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Do you have full flight birds

Whats your bird(s) flight status?

  • yes, my bird(s) are full-flight

    Votes: 546 65.9%
  • No, my bird(s) are clipped

    Votes: 59 7.1%
  • Some of my birds are clipped and some arent

    Votes: 143 17.3%
  • Im considering full-flight but my bird(s) are currently clipped

    Votes: 80 9.7%

  • Total voters
    828

dolldid

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As you all know Mango has always been free he has the run of my full apt , well i just moved in my lat apt he clamed the front door thing as his sleep place it was scary I was always afraid of him losing a toe but He always managed to be safe

In our new apt no door closure to sleep on , I was hopping he would clame his cage but no he has clames thebathroom shower rod , in this new place i have my own back door its great but and a big but how do i make sure hes safe when i use ti comming and going , birds are smart if you give them a chance trust me if you do right by them you will know , my son came over and with a long pice of thin wood he wrapped a bed sheet over it 1 foot either side past the door and nailled it across the top of the door with about a foot or sheet gathered at each end .

now were talking total free bird in the home even when we go out not a bird room free even if no one is home he has never damaged a thing nothing bot computer keyboard cubard door nothing yes im very lucky now back to this door

im going out i place my chair near the door lift the sheet cover my chair with it now im at the door out i co but comming in i have to expose the out side door wide open no cover over it im talking an extra wide door to notlike you all have in i come no bird hes in the bathroom .

I have had company over no problem Mango has no intrest in that door none at all , yes i am I beleave like you all afraide of him getting out but im also not afraideI trust him many nights i leave it wide open with Mango in the same room but iys covered with the sheet if its windy its only open a we bit but we have fresh air some times for 5 hrs

Some of you might think im nuts and I have to agree cause I break all the rules that have ever been written from day one Mango was brought in to my home and bever touched never asked to do a thing he was free but left alone till he decided he wanted me I never put my hand in his cage while he was in it never asked him to come out every thing he did was his choice al i did was feed water open close door of cage and when he was out cleaned it while he watched never touched his toys either it took a long time id talk to him at a distance but I truly beleave this is why i have a bird I can trust my not asking demanding any thing payed off
To do as I did wasnt easy I think it was the hardest thing not touching him not holding him but today it was all worth it

I have said a lot of this many times in hopes one day a new bird MoM or DaD might see it some where befor getting there baby and try it they wont know for a long time if it works but when they relise what they have in the end they will be so glad

Having a bird cage free as i have is hard to explain its been months touch wood since i have been nipped dive bombed any thing other than play with me I have seen so many changes its hard to beleave , am I nuts no I have tryed many things and I know I do many things not one of you would ever admit to doing to a bird things that are no no called crule only bad people do but i wont let a dog bite me and get away with it so why hide your feelings when a bird does it i raise my voice i shack my finger same as i would to a dog or cat,,lol

Freedom flying is a birds life give it all and the rewards come back to you in so many ways use your heart to guide you put your self in your birds posision stand in his feet and you wont go wrong


Modes if this is in the wrong place please move it 027.JPG 028.JPG
 

Sarah13

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That's awesome good for Mango! I live in an apartment with my flighted GW too and I never cage her. We're twinkies!
:bliss:
 

Applebutter

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Nobody is clipped except for bad girl Sugarplum, she will most likely stay clipped for life.

I'd rather have them fully flighted, I thinks it's healthier for them to be as a bird should be with some exceptions of course. My lovebird is an excellent flier. My green cheek even though not clipped can't really seem to fly. My Sunday flies and so far I'm watching his progress, if it looks like he should be clipped I will probably clip him.

I think it depends on the individual bird and circumstance if they should be clipped or not.
 

dolldid

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Nobody is clipped except for bad girl Sugarplum, she will most likely stay clipped for life.

I'd rather have them fully flighted, I thinks it's healthier for them to be as a bird should be with some exceptions of course. My lovebird is an excellent flier. My green cheek even though not clipped can't really seem to fly. My Sunday flies and so far I'm watching his progress, if it looks like he should be clipped I will probably clip him.

