how often do you have to cut a parrots wings and who does it for you?

Answer 1

clipping wings isn't barbaric, they actually don't have any feeling in them once past the shaft thats near the body. It's exactly the same as cutting fingernails, and I know that dogs get their tails docked and ears cropped and that DOES hurt them. What is barbaric to me is not clipping their wings, keeping them in cages most all the day, letting them out for maybe 20 minutes a day to "fly around" which gives them hardly any exercise, and to top it off, if they get loose, which is often when they aren't clipped, I think its more barbaric to send them into the wild where they don't know how to hunt for food, and they can freeze because they aren't used to the outside elements, and or don't know how to defend themselves because they think animals and humans are friendly since they've been somewhat domesticated!


Now to answer your question. You can take birds to get thier wings clipped at a vet, some pet stores like Petco will do it. I clip my lovebirds wings, but my bigger parrots I don't because they hold grudges and get mad at me! It only costs a few bucks depending on the size of your bird. How often you have to cut them also depends on the size of the bird, my lovebirds have to be clipped about every other month, but my Sun Conure has to be clipped about every 2 months!


World champ- I live in Oregon, and it is VERY WINDY here and rainy all the time. I take my birds outside with me to check the mail, and guess what...occasionally they do fly off, and the wind blows, and guess what I still own them. If you give them a PROPER wing clip they won't be able to hover, when you clip their wings, you are clipping their FLIGHT feathers, ya know the ones that give them drag and help them glide when in flight. Mine can't hover for more than 2 seconds outside with the wind a blowin. The reason I said 20 minutes is becaus some people think that since their bird is flighted out of fear they don't take them out of their cage for very long, it had nothing to do with me or my fids, they are out for 6-10 hours every day. If you clip your birds' wings and it flies away, bummer, but a good clip they won't get very far, besides I have screens on my windows, mine aren't going anywhere.

Answer 2

I clip my own birds wings. It prevents them from flying away. I clip them by gently pulling the wing out so that it is extended. I cut with very sharp pair of scissors(get someone to help you. I clip the feathers off hold three feathers at the end and clip the rest off. The three feathers left uncut makes the bird much nicer to look at and you cannot tell the wings have been clipped, Be careful not to cut to near the quick of the feathers. The feathers has a spot were the blood feeds the feather ends. If this is cut the bird will bleed. Also if you do cut the blood spot get some flour if you do not have a blood stopping substance on hand. Put it right on the the spot that is bleeding and watch to make sure the bleeding spots. Keep putting flour on it till it stops. If it bleeds a lot take the bird to the vet.

Answer 3

Really clipping wings is the best thing for a pet parrot. I had this dilema we were going to let Madinah's wings grow out, but I have done a lot of researc on the topic. It is safer for them and they are much tamer. I guess when they can fly they think they are king of the castle. It makes them much less dominant. Plus it is not that safe to have a bird flying around your house, only to fall into boiling water or hot grease. I think it is a personal preference. We have had our baby for about 6 months, when we got her, her wings were clipped. And we just had them done again. I think when they molt, about every 6 months it is reccommended you clip their wings. I know it sounds cruel to all you PETA people, but in the long run it makes for a happier healthier relationship not to mention a lot safer for you both. You I am sure would be heartbroken if someone opened your door while tweety was flying around and he got out. You can get their wings clipped at petstore for a small fee, or the vet. Or you can just do it yourself, it free. Just do not cut blood feathers. First put the bird in a towel so he doest really see what you are doing. Spread out the wing cut only the 6 primary flight feathers. It is done in like a second.

I have given you links on this topic!! Good luck and keep your fid (feathered kid) happy:):)

Answer 4

If you want to get your parrot's wings clipped I would go to a vet to a pet shop and ask them to show you how to do t the first time so you know you are doing it right. However, I believe it's not necessary. This is my (long) answer to a question on this topic a while ago. Please think about it before you clip your bird's wings and deprive it of it's most basic and natural ability.




"I think it is cruel. I think it is unnecessary. I think most people only do it for their own benefit and there is no benefit to the bird.

People will tell you to do it as it stops the birds from crashing into walls. Birds were born to fly. A bird is not a stupid animal and they can see a wall in front of them. I have 3 birds at the moment and have had many before. Of the three I have now, one had his wings clipped. He can't fly properly, he crashes and gets tired easily. He generally doesn't fly all that often. when ever they all go out of their cage for a fly I have to go and him up and put him back on a perch as he has crashed and is too tired or shocked to fly back up.

The other two, who's wings have never been clipped, have never crashed into anything. They fly beautifully and very fast, in a rather small room. They can land perfectly on just about any surface. One wall of their room is covered in rocks, with a small ledge about 1 inch think at the top. They can land on that and not crash into the wall. They can fly through their cage door from the other side of the room. Not clipping their wings was the best thing I ever did. They get more exercise and are generally happier and healthier. Besides, seeing them fly around the room is an amazing experience :)

People will tell you it's to stop them flying into windows. Birds with their wings clipped will still fly when they are sacred, as they get a rush of adrenalin, and they will still fly into windows. Why don't you just get a thin lace curtain and cover the window? It will still allow you to see out and light to come in, but it will stop the birds thinking it's an escape exit. One of my birds actually ride the lace curtain, when i open the window and the wind blows through the fly screen. It's very cute!

