Can I tie a fishing line to his band?

[Viva]

Hi,

I know this sounds ridiculous, but the guy at the store where I bought the bird told me if I want to take my bird out I can tie fishing line to its band so it wont fly away. Would this break it's leg? It is a small 7" brotogeris so I am not sure that a flight vest would work for him. Any experiences or advice?

I took him for a hike when I first got him and he was clipped and loved it so much!!!! I loved having him with me too. I hike a lot. Also, I am not a fan of clipping his wings. I know this is a recipe for disaster, but I believe in as much freedom as possible. Of course if he flew away we would both be devistated. We're totally bonded...


Thanks for any input!

 

[Mac mom]

Try a aviator harness, definitley no fishing line!

 

[Mizzely]

No, absolutely not. That is a recipe for a broken or dislocated leg.

Please get a harness Clipped birds can still fly away, and a flighted bird needs to be reliably recall trained if you want to keep him.

Check out kaylor collars, they are made to fit the smallest birds.

 

[Birdlover]

I would definitely not suggest it. You are right to think it could break his leg.

Clipped or flighted there is a risk of flying off. A safer way to restrain would be a harness, one of the packs or a travel cage. If you are active, the packs might be a nice way to go. Actually not clipping his wings is NOT a recipe for disaster. You will find there are a lot of us that keep our birds fully flighted

Pak-o-bird carrier

[h=1][/h]

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Old practice of putting something on a birds leg to act as a harness. Lot of bird injuries from that practice. Also if they should get away that line can wrap easily on something making it difficult for them to survive.

There are a few harnesses on the market and well worth looking into.

Aviator Harness
Flight suit
feather tether.

 

[Clueless]

A harness isn't 100% safe either. Just came from a seminar that mentioned clips can be undone by a smart bird and they can chew on the leash so always check those. Keep your eyes open for predators while out there.

 

[Clueless]

Yikes, forgot to add please, please do not use fishing line!

 

[KatherinesBirds]

​Nope, not recommended. Try the Aviator Harness! Pardon me but that guy who told you to try fishing line is wrong.

 

[Welshanne]

No fishing line please! If it were safe we would all be using some!
Try a harness if you are able to get your bird used to one, but even then you have to be vigilant as they do chew and eat their way out of anything if they have a mind to!

 

[Mare]

Please, don't use fishing line! Yikes, if he got caught up in a tree! Train your bird for recall and even more than that, you need a well developed bond with your bird, one that is tight. Not one you THINK you have...one you KNOW you have.

 

[GlassOnion]

Aviator harness is the way to go Pak o' bird is fantastic too!

 

[Lyzzi]

I really have to go with the Aviator Harness, too. I use them on my babies and have never had a problem

 

[AmberMuffinz]

Having a strong bond WILL NOT protect your bird from flying off. I agree with the others, use a harness. The companies that were already mentioned have several sizes for all birds so just look around and see which one you like best or what would work best for you.

 

[Mare]

Having a strong bond WILL NOT protect your bird from flying off. I agree with the others, use a harness. The companies that were already mentioned have several sizes for all birds so just look around and see which one you like best or what would work best for you.

A harness is a for sure way to hang on to your bird. How do you know FOR SURE, AmberMuffiinz, that a strong bond will not? Just curious here, why would you think this?

 

[WeasleyLover]

How do you know FOR SURE, AmberMuffiinz, that a strong bond will not? Just curious here, why would you think this?

I am going to get bashed for saying this, but I think it is perfectly fine to take your bird outside without a harness, but only if you have a strong bond with them and have them recall trained. I know MANY people who take their birds out without a harness, and they haven't had any problems. I am not saying that everyone should do this, I know I would never take Peatree out without her flight suit, but that is because she is not recall trained and gets spooked.

 

[Mare]

Yes, things can happen like a loud car driving by or a sudden shift in the tectonic plates, even a dog running by or a gunshot. In my experience, if your bird is strongly bonded to you, knows his environment well, he has a good chance of coming back to you safely. I'm not advising this to anyone, just my views.

 

[Mare]

I am going to get bashed for saying this, but I think it is perfectly fine to take your bird outside without a harness, but only if you have a strong bond with them and have them recall trained. I know MANY people who take their birds out without a harness, and they haven't had any problems. I am not saying that everyone should do this, I know I would never take Peatree out without her flight suit, but that is because she is not recall trained and gets spooked.

You have a brave soul!

 

[waterfaller1]

Now I have heard everything...

 

[AmberMuffinz]

I'm not going to turn this into an argument so this is my last post on the topic. If you think that a bond is going to protect your bird 100% I sure hope you learn the reality before something bad happens. Even professional free flighters lose birds. To think otherwise is a bit naive. Now let's revisit Tui's story for a reality check.

 

[Viva]

I get the feeling that the bird would want to come back. However in my case, Im waiting for his wings to grow out so I can teach him to fly. Im not sure if it requires a lot of intelligence for a bird to find its way back, that maybe a small bird like mine wouldn't possess? The only way I can see him leave would be if he TOOK OFF! and in all the excitement couldn't find its way back. Then again my moms Grey has flown away twice and we got him back luckily thanks to the kindness of strangers. The first time he was a baby and didnt have flight feathers but we were on a hill and he soared slowly off it. I was 10 or so with boundless energy and ran a few hundred yards under it until it landed pretty far off. It was intense. I picked him up and he said "Uh-oh" lol. Uh-oh is right!

A few years ago, he flew away again when he figured out a couple days in a row how to get out of his aviary and sit on top of it. Well some AT&T guys came by the backyard and spooked him away. We lived on a foot hill and he soared somewhere into the neighborhood below. When we picked him up that last time he was SUPER happy to see us even though, judging by their cell phone videos of him playing and talking with their little dog, I think he had a fun excursion. Of course it broke our hearts when he flew away, we hand raised him and he is almost 20 now.

Wait now, I will look into them, but are these harnesses made like the Flight Suit? I had one of those before to curb plucking on a large bird, and not only was it made ridiculously cheap it was uncomfortable and easy to chew through. What we did then was make our own t-shirt for the bird in a similar flight suit design minus the poop catch. It worked great, or at least better, but in this case it is riskier considering I want to take the bird on a hike and dont want to loose the bird if it gets spooked... My own craftsmanship might not be fail safe. But it sounds like they arent fail proof either...?

I envision I would want for the little guy a lightweight but durable shammy leather that would be soft, seamless and unrestrictive. Is this too much to ask? haha

Okay, here I go, i am going to google the different options now... Thanks guys!!! Let me know your experiences and your favo