I think it depends on the individual bird and circumstance if they should be clipped or not.
yes I agree with you there are many for one reason or another to clip ,but in most cases if there is no reason other than the human finds it easerto handle rather than finding ways to build trust having total cage free your guard has always be up even with full trust as in my case my home is not bird proof in any way there is danger in every room as im still organizing my apt , even then it wont be total safe but again birds are smart if you let them be , flying is healther and birds are much stronger for it also less chance of becoming over weight
 

Applebutter

Jogging around the block
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937
In my case, I had to clip my Jenday because she attacked my GCC thru his cage bars and nearly broke his beak off. I also can't relocate them to different rooms or one would be isolated from the main room that has the most activity in it.
 

Sarah13

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Thanks very much @Sarah13 :) That was a very informative answer!

If you can at some point, I'd love to see a video of Val flying!
Sorry this seemed to take so long.....college just gets so busy! I didn't forget about you though! :loveshower:

Val enjoys her fly time. Since school got out a few days ago, I started getting Val back into better shape. I think taking the time to train/fly her is part of my responsibility of fulfilling her as a bird just as nature intended. It will improve her life for the better and keep her balanced.
:fly2:
We did a warm up flight because that was a new place and she had never flown there before. 56 yards.


We then did several flights down the entire length of the hallway. YAY!! NEW RECORD FOR HER! 118 yards!
We need to find a longer hallway! :joyful:When I first adopted her, she hated flying and quite frankly, sorry Val....sucked majorly at it! :hilarious: I'm so proud of how far she has come over the course of just a few months of flight training and a few days of distance expansion! :heart:


Ahhh, you flew the feathers out of me!
:roflmao: ( yep....we're in a molt)

IMAG1742.jpg

We are also working on ascending for muscle and stamina building, descending for distance/maneuver judgement, and flying around corners for coordination and flexibility. I plan to get her flying outside this summer even if it's simple point A-B and recall flights. She loves the sun and breeze and I have safe areas for her. Sadly she will never be able to free fly as I hoped when first looking into owning macaws. I'll have to wait until I can get a baby or an adult that was never clipped and fleged properly for that but that's okay....I will do everything I can to keep my girl flying at her best and feeling great!
:hug8:
 
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noblemacaw

Walking the driveway
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I did extensive research with Red Fronted macaws before I brought Valentino home. These macaws fly like no other parrot. Even though I knew RFM's are talented flyers I still prepped my home for Valentino. Wendy and I had a conversation about clipping before she was to ship him. I wanted Valentino to not be clipped, explained the reasons why and Wendy was in agreement with me. So my RFM has never had his wings clipped. Within the first few days after adjustment I worked with recall training. When I give the command "Come" Valentino might say the word a few times before he flies to me which I think is kind of funny. I cannot out run him as he flies faster than I can run. I lived and still live in a two story town home. My last home was more open so Valentino would fly to any part of the house. I used the openness to teach him to fly down. I never realized parrots to not know how to fly down. RFM's breed on cliffs. That blew me away. It took me a day and half to teach him to fly down to me. I taught recall and flying down to me just in case Valentino ever escapes or is loose outside. I do not have the nerve to free fly Valentino even though I know he is an excellent candidate for it. I'm too chicken I would lose him. Valentino never goes outside without being in a carrier.

Even if hormones cause Valentino to need a attitude adjustment I will not clip his wings. I just can't take away a natural function of movement the RFM needs. I never had a parrot that could fly backwards, turn sharp corners, hover and fly sideways. It is truly beautiful to watch.
 

