what will happen if i do not clip my birds wings?

Question

I have a bird (parrakeet) that will wait till the cage is open then flys OUT! she plays tricks on me and it's bugging me bad. should I clip the wings?

Answer 1

well, nothing will happen, really. It will just slow the bird down, and maybe keep her from flying too high up. because parakeets are such lightweight and aerodynamic little birds, it's impossible to really ground them. clipping a birds wings is not cruel, when done properly, and causes no lasting distress. you may want to have a vet show you how to do it right before you try to do it yourself. a bad wing trim can cause flying problems or injuries. best of luck!

Answer 2

Clipping is a personal decision. However, to answer your questions, lots of things can happen if you don't clip your bird's wings. Safety for the bird and you is the number one reason to clip a bird's wings. Of course, you don't want your bird to escape either. Without clipping, obviously, you have already been experiencing some 'escaping' currently.

You have to consider that your home is an unnatural environment for a bird. If the bird is allowed full flight, he could fly into a window or mirror, or worse yet, a running ceiling fan, break his neck & die. You should also consider open water sources in the home such as toilets, dog or cat water bowls, dish or mop water, decorative items, such as flower vases, etc that the bird could fall into when trying to land. There are also the considerations of electrical wiring or falling behind a bookcase or other object where you cannot retrieve him and he can't get out. Fireplaces, wood stoves, ranges, and other sources of high heat could also find your bird trying to land on or in. You may also want to clip the wings to simply help tame the bird. With limited flight ability, he is going to learn how to trust you more readily.

A qualified avian vet can clip the wings for a minimum cost. If you have a veterinary college in your area, you could also go there for perhaps a discounted price. Some pet stores may also offer wing clipping, unless you feel comfortable doing this yourself. Some feathers should not be clipped because they are blood feathers and could cause your bird to bleed excessively or even to death.

Even with clipping, I had a harrowing experience once. I have a parrot who had his wings clipped and I used to take him outside all the time with me, especially when working in the garden... But one day, I was holding him and a gust of wind caught him. Next thing I know, he was airborne! He was carried a good 20 yards just on a glide and landed in the street! Fortunately for us both, no cars were coming! I've heard of this happening to others who have never seen their birds again, because the wind forced them upward, instead of allowing it to come down. So you may also consider this, if you think after the bird's wings are clipped that it can't fly.

Again, clipping is a personal decision you should make for your's and the bird's environment.

Best wishes.

.

Answer 3

DO NOT CUT OFF THE WINGS! Get the tips of the feathers trimmed by a professional if you want the bird to have a clip which will allow the bird to gracefully glide but not get much height. All of my four birds are flighted and I've taught them not to fly into windows or mirrors by taking them gently and putting their beak upto the mirror or glass and tapping it on the glass. None of them have ever killed themselves by flying into either one. Birds are smarter than people think and have an intellect of a 2-5 year old. Clipping wings won't stop them from flying it just stops them getting any height. Budgies (if this is what you're referring to as a parakeet as there are several parakeets and I have a quaker parakeet myself) are one of the birds which grow back feathers very quickly. I wouldn't clip the wing feathers unless you know what a blood feather looks like as if you clip one of those you'll have to pull it out with pliers and that's a tough thing to do if you're at all queezy at the site of blood and alone while clipping your bird. If the feather is pulled out you must stop the bleeding from where the feather was pulled out too so make sure you have quick stop to put on the wound if you're going to try clipping.
I'd just let the little bird fly and work on training it.

Answer 4

If you don't clip the bird's wings, her feathers will grow long enough so that she will be able to fly long distances if she gets out of her cage. Though she doesn't know it, these long feathers are actually a safety hazard to her. Also, though she is probably living inside your home now, if she gets out of her cage and flies, it is fairly likely she will aim for the window to get outside. She may not see the glass, and will likely break her neck. If she does get outside, this is very unsafe as she is a domesticated animal, and simply does not have the learned survival skills to fair well in 'real' nature.
If you DO clip her wings, be careful to aim carefully with the scisssors. You don't want to draw her blood.

Answer 5

Well, clipping a bird's wings won't hurt it. And if you're afraid you'll make a mistake, get the vet to do it. If she's bugging you that bad, I would advise you to do it. There are some people who keep thier birds' wings unclipped and usually that is fine. But, it can also be very dangerous if their are open windows or doors.

Answer 6

If yout don't clip the wings, your bird will be able to fly. You should definatley get the wings clipped because your bird could fly into a fan, a toilet, a stove, or into a window or wall or might even fly outside and get lost. If you decide to clip the wings, bring her to a vet. If you do it yourself, you could cut through a blood feather and make her bleed to death.

Answer 7

clipping your birds wings isn't cruel (just be sure to have someone help you hold him, and go over a few different "how-to" sheets online to be confident that you can properly clip them), it can be BETTER for some birds, depending on your lifestyle. Clipping the wings will prevent your bird from crashing into mirrors/windows/other objects when spooked, it will keep him from flying into a potentially hazardous situation (if you have the stove on or ceiling fan, etc) and it will stop him from esaping through an open window or door or perching where you cannot reach him. So long as he has plenty of playtime outside of his cage to run and climb around, and enough space in his cage to flap his wings (if he doesn't, his cage is too small)...he will have enough excersize and lead a happy life.

however, you will need to clip his wings (or have a vet clip them) again after his next molt. sometimes they get their flight back surprisingly fast, so just be sure to pay attention to the length of his flight feathers.

I, personally, allowed my cockatiel to keep her flight for the past could of years (its good to let them learn how to fly/land properly when they are young because it helps them gain better balance/dexterity) but recently clipped her wings when she began perching too high and getting too ...well...flighty. I would have probably let it go, but I'm having a baby soon and need to be able to handle her without too much trouble.

Answer 8

contrary to what many believe clipping a bird born into captive wings does not harm them. But, rather protects them from accidents and injuries. The bird will also bond to you more easily as it is more dependant on you. You'll need to be more cautious of it's landing. Making sure that if you have hard floors that you do not allow the bird to get so high that it lands hard. as the hard floor may cause injury.

Answer 9

im probably going to get a lot of thumbs down but here i go....
my parakeets wings have never ben clipped, i adopted them old (6,7,3) and they previous owner never clipped them. they were never let out but i wanted to let them fly so i opened their cage in a small room; well they wouldnt come out. it took weeks for them to try and they would be out for just 5 to 10 minutes tops. it used to take me forever to catch them and we both hated it. then i went online one day and found out that they can learn their way aroun the house and go back to their cage on their own. i tried it and love it!!!! they hit a window once, and never again. i now close the curtains so they are more carefull where they go.they have been with me for almost a year, and know their way perfectly. they stand on the curtain rods and ceiling fan for the most part so i just just have to clean under there. i turn off the ceiling fans, lock all doors and make sure there is no water they can drown in and they are fine so far. i got 2 lovebirds with clipped wings, and they get into all kinds of trouble. they run fast so once they got behind the stove and once behind the fridge. thats when i first got them, now i dont even blink when they are out. to be honest, if you are extra carefull, and consider all possible problems, either way is fine. but if it bugs you when they are loose, have someone clip their wings.

Answer 10

I think it's kind off cruel to clip their wings....birds need to be able to fly and exercise.Your bird most likely just gets bored sitting in it's cage all day.....maybe you can set aside some free time for it.....it may just quit trying to escape all the time.