Not really, it is bandaged up, I am on constant pain killer and anti inflammatory medication for other issues unfortunately- I guess the good thing is I am already full of what I need to lessen the discomfort from it lol.
I never once even entertained the thought of clipping my bird and I do not believe I ever will entertain the thought.That sounds promising! Hormones can be rough, some years worse than others. I’m not sure if someone’s mentioned this or not (lots of comments!), but clipping can actually result in more aggressive behavior; they’re suddenly handicapped, and that can make them feel more “trapped” and makes getting around harder (I’d be annoyed if I had to be in a wheelchair when walking is so much faster!). A lot of the older macaws I’ve worked with had a big temperament change once their flights were allowed to grow in, and they realized they had the option to move as they pleased. Ideally, everything you ask of your bird should be presented as optional (unless required) so that they’re more willing to say “yes” rather than just “no”. Sometimes clipping can help when all other options are exhausted, but I think just respecting new boundaries and patience is best with a fairly hormonal bird!
And that's before the bruising!
Oh I feel so sorry for you!
I hope your finger gets better soon. I am really sorry.
Oh goodness he sure got you good. I'm so sorry that happened and hope that it doesn't end up causing you continued pain past the time of healing. I hope the pain lessens soon and that it heals swifty. Thank you for sharing so everyone can see how bad on our fragile skin even an accidental bite can be.
I was just referencing your original post where you said you may have to clip your feather baby if the situation couldn’t be improved! : )
Yes, my apologies- you’re right, I did say that I may have to consider it
Lurch was clipped when I first got him which I'm sure saved us from kamikaze attacks till he had some time to get used to his new situation. He was mad at the world for taking his owner he loved away and I'm pretty sure the leftover family wanted nothing to do with him and his attitude. He wouldn't even give any warning, just straight to bite as hard and fast as he could to protect himself. So sometimes clipping can save you from getting very bad flying attacks and hurting the bird trying to protect yourself. By the time his flights grew back and he had enough strength to actually fly he wasn't quite as mad any more and was slowly deciding if he should trust and like us.Yes, my apologies- you’re right, I did say that I may have to consider it
When this first happened I was quite overwhelmed and was encouraged by a few others to consider clipping- it honestly made me sick and miserable to think about even considering it and I actually decided early on if I got to the point where I felt I had no option but to clip to keep me safe that I probably had to not own birds anymore or if I did that they needed to be aviary birds not companion birds.
I didn’t share that as I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with good intentioned messages of how clipping is fine etc.
There’s just a huge part of me that can’t or won’t agree that it is an ok thing to do in 99% of situations.
I know the arguments and I still can’t find a way to accept that it’s an appropriate thing to do- I honestly can’t even look at a clipped bird without wanting to cry and if my bird really felt the need to attack me constantly then he needed to be in a better situation where he didn’t feel the need to try to hurt someone.
Kobe used to be like that but of course he's a fraction of Burt's size. I had to figure out everything that set him off (walking towards him, eye contact, going too close to his cage or another cage, and so on) and work my day around those things so as not to evoke the lunges/attacks. Kobe was back to being gentle at night, so that's when I worked on our relationship... including treats, playing, training. Often training can be a good idea because the bird is earning reinforcement for achieving something. Target training is a great starter exercise if you haven't already trained Burt. Start out when he's in a receptive/calm mood.