dolldid

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Mango is no Macaw but his which I saw as his first hormone problem was easy for me as I went out every morning yes he acted like he would like to rip me apart , when I was ready to leave I unlocked his cage door and left fast,..lolbut when I came homw 12 hrs later he was great we played no problem I sis this the hole time for a month till it passed this happened aboyt 43 yrs ago to this day I haven't had a problem with hormones he has not showen any signs of it he it cage free I also learned to cover my head and shoulders with a towel a white one when he played hard and decided to attack MOM now if I think its going to happen I just lay a towel on my shoulder no problems
living with an AMAZON free you learn ways to protect your self with out damaging your birds trust in you
Mango can turn sharp fly up from the floor and never had a problem flying down from 12 foot hight , like you id love to frr fly out side but never will im chicken
Mango I think is about 8 now set in our ways took a while a few years,,lolbut now even open doors sont interest him , I still take precaution just to be safe bue he in the last 3 months has showen no intreat in our back doo which I use all the time yes its covered with a sheet but going out it in a wheelchair gives him plenty of chances to get out but he dosent move
I could be wrong in my thinking but I have found if I show no fear I have trust in him to do whats right there is no problem saying that dosent mean he will never get out I do check where he is what hes doing befor I try to leave I am always on guard trust me but fear I don't have and in not having fear he is not picking it up
im glad your posting the things your doing lol only recall I do is call Mango and walk away then he comes I am hopping that's enough if he ever gets out cause you know and I know it can happen to amy one of us
 

Mrcrowley

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All My birds are flighted and in a bird safe room with three door's before they would reach the outside.
 

shanlung

Sprinting down the street
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Just a reminder to folks who might think hanging bead curtains can serve as a barrier.
Hanging beads curtains not safe enough for that as I found out. Luckily there was yet another door to get through to the great outside


Hanging beaded curtains not entirely safe

Plagiarised from above

Hanging beaded curtains not entirely safe

shanlung
December 1st, 2008
Yesterday when I got back from work in late afternoon, I went into Riamfada room to give him his evening meal as usual. Then 45 minutes later, I went in again with a stick perch to take him out to the living room.

I mentioned before that he overflew my head a couple weeks ago and got to the dining room. Since then, I installed 2 hanging beaded curtains over the door to his room. The swaying curtains seemed to hold him back. He tried to overfly me instead of landing on the hand perch, but when he saw those beaded curtains, he did not attempt to go through the door way on his own.





When he landed on the hand perch, I then took him through that doorway, holding the beaded curtains apart.

So yesterday evening when he overflew me, I naturally thought he would turn back at the doorway as before. Because of that thought, I slowly turned around thinking I would see him fluttering or hanging on that beaded curtains.

Perhaps he did so. But when I turned to look, he was already flying into the dining room.

He had taken stock of those beaded curtains everytime I took him out. He knew those were not a major impediment seeing the way I parted the curtains to take him out.

I was not sure if he flew through the curtains, or flew to the curtains, worked his way through the curtains and flew off again.

It did not matter.

Luckily that was not the final barrier to the great big outdoor.

Perhaps I needed to get those special heavy weighted linked chains hanging curtains rather than the pretty light weight beaded curtains.

Perhaps thats why walk in aviaries in major bird parks relied on twin doors for entries in addition to heavy weighted linked chain hanging curtains.

I learn that vigilance must always be maintained, and at all times.

I was lucky that this was a painless lesson, that beaded hanging curtains can be bypassed just like that.


So do not rely on hanging beaded curtains for that final barrier to great outdoors. They might fail you at the time when you really needed them.
 

svetlak

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Hello, everyone!

My birds (currently six budgies) are all fully flighted and they love it (and so do I). They are superb fliers, able of all sorts of fast and complex manoeuvres. Some of my birds came clipped from the store, and that is the reason I lost one of them in an accident that wouldn't have happened had my birdie's wings not been clipped. All my birds are now fully flighted and I would never have it any other way.

They are strong, confident birds, with well-developed musculature. They get plenty of exercise as they get out-of-cage time every day, and they love to fly at full speed around my fairly large living-room. Watching them in flight is fantastic.

Here are two excellent articles on the subject:

To Clip or Not
Should My Parrot's Wings Be Clipped by Greg Glendell


Regards
 

scoobdoo63

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laurie
My son lives in an apartment his was clipped ( teil ) wings grew out and then there was no getting him to the cage. He flew into the window & got up in a window curtain. Took us 35 min one day to try and catch him so he could go shopping before he said forget it go on w out me. His bird was getting stressed. The next day his wings were CLIPPED! He can't turn a spare room in bird room. He would lose his deposit if it were ruined. My bird is also a teil and his wings are clipped and will remain clipped. I live in a huge house up in age even though you can't tell it from my picture and have health issues. My bird is out alot getting foot action , flapping and is very happy. Has a huge cage now. I think it's a personal descion on clip or not to clip..
 

