New found flight = TROUBLE

[Mandolin]

Well Kameko now has 3 flight feathers grown in and has dicovered her new ability to fly..... everywhere!!! I keep her in my room with me, but there is lots she can get into. She flies in the bathroom to see her friend in the mirror, then around and around, landing usually on my head. The worst habit i am trying to get her out of is tormenting my fish. I have 2 fish tanks, and she can see in one through a glass window on the hood, so she watches them. She seems so happy being able to fly, but she has suddenly gotten so independent and this is only with 3 feathers!!! It is driving me crazy!!! She keeps chewing on my book cases, and looking for bits of fish food that i have to pry out of her beak, and her newest thing is playing in the water as it flows through the fish filter (that can't be healthy to i have to constantly take her away) :evil: . Is there any way to curb this independent behaviour, or make her listen (hahaha :lol , yeah right), without clipping her wings already? I want her to be able to have some flight (more than she did with a full wing clip), but right now she doesn't want to play and hang out with me nearly as much as she used to, she just flies and plays by herself, checking in with me only every so often :cry: .

[BarbieH]

Is there any way to curb this independent behaviour, or make her listen (hahaha :lol , yeah right), without clipping her wings already

Short answer: no. :lol

Long answer: If she is indeed flying around in circles, can turn in mid-air and flies like a little daredevil, she has gotten very strong in flight. You could give her a partial clip that limits her ability to fly up and around.

It's very important to make sure she can't get to that fish tank. It's too easy for small birds to drown in even small amounts of water.

Good luck! :D

[Mandolin]

She can swoop up and down, and round and round. She doesn't like it when the bathroom light is off, so she flies in, does a 180 and flies out. She has quite a few more feathers to come in still so she's only going to get stronger and more daredevil-ish :( .

[butterfly1061]

I have to agree with Barb. A little modified clip would bring her back down to earth. Works like a charm. :D

[Janie]

Yep, I agree, too! My older birdie, Oliver, it the most laid back little bird in the world and even he can't be trusted with full flight. I tried it.....once! :D With my other two, never!!! They are nothing but trouble with a capital "T" w/o full flight! :eek:

[Asue]

Mikey wasn't too bad when he could fly. He liked to fly from the playgym, on to my fiance's head, and then chase me around the living room when I would get up from the couch. :rofl: It was like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
Lovies are so independent when they KNOW they can go where ever they want. I don't think anything will help ya now!:p

[LauraO]

I agree with Barb that the only way to curb Kameka's behavior is to clip her wings. She will get worse with time and the attitude a flighted lovie can have far outweighs most big parrots.

My house is chaos right now. We have 19 lovies and normally 90% have wing clips, but we have someone living in our house so I don't trust them not being flighted right now. So I have 19 flighted lovies:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: . This is something I DON'T recommend at all and I can't wait til' the day I break out the scissors:lol .

[kimsbirds]

Snap and Pop received their first clips last week...I clipped 3 flight feathers on each wing and gave them a chance to get used to it..no problems at all ! Tonight I clipped one more feather on each wing, and they're fine with it...they can't gain altitude, but they can sure get around no problem...they also tend to land on me more, as I'm the taller landing perch in the room now..compared to the table, couch etc, and when they land, I make a big deal out of it with chirps and whistles and petting...that way they associate me with happy reactions :) Works for us...give it a shot !
K

[Z28Taxman]

You're all complaining about your lovies flying around too much and I can't get Ditto to fly other than to get to me. :roll:

[Elle]

My personal experience with one lovebird is for the first year, year and a half, you are best to clip feathers. This is still al earning curve for both of you. What you are allowed to do, what you are not allowed to do ( I'm talking about the birdie, not you) and you still have the opportunity to develop a strong bond with your lovebird.
I found that after a year, the relationship is established well enough that at that time, if the decision is made not to clip wings, it's not as dramatic.

I give my lovebird a chance to experiment with the new flight feathers and really keep an eye on her behavior. If I have a hard time keeping control, I clip. If birdie is well behaved, I leave the flight feathers alone, keeping in mind its NEVER too late to clip and the feathers WILL grow back.
Don't set yourself up that Kamiko has control over you. Lovebirds are very domminant if given a chance. :2cents:

[Mandolin]

Alright, so i have decided that a clip is in order. I definately don't want her behaviour to get worse and her to think that she has the upper wing ;) in the relationship.
So what exactly is a "modified" wing clip? I don't want her to be completely flightless again, I felt bad for her not being able to get off the floor to even the bed. Sean will be doing the actual clip because he has stronger hands that can hold up better than mine against the inevitable mangling that Kameko is sure to give. Any advice for doing this will be greatly appreciated.

[kimsbirds]

Modified is also semi or partial...it involves only 3-5 flight feathers as opposed to all 8-10. Start with 3 feathers...and let Kameko flit around...if you're satisfied with it, leave it at that. If she's still quick to get altitude, off comes another 1 or 2...again, try her flight, and re-evaluate from there. Scooter has 6 flights clipped, while Dutchess has only 3...depends on how strong them wingies are ya see...
Since Kameko is in a molt now...don't clip off all the new ones yet....wait a bit until more feathers come in. I only remove feathers from the outside edge...some clip feathers from along the middle of the feather line, while still others clip those on the primaries closest to the body. Good Luck !

[Mandolin]

Yeah, she only has 3 flight feathers right now. So i will have to wait until more come in.

[Angelwing]

If Kameko likes spray millet (or whatever her favourite food is), distract her with it while you're doing the clipping. You're boyfriend will appreciate her biting the food instead of his fingers, for the most part.

[BarbieH]

You could clip those three flights...

[Janie]

You could clip those three flights...

Barb, I had to chuckle when I read that! I thought I was going to get really brave and start doing my own clips but I'm not "there" yet! :D After the last clip that BB & Shy got, a terrible clip that left the front flights LONG and clipped behind them, they were still way too flighted so I did take a little bit off those front feathers. It helped but not enough. Now the dilemma is, have those clipped feathers grown out enough to have them clipped properly so......Jeanette is going to drop by for a visit and clip them for me! :D Now that IS good breeder service! :lol I am going to pay close attention and am determined to learn how to do it, from now on, myself! BB & Shy are totally out of hand right now.....like a couple of teenagers on crack! :eek: The swishy/swishy has started and they are flying all over their room. Oliver has laid the law down....get those two birds clipped and under control or I'm moving out! :whistle:

[BarbieH]

That *is* terrific service! Tell Jeanette we miss her around here.

Maybe she could hold the birds while she directs you with the scissors? :)

[butterfly1061]

Janie,

I could come by and take pictures :D

[Cooper]

I was just waiting for the chance to clip Cooper's new flights, but then she developed a foot problem and the vet advised against it. Now Cooper thinks she's the boss - I can go where I want and ..... that's the top of your head, hah! I keep reminding her not to get too attached to those feathers, they're not going to be there for much longer. Although it's pretty funny when she flys in the direction of my fiance and he reacts like he's being dive-bomded :rofl:

[Elle]

Although it's pretty funny when she flys in the direction of my fiance and he reacts like he's being dive-bomded :rofl:

Danny is still not used to Blu flying to him. There are a few times he thought he would have to change his pants. :rofl:
Ah! My brave "little" firefighter! :lol

[Z28Taxman]

Danny is still not used to Blu flying to him. There are a few times he thought he would have to change his pants. :rofl:
Ah! My brave "little" firefighter! :lol


Ditto loves to do that. If he knows someone will duck, he'll fly right at their head and hover 6 inches in front of them because he knows they're gonna duck. :lol