Rebecca Jones's Diary - Spinster and Lunatic ([info]beckybecbec) wrote in [info]cockatiels,
@ 2004-12-24 11:20:00
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Pics of Zest
I am bored right now. Its very muggy here in Brisbane. Zest has been sitting on the couch in front of the fan so I decided to take some cute pictures...














I'm a bit concerned about the both wings clipped situation. Im worried now that he is learning to fly with shorter wings. He can get quite a distance and maintain a steady height. He is now in the habit of 'flying' from the desk to my shoulder or his cage to me (about 10 meters). Am I really such a bad mum to only have one wing clipped?

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[info]bumblebeez
2004-12-24 02:03 am UTC (link)
only thing i'd really worry about is if he didn't know he was unbalanced and attempted flight, then he could fall and injure himself.

otherwise, i'm not sure.

g'luck with it though =)

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[info]ltdead
2004-12-24 09:05 am UTC (link)
I feel pretty strongly that the one-wing clip is no good. Cockatiels are strong flyers, and yes they can get pretty far on clipped wings. That`s why it`s never safe to take a cockatiel outside without a harness or cage, no matter how the bird is clipped. Can Zest gain any altitude when he flies? They can maintain altitude for a good long time, but if Zest is gaining any altitude after the initial jump you need to clip the wings back a little bit farther.

I`ll tell you my experience with an (inadvertant) one-wing clip. After taming Kiana I decided to let her wings grow back in. Piper`s grew in normally, but for reasons I cannot understand Kiana molted out and replaced the feathers in only ONE of her wings. So for months she had a one-wing clip. She went from being cage-bound her entire life (and therefore never learning how to fly) to being clipped (and never learning how to fly) to having a one-wing clip and having no control over where she went or where she landed. She crashed into things. She could stop. She couldn`t turn. Flying was TERRIFYING for her, she always got hurt! I had to debate for a long time if I would wait it out for her new feathers to grow in, or if I should clip back her wing again (but wouldn`t it happen again the next time her feathers started to grow in?!)
So we waited it out.
Now she`s fully flighted, but her one-winged experience has shattered her confidence. She`s terrified of flying. She won`t even JUMP. I`m working on improving it, but even seeing Piper having fun and flying around the room won`t convince Kia that it`s fun and safe. And it`s been months since her wing finally grew in!
One winged clips can lead to injury and, in Kia`s case at least, mild behavioral issues. I really don`t recommend them.

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[info]ltdead
2004-12-24 09:47 am UTC (link)
PS: those pictures are really really cute. *G*

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[info]beckybecbec
2004-12-24 09:50 am UTC (link)
Thank you...
...and...
...aww thanks :P

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[info]exploding_girl
2004-12-24 01:24 pm UTC (link)
What a cute little guy! Wow, wow, how adorable!!

Icarus had a one wing clip because our vet recommended it. It was TERRIBLE for her, she was utterly off balance. It was almost as dangerous as when she was fully flighted. I think having the wing clip is a big enough adjustment in itself without adding a whole lack of balance to it. She got used to it but I won't do it again. I've also heard that it can cause the tiel to land with too much weight on one leg which can lead to injury.

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[info]ltdead
2004-12-24 01:39 pm UTC (link)
After watching Kia slam into the thin-side of a door (that`s how bad her inability to steer is) I personally think it`s more dangerous then fully flighted!
As long as you know the risks and take measures to protect your birds, flighted can be safe.

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