Jaguar

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I think it's a personal descion on clip or not to clip..
Not really. It would be if you were clipping your own wings, but you're clipping the wings of an animal whose entire being revolves around flight without considering how they feel about the matter.

I get it. It's "your" bird, your pet, you paid for it, care for it, and it lives in your home. By law it is your property, and ultimately, what you do with it or its wings is your decision. No one is in a position to stop you. But I can guarantee you that no bird would jump up and down at the prospect of being clipped. I'm also sure no bird wants to fly out an open door and die to exposure or smash into a mirror and break its neck - but the bird also did not choose to be put in that situation. We take these beautiful, intelligent, and emotionally sensitive creatures out of the wild, bring them into our ill-suited homes, and then clip their wings to make them safe for the home instead of making the home safe for them. It is such backwards logic. This discussion is so old, and yet the argument never changes. And what I'm saying right now won't change that - the point's been beaten to death and back, but I feel better getting it off my chest. :smuggrin:

If you really feel deep down that if your parrot had the choice, they'd want to be clipped, and it's truly the best decision for their mental and physical well being, then by all means, clip away. But "it's safer" or "it's easier for me" or "it's my choice" are not good enough reasons for me, personally.

And that's why my fids are all flighted, and always will be :p
 

svetlak

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Not really. It would be if you were clipping your own wings, but you're clipping the wings of an animal whose entire being revolves around flight without considering how they feel about the matter.

I get it. It's "your" bird, your pet, you paid for it, care for it, and it lives in your home. By law it is your property, and ultimately, what you do with it or its wings is your decision. No one is in a position to stop you. But I can guarantee you that no bird would jump up and down at the prospect of being clipped. I'm also sure no bird wants to fly out an open door and die to exposure or smash into a mirror and break its neck - but the bird also did not choose to be put in that situation. We take these beautiful, intelligent, and emotionally sensitive creatures out of the wild, bring them into our ill-suited homes, and then clip their wings to make them safe for the home instead of making the home safe for them. It is such backwards logic. This discussion is so old, and yet the argument never changes. And what I'm saying right now won't change that - the point's been beaten to death and back, but I feel better getting it off my chest. :smuggrin:

If you really feel deep down that if your parrot had the choice, they'd want to be clipped, and it's truly the best decision for their mental and physical well being, then by all means, clip away. But "it's safer" or "it's easier for me" or "it's my choice" are not good enough reasons for me, personally.

And that's why my fids are all flighted, and always will be :p
What a wonderful post! Thank you, Ry.

My birds are also fully flighted for those very same reasons and so many more.

Here's a link (it's probably been posted before, but still) that is such a useful read: To Clip or Not

P.S. Oops, sorry, I just saw that I have posted this link above. I'll leave it anyway as it is already part of this post.
 
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scoobdoo63

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laurie
Your opinion and mine. I own land hermit crabs. I'm sure it wasn't THEIR choice to be caught by people and shipped over here to be held in crappy conditions.I rescued them and now they live in a perfect environmental situation instead of dying in a pet store that doesn't take care of them then sell them to a kid w the wrong info. It doesn't matter if it's crabs, dogs, cats, cows pigs, owners will do what they want to mark them, fix them , breed them, feed them etc.. it is the owners choice to do what they want..this bird was going to be sent to a home w PEOPLE who didn't give 2 cents about animals and stuck in a SMALLER cage than what I had originally had. So in comparison I think my bird has a pretty good life. He is very HAPPY..my son's had been in a cage a very small cage at that for at least 5 months or longer in a pet shop..wow what a life..at least he out of there and in a huge cage , lots of toys and has bonded w him and is out regularly. So what would you want 2 birds stuck in pet shops in small cages for how long and then one for certain was going to ??? Family.. or someone that loves a bird that gives them everything except their flight because of the owners health and then ridiculed over it?? You know I have belonged to a lot of forums over the past years and I think this is the most aggressive I have been on..your supposed to help ..if someone has an opinion then it is their opinion..I shouldn't feel like I'm being scolded.
 

Beanurita

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My Orly, YSGCC, has been clipped in the past but fully delighted for some time now.

