Bird Wing Clipping
Clipping a pet birds wings is a common grooming procedure and
is necessary for training as well as for your pets safety. You
might feel like you are being mean to the bird, but the fact is
that it does not hurt the bird and can help to keep him from
flying out of an open window or door and becoming lost. Most
pet birds would not be able to survive in the wild, especially
if your climate is not one that is natural for the bird.
You can clip your birds wings yourself at home, but it is best
if you take him into the vet or pet shop and ask if they can
show you the proper way to do it before trying it yourself!
Do not try to clip your birds wing until he is very tame and
used to you holding him, otherwise the procedure will be very
traumatic for you both. You need to make sure that your bird
trusts you enough to hold him and open up his wings. Until your
relationship has reached this stage, it is best to have this
done by a professional.
Once your have your birds trust and are ready to clip the wings
yourself, take your bird out of the cage and hold him for a
while. You may need 2 people for this as it can be kind of
awkward with only 2 hands. Spread the birds wing out and hold
it out with one hand, have your scissors ready with the other
hand.
You want to cut only the longest feathers – the one on the very
bottom layer. Cut halfway up from the bottom of the wing in a
line that is parallel to the wing. Some people leave the very
last feather intact so when the birds wings are folded in, you
can’t really tell that they are clipped.
This should be a quick and painless procedure. After you have
clipped his wing, your bird will still be able to fly, but not
for any distance. When he does fly, he will most likely, have a
downward motion to the flight, so if he starts off at a high
spot, he’ll able to fly to a lower spot with no problem. Make
sure that there are no other animals in the house that could
hurt him if he lands on the table or floor as he may not be
able to fly away from them to protect himself.
About The Author: Lee Dobbins writes for
http://www.epet-center.com where you can learn about all your
pets needs.