DH wants me to clip Kazoo and I don't want to

[Love My Zons]

The new kitchen table and chairs is in and we pick it up later today. Kazoo is the most destructive of my birds and chews every and anything that is in beaks range.

So he said yesterday that we need to clip him. Now I was saying if we flighted harnessed him to where he couldn't fly off the playtop that might work while he is out with Hoosier. He is out with us now in the main area of the house, great room open floor plan to kitchen but he is busy in Hoosier's cage.

I am thinking giving him ample fly time with supervision and then back in the cage for a while. I am trying to figure out how to not clip him, I do want him flighted. The issue is spending hundreds of dollars on new furniture and him damaging it.

I do not know what more to do with him. Clip to allow flight he has always known but not allow him the height that he can get?

I would love some ideas here. I guess you can stick in the category of a green Too with the beak power and destruction dept.

 

[AzaleaMist]

I do not have any helpful advice, only a hug.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Can you have their out of cage time in another area of the house? I would tell DH how he needs his wings for exercise, coordination, mental stimulation and emotional well being. Let him read the articles. Here is one but there are others: Flighted Parrots - Thinking on the Wing by Steve Hartman    The Parrot University .
If all else fails,

 

[paperdragon]

Ok, so he wants you to clip Kazoo for what? To make him maddened with the desire for revenge, thus ensuring he will use any means necessary to demolish the hated table that ended his freedom? Or did you somehow end up with much less devious birds than average?

Maybe you could hang some netting across somewhere to keep him away?

 

[Mrcrowley]

Put carboard over table when he is flying around cover cardboard with table cover and back of chairs with towels or train him to play with his toys one good way I get my Nippie OCD bird from chewing is get his mind of something else to chew like if he chews my shirt I give him some paper to shread I bet cardborad woulld be great shread toy for him

 

[Anne & Gang]

I agree, try to cover up anything you don't want damaged while he is flying ...

 

[wonderb]

I would try modifying the behavior first. It would kill me to see his wings clipped. Since it is just ONE thing you want him to avoid (for now, at least) it shouldn't be too hard. It will just take some work!

 

[SandraK]

I've seen the post here about the mesh screen you can buy (as seen on T.V.) and we're trying just regular fibreglass window screen. Granted, it seems to work with tiels but a zon is much bigger, not to mention smarter and more devious. Round here a 48" x 84" roll goes for approx. $10.99.

 

[Danita]

Trust me, when I say do whatever you have to do to be sure he doesn't bite new things. My husband is so bitter about the animal damage on new furniture or good furniture, kitchen cabinets, it actually affects his feelings towards the animals. Plus, it causes tension between the two of us.
I don't blame him, if I bought new things, that I worked very hard for, and my mate let the animals have a go at it, I would be bitter too.

 

[Love My Zons]

Danita, you have hit the nail on the head! Exactly, just exact. He is starting to hate Kazoo, not good at all. He gives me $%#@ about it constantly, constantly and now he would never make me get rid of Kazoo, it is just something that has to be done sadly enough. He gets so mad at me because to me it's no big deal, so he says and I can agree with him, but it's hard to un-do something they have done.

 

[DQTimnehs]

I like the mesh screen idea.

Love me, love my pets.

 

[wonderb]

Do you see clipping to be a long term solution? If he is a strong flier, he'll probably still be able to reach the table and do damage if he is determined to. Also, since his buddy is flighted, it might affect the dynamics of their relationship to have one be clipped.

 

[DQTimnehs]

I don't see it as a solution at all. Pogo could fly circles around the house clipped with a couple of flights grown in. And you can't ground him completely, that would be dangerous for him falling hard. The only way to guarantee he stays off the table is to keep him out of the room.

 

[Stormcloud]

The new kitchen table and chairs is in and we pick it up later today. Kazoo is the most destructive of my birds and chews every and anything that is in beaks range.

So he said yesterday that we need to clip him. Now I was saying if we flighted harnessed him to where he couldn't fly off the playtop that might work while he is out with Hoosier. He is out with us now in the main area of the house, great room open floor plan to kitchen but he is busy in Hoosier's cage.

I am thinking giving him ample fly time with supervision and then back in the cage for a while. I am trying to figure out how to not clip him, I do want him flighted. The issue is spending hundreds of dollars on new furniture and him damaging it.

I do not know what more to do with him. Clip to allow flight he has always known but not allow him the height that he can get?

I would love some ideas here. I guess you can stick in the category of a green Too with the beak power and destruction dept.

It's a hard one Claire. I have a specific time in a specific spare room where I let my two out. This regime is necessary, simply because of the hours I work and I live on my own. My birds are also relatively small, so they do get some exercise in a very large cage (relative to bird size). They also don't have Kazoo's destructive power. Other than your furniture, does he have a favourite item he likes to chew so that you can redirect his chewing powers? I do understand where your hubby is coming from though as I'm sure he'd like to spend some of his hard-earned on things other than replacing furniture chewed by birds.

 

[SunUp]

I like the idea of throwing something over the table and chairs when he's out...something really ugly and unappealing looking to a zon (whatever that may be! ). Also the idea of the mesh to keep him out of that area of the room.
I do feel sympathy for spouses of us bird-crazed people. Sure, we are fascinated by these amazing creatures, and therefore willing to put up with a lot of things, but I can completely understand how hard it would be for other members of the household. Especially if the birds are destructive. It would be akin to my husband deciding he was going to rebuild motorcycles in our living room.

 

[JLcribber]

It's all about environment. You need a long term solution because let's face it he's going to be in your life for a very long time.

What he needs is airspace that he can call his own where he is free to do what he wants without the risk of damaging anything else. That means a bird room and blocking access to the rest.

Trying to modify that kind of behavior is going to take quite a bit of time and theres no way to be sure it will even work. There will always be those times when he doesn't listen.

Adapting the environment so it works for all involved is the real solution. If he is restricted to his own environment it will keep hubby happy and also improve that relationship.

It takes time to finally realize that in order for there to be harmony that we need to provide more space for them than we ever realized and it means sacrificing some of "our" space to make it happen.

If we were to have another person move into our house (or a child) they would need a room and personal space just like the rest of us. This is no different.

 

[birdlvr466]

Claire, what about if you drape kitchen towels over the backs of the chairs when he is out? We have a kitchen island with metal back chairs but I have towels draped over the top so when Tequila sits on them, he doesnt poop on the chair.

 

[birdlady]

WHat about a large thick comforter to drape over the table and chairs when they are out? I know the mesh idea might not work in an open concept home...it would be so hard here due to high ceilings, etc...but to protect the table would be a good idea and work with him to know where it is ok to land and where it is not.

 

[DQTimnehs]

The comforter is a good idea if he stays off it. You have to be careful though as qualofill (sp?) that is in comforters is toxic (of course) to birds.

 

[MommyBird]

Even if you clip his wings he can/will still go after the table and chair legs. You know that.
The only solution is to keep him out of the area entirely unless well supervised, or buy furniture he cannot damage is he chews (ex - metal legs.
I also agree that it will not work well if one bird is flighted and one is not.