Pickles, my lovie has never been clipped!

The "littles", Blu (P'let), along with Loshi, Robyn, Rio and Sparrow (budgies) are clipped slightly but can still "fly" without getting "lost"
 

Jaguar

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Your opinion and mine. I own land hermit crabs. I'm sure it wasn't THEIR choice to be caught by people and shipped over here to be held in crappy conditions.I rescued them and now they live in a perfect environmental situation instead of dying in a pet store that doesn't take care of them then sell them to a kid w the wrong info. It doesn't matter if it's crabs, dogs, cats, cows pigs, owners will do what they want to mark them, fix them , breed them, feed them etc.. it is the owners choice to do what they want..this bird was going to be sent to a home w PEOPLE who didn't give 2 cents about animals and stuck in a SMALLER cage than what I had originally had. So in comparison I think my bird has a pretty good life. He is very HAPPY..my son's had been in a cage a very small cage at that for at least 5 months or longer in a pet shop..wow what a life..at least he out of there and in a huge cage , lots of toys and has bonded w him and is out regularly. So what would you want 2 birds stuck in pet shops in small cages for how long and then one for certain was going to ??? Family.. or someone that loves a bird that gives them everything except their flight because of the owners health and then ridiculed over it?? You know I have belonged to a lot of forums over the past years and I think this is the most aggressive I have been on..your supposed to help ..if someone has an opinion then it is their opinion..I shouldn't feel like I'm being scolded.
I'm sorry you feel I am scolding you. And I'm also sorry about your health issues. I know how hard it is when our own personal health comes to affect our pets'.

But there comes a line where it's not just my opinion any more. It is not my opinion that birds are built to fly. It's not my opinion that flighted birds are happier and healthier. It is not my opinion that people do not think enough about the significant negative impacts of clipping before they do it. It is not my opinion that too many people clip for their own convenience.

Maybe it's my opinion that pets should be treated as more than property and their well being be put first. It is certainly my opinion that not everyone or their homes is suitable for parrot ownership - but I'm not going to as much as imply that anyone here or shouldn't own a parrot, and especially not because they clip. I don't think any of us deserve to be without the life changing experience of living with a parrot, because if we didn't truly love them, we wouldn't be here. All I am trying to do is lay down a little logic and, in the very least, maybe make people consider not clipping without the best of reasons. :)

You want to talk about feeling attacked though... not too long ago, members of this very forum called me an idiot and told me I didn't deserve to have birds, simply because I have a cat... :eek:
 

Sarah13

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I'm sorry you feel I am scolding you. And I'm also sorry about your health issues. I know how hard it is when our own personal health comes to affect our pets'.

But there comes a line where it's not just my opinion any more. It is not my opinion that birds are built to fly. It's not my opinion that flighted birds are happier and healthier. It is not my opinion that people do not think enough about the significant negative impacts of clipping before they do it. It is not my opinion that too many people clip for their own convenience.

Maybe it's my opinion that pets should be treated as more than property and their well being be put first. It is certainly my opinion that not everyone or their homes is suitable for parrot ownership - but I'm not going to as much as imply that anyone here or shouldn't own a parrot, and especially not because they clip. I don't think any of us deserve to be without the life changing experience of living with a parrot, because if we didn't truly love them, we wouldn't be here. All I am trying to do is lay down a little logic and, in the very least, maybe make people consider not clipping without the best of reasons. :)

You want to talk about feeling attacked though... not too long ago, members of this very forum called me an idiot and told me I didn't deserve to have birds, simply because I have a cat... :eek:
That's awful.... When I adopted my first GW, she was very ill and I took her to my AV to try to save her. I explained that thoroughly in her Rainbow Bridge post as her passing was not too unexpected considering her illness but came very soon and surprisingly. It was insisted that I didn't care to try to help her, that I didn't believe birds need vet care, and that I just took her in to be euthanized. I posted saying that it wasn't true and my Highway to Heaven post for baby Tori was completely deleted.
:confused:
Oh well. It happens.
:faint:
I loved your logic statement and "not my opinion".
:joyful:
 

Sarah13

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Yeah back to flying. No drama, just observations. Icky things happen everywhere to everyone.
 
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