down the level of the covert feathers. I don't like to take out the middle feathers because then the outer ones are just sticking out there by themselves and more likely to get snagged through cage bars. Also, I don't like to clip very far out and just take off the tips of feathers as I worry that will make them want to start overpreening them. Different strokes for different folks though. Whatever works.

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

 

[KatherinesBirds]

Well, some people clip and some don't. I have always found that when there is undesirable behavior, clipping can bring this to a minimum while the owner is working with the bird. Sometimes that is all it takes. Maybe this particular bird would be better behaved when clipped. I clip the first 8 to 10 from the outside on one wing only. Sometimes less. I go up to the coverts and just under the tips very carefully.

Katherine

 

[Anne & Gang]

 

[suncoast]

I just watched several video's of wing clipping and it made me sick to my stomach, but she beaned Craig in the forehead this morning so I just don't know what the right thing is to do. I'm wondering also if I should hold off until we get back from Italy, so that she doesn't feel like she's powerless with strangers while Deena and Cheryl are here, or should I do it today and get her used to it. WHY CAN'T SHE JUST BEHAVE????

Ginger

 

[Merlie]

I'd do it sooner rather than later. I'm sure Deena and Cheryl would appreciate not getting dive bombed and bitten. I know if I was bird sitting, and at risk of getting an arial assault every time I let the bird out of it's cage, that bird wouldn't be getting out of it's cage very often.

Squirtie had the same issue .. he got into this phase where he'd dive bomb me, latch on, and attack. He got me several times .. twice on the ear, once on the lip, and the last straw, was the corner of my eye .. that's when I said "enough" .. I'll tolerate a lot of nonsense from my babies, but NOT facial attacks.

I took 4 flights off each side. Worked like a charm!! He still had enough flight to get around the bird room with no problem, didn't crash to the floor, and it really took the "steam" out his arial attacks.

Once they grew back, he didn't seem so inclined to dive bomb again. Perhaps he knew if he did, it would be snip snip time again.

 

[sodakat]

Well, some people clip and some don't. I have always found that when there is undesirable behavior, clipping can bring this to a minimum while the owner is working with the bird. Sometimes that is all it takes. Maybe this particular bird would be better behaved when clipped. I clip the first 8 to 10 from the outside on one wing only. Sometimes less. I go up to the coverts and just under the tips very carefully.

Katherine

Why do you clip just one wing? I've been taught that this is not a safe clip.

 

[suncoast]

Okay, we're going with a combination of the progressive and BF's suggestion. We're going to start with the number 1 feather on each side and take off an inch. Then wait a few days and take an inch off the number two and so on until she can't launch an ariel attack but still fly. Does this sound like a good plan? The only thing I worry about is having the wing get hooked in the cage bars.

Ginger

 

[Merlie]

Ginger ..

Just from experience .. Jazz, my RB2, came to me with 3 flights on each side clipped to just about the coverts. She's probably about the same size as Truly, and let me tell ya, she had NO problem zippin' around with 3 missing flights. I don't think 1 flight or even 2 on each side is going to do much, esp. considering that Truly is already a strong flier.

JMHO

 

[suncoast]

I don't want to take the chance of her getting hurt, and I think doing it gradually will help her acclimate without too much mental stress.

Ginger

 

[suncoast]

Okay, well one feather on each side (the number 1) didn't do diddly. So we went to two on each side (the number 1 & 2) and we'll see how that works. I'm a nervous wreck.

Ginger

 

[jmfleish]

Oh Ginger you poor girl! Truley is ruling your life. I agree with most others that a flight or two being cut is optimal to just slow her down and she's obviously a good flier, so it isn't like she needs to learn to fly anymore but she does need to learn a little self restraint. I'd say you're going about it exactly the way I would...start with one flight and then do two on each side and just see how it goes and if you need to do a third, then you can do a third. Just take your time and experiment. I do think it makes a difference in an adult bird who is getting too big for her britches.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Ginger, how are you, Craig and Truely doing with the light clip?

 

[suncoast]

Well we can't tell any difference at all. Were going to let her acclimate today and maybe clip the next two tomorrow. She's still flying like a jedi.

Ginger

 

[Bokkapooh]

Is she still beiny naughty?

 

[suncoast]

Of course.

Ginger

 

[JLcribber]

The trouble with doing those smaller feathers further down the wing is those feathers don't grab as much air as the big number 10, 9, 8 feathers so you need to clip more of them to get the same effect. The big feathers at the end also move faster and grab more air just because of where they are.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I missed the part of clipping the 1 and 2 primaries. I remember when for some odd reason Bokka would seem to always break feathers 1,2,3 (the inner primaries) and he could fly still good, but it was a mystery how he always kept breaking those three on each wing.

 

[suncoast]

So should I lightly clip the 10,9 & 8 too? I only took an inch off the 1 & 2.

Ginger