People will also tell you it's to stop your bird from escaping. Once again, this is a reason which benefits the owner rather then the bird. Personally I believe keeping a little more careful watch and making sure all doors are closed when your birds are out is worth your birds being able to act in their natural way and fly around. Put a sign up or lock the door or both when our birds are out, if you're worried about someone walking in and then escaping. Even with wings clipped a bird wills till escape if a door is left open. If a bird is scared they can fly amazing distances. They would be out the door and off down the street before you can blink. people will also say it mean you can get them back more easily if the you have their wings clipped. This is not true, once a bird escapes there is very little chance of you getting them back. Wings clipped or not.

Having wings clipped can also be dangerous if you have other pets in the house as it means they have no way of escaping. It can also lead to smaller birds getting walked on or hurt by humans who don't see them.

Some will say clipping a birds wings will make it easier to tame, however having a birds wings clipped can actually lead to a more flighty and nervous bird as they know they have no way of escaping any danger. Once you have tamed a bird with it's wings not clipped it's a much more rewarding experience, as you know it is your friend because it wants to be and not because it feels it has to be in order to get around.

Have a read of this

http://www.featherforum.com/node/view/2408

It's a forum post from someone who decided not to continue clipping their birds wings. Also have a look at that site in general, and maybe ask a few questions there as they may be able to give you some advice or information.

Good luck!"

Answer 5

acekingsuited83 where you got the idea that people keep there parrots in a cage all the time and let them out for only 20minutes a day is beyond me cause i know so many people who have there birds out for hours at a time, also you saying about a bird without its wings clipped getting lose, that maybe so but also parrot with its wings clipped if able to get out can also fly, clipping a parrots wings doesnt stop it flying it just makes it harder, and if it was to get out, one gush of wind and i guarantee you that it would be up up and away like a non clipped bird

And as for my reply to this topic, most good parrot shops do wing clipping at a price, if you cant find a parrot shop and avian vet would do it for you.

Answer 6

I have a sulfur crested cockatoos, that I bought in Fla. 5 years ago. I was going to buy an amazon, he was 5months old when I got him, he's very smart, I had his wings clipped when I bought him, as he grew older and started to talk, he would say can' t fly, because I kept his wings clipped and he would go straight to the ground. A couple of years went buy, and I was sure he believed he couldn't fly, I take him everywhere, in the car on my shoulder, to work delivering auto parts, to the beach, on the boat to go crabbing etc. Never has he try-ed to escape or fly off for any reason, not even being startled, so I let his wings grow out and this summer my husband was coming around with the weed wackier, like always and off he went, even though he has a micro-chip in him I had a heart attack, I could not believe my eyes. I found him and right to the shower we went. In the shower he allows me to touch and play with his wings spread out full and that is where Bruno gets his wings clipped there are many methods to clip there wings and the are many sized birds with big bites. I know because Bruno had given me 4 stitches a couple of years ago. I believe its a personal choice on my part to do it myself and a good health reason for the bird that is free as a bird all the time in the house like bruno, he goes everywhere not by flight though. So it's either you or petco,vet,etc. For a happy and healthy bird. As for how often I say when they start to get that cocky attituded that they get when there wings are long enough to fly

Answer 7

As you can see from the answers, clipping wings is a very controversial subject.

I have one bird with clipped wings (need to be clipped every couple of months) and one without. The one without the clip was handraised and doesn't know he is a bird and will only fly when startled and then he flies very low. The other was parent-raised in a caged environment, knows he is a bird and flies when he wants even with clipped wings but he doesn't get as much height as he would were his wings not clipped.

In my opinion, all birds should be free to fly in the wild but the greed of man turned beautiful creatures in to household "pets". There are many dangers in the house for the flighted bird. A hot stove, fireplace, a bucket of water, a toilet, windows, doors and ceiling fans are just a few things we take for granted that become death traps for flighted birds.

Clipped wings are barbaric? Owning birds is barbaric but now that we do, it is our responsibility to take precautions to keep them safe.

Answer 8

You probably only have to clip wings about 2x a year because parrots only molt 2x a year. A vet can do it, or if you live near an exotic bird shop, they will normally do it for you too.

Answer 9

Clipping wings is cruel. Whether or not it hurts the animal is irrelevant; birds are meant to fly. Don't be so shallow as to assume that an animal is automatically happy because it's not in physical pain. Animals have great mental needs too just like we do.

If you don't have the capacity to let the bird fly as natured intended, don't get a parrot. It's as simple as that.

Answer 10

Don't fear. They'll go with the flow to the bottom in the event that they get out. They may not get harm. Their feathers will develop again in months time and fly once more. They are disappointed you go away them on my own and desire concentration. Like a dog does.