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View Full Version : how long until wing clipping?



mrgoogls
09-15-2013, 10:20 PM
when i first got cooper they clipped his wings before i brought him home. that was last October. then last month i got them clipped again. now they look like they need it again! so one time it was about 9 1/2 months in between and now only 1-2 months? why is that? not EVERY feather on his wings are grown back. but only 2/3 per wing are still clipped, they rest are grown it.( i know for sure because he lets me hold him on his back and unfold his wings.) i have no problem taking him back to get clipped. but just why is it so different?

spiritbird
09-15-2013, 11:14 PM
Birds seem to have irregular molting times. Some molt quite often and grow feathers back quickly. Would Cooper be unsafe if wings are not trimmed?

mrgoogls
09-15-2013, 11:46 PM
i think it is safer if he is clipped. he doesnt like being on the floor so he usually doesnt jump off whatever perch he is on. and i have cats and dogs so i dont want him flying around and attracting attention and flying somewhere the other pets could reach him

plax
09-16-2013, 02:12 AM
Also consider that at some point he may end up a sitting target for your cats and/or dogs if he is clipped and becomes startled. He may leap from his perching place and drop to the floor where he may then easily be attacked. A flighted bird can at least land on a curtain rod or other high structure that's inaccessible to existing carnivorous pets.

mrgoogls
09-16-2013, 02:16 AM
i definatly know that. i usually keep the cats and dogs away. and he is never out without supervision. i am ready to jump up the second he jumps off.( unless both cats are locked up and both dogs are outside) i definatly know the risk of other pets and take no chances

plax
09-16-2013, 03:08 AM
Just please be aware that even when supervised, a cat or a dog can attack a bird that has landed right next to it much quicker than a human can react to protect the bird. Case instances are common in which pet birds who had been startled into panic flights traveled toward family dogs or cats that were beside their owners, but the owners were not able to react in time to save the birds. Such attacks can be lightning fast.

jacksmom
09-16-2013, 03:41 AM
What sort of bird is Cooper? It seems to me that the risks vary based on what type of bird you have, with what dog, so on...I know when Jack lands on the floor, our pitbull and lab mixes are curious, but not at all lighting fast about their interest...too big of a bird for these particular dogs to want to mess with without some careful consideration. On the other hand, I had a budgie that lived for the last two years of it's life like someone with the most extreme case of vertigo ever...he couldn't stand, only roll...and he was like that due to a lightning fast attack when he flew to the ground by the family cocker spaniel. It severed a nerve in a way that couldn't be repaired. :(

So...size of bird, size and inherent prey drive in the dog or cat...definitely play roles in amount of risk. Though it definitely always is a risk to some degree.

plax
09-16-2013, 05:31 AM
jacksmom: if you'll look at Kenny's 'parrots' list, you'll see that Cooper is a Quaker. And you're right... it's always a risk when a dog or a cat is large enough to overpower a pet bird. And that risk is one which we create for our birds, in that they have no choice in the matter and no awareness as far as what may potentially occur. Our forum community does not support allowing dogs or cats access to pet birds when the dogs or cats are large enough to overpower those pet birds. The speed at which an animal attack can occur is one of those things that we can merely estimate. There will always be situational variables that may change how quickly one animal can reach another and how quickly a supervising human may be able to intervene. The best practice is to be safe by precluding access to our pet birds by our pet carnivores.

An additional factor worth mentioning is that even a good-natured dog can be startled into snapping when a scared bird suddenly appears in its face.

mrgoogls
09-16-2013, 06:57 PM
Plax, i defiantly agree with you. 99% of the time the cats are locked up(they are more of a worry than the dogs), and when they arent is usually during a party or something and they dont like a lot of people so they stay hidden in the basement on their own. the dogs are out a lot more, but a much less of a worry. my one dog is getting older and is overweight so aside from walks and going outside he is usually laying on his bed(a few rooms away from where cooper is, their is no playgym in there.) my other dog is always with us, but is a very flightly dog as she was the runt of the litter and she didnt have the best treatment from her past owners( though that was only for the first few months of her life then we got her). so when cooper jumps off she usually runs(its funny watching a 65 lb dog runs like mad when a tiny quaker jumps.lol) so overall cooper is safe. i just personally feel that in my situation it is safer to have him clipped(and my dad(who was against me getting a bird from the start) doesnt really want him flying around).

jacksmom, as plax said cooper is a quaker :)

plax
09-16-2013, 07:30 PM
Noted, Kenny. But it's still possible for Cooper to become startled and leap to the floor where he may land directly on (or very near) your 'flighty' dog, thus surprising it. A dog who is prone to avoid untrusted events may well snap at a sudden surprise which lands near its face or on top of it. For example, if your dog were taking a nap on the floor and Cooper experienced a panic episode thus ending up near your dog's napping position, it could well be a recipe for disaster. Please be mindful that no one who has lost a pet bird to their dog or cat thought such a thing were likely to happen before the fact.

mrgoogls
09-16-2013, 07:37 PM
i defiantly know what you are talking about. but in my mind, with cooper almost never jumping off(anymore. he used to alot.) and my dog usually favoring flight over fight(i know that can change but she has never bitten anything, even when a dog bit her at the dog park. i just think the chance is very very low. and my dog never lays near the perch/playgym, usually the other side of the room. but thanks a ton for your concern :)