Many of you know poppers can't fly. Since I have had her 8 years now as her 3rd parront, she has never flown.
It concerned me after a year that I had her, she'd try but crash land. That when I took her to vet to find out reason. Apparently when she was young, she damaged her wing which never healed properly. The vet thought perhaps she also hit hard on her keel back then. ( from previous owners) because her muscle tone up side from keel is weak, and appears scarred. So she never flew in 8 years I had her.
I have over the past year been exercising her wing. When she's in the mood. She'll let me touch her anywhere, so I carefully extend her wing, talking to her, watching her expression.
If she reaches back, which she'll do slowly, and put her beak on my thumb, not bitting, then put her foot on my thumb and push it away slowly saying nooooo. That's my cue not to push any farther. Poppers has never ever been clipped.
At nite, she'll let me massage under her wing, and just run the muscles lightly.
Well tonite I got a surprise....she flew from perch to table, just a few feet, but did so with an ok landing. She was pretty proud of it I must say..
Like a kid learning to ride a bike. It's a big step!
I don't think she'll ever get to flying long distance but that was surely a start tonite. And she flew upward from perch.
I'm overwhelmed with joy, even my wife was really surprised! She's like " michael...she flew! Yeay!!! "
It concerned me after a year that I had her, she'd try but crash land. That when I took her to vet to find out reason. Apparently when she was young, she damaged her wing which never healed properly. The vet thought perhaps she also hit hard on her keel back then. ( from previous owners) because her muscle tone up side from keel is weak, and appears scarred. So she never flew in 8 years I had her.
I have over the past year been exercising her wing. When she's in the mood. She'll let me touch her anywhere, so I carefully extend her wing, talking to her, watching her expression.
If she reaches back, which she'll do slowly, and put her beak on my thumb, not bitting, then put her foot on my thumb and push it away slowly saying nooooo. That's my cue not to push any farther. Poppers has never ever been clipped.
At nite, she'll let me massage under her wing, and just run the muscles lightly.
Well tonite I got a surprise....she flew from perch to table, just a few feet, but did so with an ok landing. She was pretty proud of it I must say..
Like a kid learning to ride a bike. It's a big step!
I don't think she'll ever get to flying long distance but that was surely a start tonite. And she flew upward from perch.
I'm overwhelmed with joy, even my wife was really surprised! She's like " michael...she flew! Yeay!!! "
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