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To Clip Or Not To Clip: Budgerigar Wing Clipping Situation

MC_Hahn's

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I am new to the Avenue--Please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong! Anyways, I am the proud guardian of two lovely adult budgies. Peridot is a bright green and yellow budgie. He is a male, we presume, but his cere often changes colors from pink-brown to blue-purple. I caught him in the local park and was unable to locate the owner. Percy is a gray-green budgie with yellow on her head. She is definitely a girl, as she has laid an egg in the past. My birds are allowed to fly around my house several times a day for hours under supervision. They are excellent fliers, which worries me since Peridot is an escape artist. They are fully-flighted, though both were clipped several years ago (Peridot's molted wing feathers were cut). Now that the feathers have grown back, they often vocalize from atop their cage and playstand. Several times they have landed near my cocker spaniel, which is a type of bird dog. I am concerned for their safety, so I am considering clipping. But flight at least gives them a chance if they get near the dog, and I hate to take away their special gift and freedom. I know several experienced wing clippers, so that wouldn't be a problem. Again, I am concerned for their safety though... Suggestions?
 

Shezbug

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Welcome to the Avenue :hiya:

Please don’t clip.
It will change your birds health, confidence and often trust.

My dog is locked securely in another room or outside so my bird can fly and get his exercise.
He gets locked in a cage from time to time for his own safety and the dog is wondering free in the house.
They switch lock up time’s to keep them both safe and free to be the animal they were born to be.
Bird proof the areas you let fly in.
 

MC_Hahn's

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Welcome to the Avenue :hiya:

Please don’t clip.
It will change your birds health, confidence and often trust.

My dog is locked securely in another room or outside so my bird can fly and get his exercise.
He gets locked in a cage from time to time for his own safety and the dog is wondering free in the house.
They switch lock up time’s to keep them both safe and free to be the animal they were born to be.
Bird proof the areas you let fly in.
Thank you for your feedback! I was worried about trust too, since Peridot has only recently started responding positively to the step-up command. The dog often lays in another room, but the birds seek her out. They enjoy vocalizing loudly as they swoop past her head and sometimes the birds throw food to the dog. They love watching her eat!
 

Laurie

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Welcome :)

You are right to think that a flighted bird has a better chance against a dog than a clipped bird. So the solution is not to clip the bird but rather to secure them in such a way that they dog and the bird are not together. Do what ever you need to do to secure the cage doors, food doors and room that the birds are in from the dog. Then do whatever you need to do to keep them separated from the dog while they are out. Either restrict the dog to an area the birds are not flying in or restrict the birds to a room that the dog is not in.

Stick around here and you'll learn a lot. We're happy to have you!
 

Shezbug

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I would be thinking very seriously about stopping the birds having that access to the dog. If they have that access to the dog then given even the smallest accident your dog will have the same freedom of access to your bird. It only takes a few seconds and once it happens there is no turning back. Just not a chance I would take.
 

MC_Hahn's

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Welcome :)

You are right to think that a flighted bird has a better chance against a dog than a clipped bird. So the solution is not to clip the bird but rather to secure them in such a way that they dog and the bird are not together. Do what ever you need to do to secure the cage doors, food doors and room that the birds are in from the dog. Then do whatever you need to do to keep them separated from the dog while they are out. Either restrict the dog to an area the birds are not flying in or restrict the birds to a room that the dog is not in.

Stick around here and you'll learn a lot. We're happy to have you!
Thank you for the great advice and welcome--I'm excited to be a part of such a friendly place!
 

MC_Hahn's

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I would be thinking very seriously about stopping the birds having that access to the dog. If they have that access to the dog then given even the smallest accident your dog will have the same freedom of access to your bird. It only takes a few seconds and once it happens there is no turning back. Just not a chance I would take.
I usually let the budgies fly in a separate room that is closed off from the dog, but occasionally I let them fly around my living room while I study and work. I will keep them in a different room from now on so that an accident does not take place. Thank you again!
 

Laurie

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A big part of keeping any pet is making sure they are safe. The more pets and different sizes of kinds we have the bigger our job in protecting them. I've kept clipped birds (when I didn't know better) for the last seven years I haven't clipped any wings. It just takes a different mindset. If you take clipping off the table you will always be able to find another way to keep them safe. I know you plan not to clip but just for the sake of conversation I will say that if you ask people should I clip or not you will get different answers.
I guarantee if you could ask the birds if you should clip them, the answer would always be the same. No. :fly2::learntofly:
 

Zara

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but occasionally I let them fly around my living room while I study and work. I will keep them in a different room from now on so that an accident does not take place.
You could put the dog outside the living room for a little while and let the birds fly while you work, then switch and cage the budgies and allow poochie to come in and be with you for a bit while you work :)
 

Fergus Mom

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@MC_Hahn's I agree with the no clipping unless it is an extreme situation (as some here have had) with their larger birds hopping on them and attacking them. Do you have pictures, or did I miss them somehow? :welcome2:

I guarantee if you could ask the birds if you should clip them, the answer would always be the same. No. :fly2::learntofly:
Oh @Laurie I don't remember seeing these cute emoticons! Perfect! And I SO agree. Fergus and Fiona say "no" as well! :)
 

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Dorcas George

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I lost a budgie to a dog who wanted to play. Even when we found dog (not mine) standing over the dying bird, his posture said he was curious/playing. So I’m glad you aren’t chancing it. And glad you aren’t clipping. We have a cat, and the solution isn’t always perfect, but either the cage is closed and the cat is free or the cage is open and the cat is in another room with the door closed. And we would love pics. Or did I miss them?
 

Monica

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I agree about not clipping and keeping your dog and birds separate.


Peridot is a bright green and yellow budgie. Percy is a gray-green budgie with yellow on her head. She is definitely a girl, as she has laid an egg in the past.

Sounds like you've got two females! The budgie in your avatar is a hen, without a doubt! Males do not have white ceres, but hens can have blue ceres! Just not the same blue as a male.
 

Olliebirb

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Please don't clip! I say this out of experience. My budgie Oliver used to be clipped and it was all due to him being clipped too early. I continued to clip him because his feathers would easily break, which caused him to always be scared and run away screaming. I finally let them grow out when I got a new budgie that was fully flighted and had no confidence issues. After they grew out, his feathers broke less and his confidence sky rocketed! He was truly my old, sweet, Oliver again.
 

MC_Hahn's

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I lost a budgie to a dog who wanted to play. Even when we found dog (not mine) standing over the dying bird, his posture said he was curious/playing. So I’m glad you aren’t chancing it. And glad you aren’t clipping. We have a cat, and the solution isn’t always perfect, but either the cage is closed and the cat is free or the cage is open and the cat is in another room with the door closed. And we would love pics. Or did I miss them?
Percy.jpg Peridot.jpg The first photo is Percy, and the second is Peridot. Both were taken by our petsitter while on vacation :) The birds clearly had a great time as well! :spinlol:
 
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