Should I keep him clipped?

[onionhead]

I am just curious what everyone's experiences are with flying lovebirds.
I am trying to decided if I should let his wings grow in or keep them clipped.
He is not afraid of anything so I am worried that could get him into trouble.
What are your thoughts on clipping or not clipping.

[Janie]

Gosh, there have probably been over 100 threads on clipping (or not clipping) and why. If you are trying to tame a new lovebird, I would say a wing clip is the FIRST thing to have done (or do yourself if you are comfortable doing it). You do want to be sure that a clip is done correctly so that a bird will glide and not thump or fall to the floor.

I have three and all have been fully flighted and all have been clipped. It depends on the individual behavior of each bird and also the safety factor when a bird is not clipped. I recently clipped my two younger birds (they are 3) after a full year with flight. They were not in a dangerous situation but they were more or less in need of an attitude adjustment. I was tired of chasing one of them for 15 minutes or longer just to get him into his cage at night. I felt guilty clipping him and not clipping his brother so both got a clip.

My oldest (and bestest) lovebird, Oliver, is very tame, very much a velcro birdie and will fly to me when I pat my shoulder. He has not had a wing clip in over 2 years and unless something really out of the ordinary happens, will never have one again. My birds are in a small (12' X 14') bird room that was designed just for them and their safety isn't a concern for me but if my three had the "run of the house" I would not want them flighted, other than Oliver. Too many things can happen..... open window, open door, ceiling fan, mirrors and even a window that is closed that birdie might flight into and break his neck. Unless you live alone it's hard to keep all family members on constant guard about bird safety. It's so easy to loose a flighted bird to a horrible accident that you don't see coming till it's too late so I think you have to consider how safe your bird will be with flight in order to make the decision of "to clip or not to clip!"

[onionhead]

Jack is completely trained. My windows don't get opened and the only door to go outside is downstairs(I live in an apartment).
I DO however have a cockatiel that absolutely hates Jack and wants nothing to do with him but Jack wants to chase him and play with him. So I am a little worried that if Jack could fly he might torture the tiel.
I am leaning more towards clipping but I feel bad that our parakeet (who is Jacks best friend) can fly and Jack can't follow.

[michael]

I think the decision to clip a birds wings must be done on an individual basis with physical safety being the most important factor. I also feel its important to allow young juvenile birds to first build full flight confidence for their own well being "before" an initial clip. But, only if that opportunity lends itself to that most important factor, their physical safety.

In my opinion, each bird or birds and their owner/s are different. When poeple ask whether they should limit their birds flight, not only will it depend on how they share their environment but how much experience they have in doing so. For instance, not all birds are experienced at flight control, and not all of us understand from the start all the risks involved in allowing our birds to be fully flighted.

Even though questions about wing clips to say the least are repetitive, they are none the less still very important. For some, just the uncertainty alone is good enough reason to follow through with having their birds wings clipped. For others, regardles of how much they prefer their birds remain fully flighted, just because of the risks involved they really have no other choice.

With regards to behavior modification (taming). This to me is secondary to their overall safety yet can still play an important role in managing their care. Should anyone decide to clip their birds for this reason, it should be done responsibly and administered in such a fashion as to only "limit" flight and not "eliminate it". This I feel helps give some psychological balance to their relationship...................:)

[SammySamantha]

You should read the old posts about clipping. There are many good articles pro and con all over the internet. It comes down to a personal decision. You need to know that you are as informed as you can be and have made the best choice for your home situation. Talk to the person doing the clipping about your expectations. Finally, clipping isn't forever and can be done at any time. Your decision does not have to be set in stone.

Good luck.