Post by Karen R Quinn on Jul 18, 2009 9:46:50 GMT -7
Keeping your parrot's wing's properly trimmed is an essential part of owning a parrot. Not only does it aid in keeping you, the owner, as the dominant member of the bird-human relationship, it is very important for the safety of your pet. The vast majority of "lost bird" reports come from people who claim to never have clipped their bird's wings, or to have "forgotten" to do this. Even birds who owners claim "never even attempt to fly" are prone to a startle reflex when suddenly frightened. In this case even a handraised bird's instincts tell then to attempt to fly off. If the bird's wings are clipped, the parrot will flutter harmlessly to the ground - if not, this act of owner negligence could result in the loss of a bird. Even birds who never go outside benefit from clipped wings. A fully flighted bird in the house is much more prone to wing, head and leg injuries resulting from crashes into doors, walls, ceiling fans, windows, mirrors, etc. Sometimes these injuries could prove fatal! Further, a clipped bird is more likely to act dominant to its owner, since it knows it can fly away to a high, "superior" spot if it needs to assert itself.
Things you'll need:
Scissors
Towel For Holding Your Parrot.... Only If Needed
Treats For A Reward For Being A Good Bird
Styptic Powder, Kwick Stop, or Baking Flour....in the event of bleeding feathers
Bilateral Wing Trim. With this style, the first 8-10 primary flight feathers on both wings are trimmed to the point of the dorsal major primary coveret feathers. This is a safe cut because you will not hit a blood feather if done correctly. Check the diagram at the top of the page for a view of the correct feathers to cut.
The feathers we are most concerned with when trimming a bird's wings are the Primary Flight Feathers and not the Secondary Flight Feathers. The Primary Flight Feathers are the long feathers at the outermost portion of a bird's wing. They provide forward propulsion. The Secondary Flight Feathers are those feathers between the Primaries and the bird's body. They provide lift.
When we trim the first 8-10 flight feathers ( on some parrots, like African Grays, only cut the first 6 flight feathers), we are cutting away the primaries. This takes away the bird's forward flight propulsion. Without this, the "lift" part of the flight system is fairly useless. So, if the bird tries to fly away, he will flutter safely to the ground, without falling too hard.
When trimming your bird's wings always aim the scissors away from the bird's body. Otherwise, serious injury could result. Also, be sure to have someone competent holding the bird if need be. You could easily get bit or even strangle your bird if your holder is not careful. If you need to have someone hold your bird use a towel to wrap the bird safely in.....it will also help to protect the holders hands.
When you cut your bird's primary flight feathers, use the dorsal major primary coverts as a type of "dotted line" guide. These are the smaller feathers just above (towards the bird's head and wrist) the primary flights. If you cut just an inch below (towards the tail) these feathers, you should never accidentally cut an immature or "blood" feather, which could result in pain and bleeding. Normally, the part of the feather sticking beyond the coverts is mature and without blood supply.
Clipping the wings in this manner can be as painless as cutting hair. Usually, the bird has more objection to the restraint involved than the actual wing trimming. As shown in the diagram, when the wing is fully extended, we can see the area cut. However, once the wing is pulled back into a folded position, the cut portion folds under the secondary flight feathers and cannot be seen.
Tips & Warnings:
I have trimmed my parrots wing since she was a baby, so for me it is easy to do. She just holds out her wing for me to clip it.
If you start when your bird is young, you should have no problem being able to get them to cooperate with you.
I always praise my parrot for being a good girl....and give her favorite treats as a reward.
If you accidentally cause your bird to bleed during a grooming procedure, do not panic! Bleeding can be stopped by using a styptic powder (i.e. "Kwik-Stop") or even regular baking flour, in a pinch.
If you see pink in the sheath over the feather, this is a blood feather that is not yet mature. Do not try to cut blood feathers, as this will result in pain and bleeding to your bird.
If you are unsure of which feathers to trim, or have a bird that is very uncooperative seek the professional help of your avian vet....or avian groomer.
Things you'll need:
Scissors
Towel For Holding Your Parrot.... Only If Needed
Treats For A Reward For Being A Good Bird
Styptic Powder, Kwick Stop, or Baking Flour....in the event of bleeding feathers
Bilateral Wing Trim. With this style, the first 8-10 primary flight feathers on both wings are trimmed to the point of the dorsal major primary coveret feathers. This is a safe cut because you will not hit a blood feather if done correctly. Check the diagram at the top of the page for a view of the correct feathers to cut.
The feathers we are most concerned with when trimming a bird's wings are the Primary Flight Feathers and not the Secondary Flight Feathers. The Primary Flight Feathers are the long feathers at the outermost portion of a bird's wing. They provide forward propulsion. The Secondary Flight Feathers are those feathers between the Primaries and the bird's body. They provide lift.
When we trim the first 8-10 flight feathers ( on some parrots, like African Grays, only cut the first 6 flight feathers), we are cutting away the primaries. This takes away the bird's forward flight propulsion. Without this, the "lift" part of the flight system is fairly useless. So, if the bird tries to fly away, he will flutter safely to the ground, without falling too hard.
When trimming your bird's wings always aim the scissors away from the bird's body. Otherwise, serious injury could result. Also, be sure to have someone competent holding the bird if need be. You could easily get bit or even strangle your bird if your holder is not careful. If you need to have someone hold your bird use a towel to wrap the bird safely in.....it will also help to protect the holders hands.
When you cut your bird's primary flight feathers, use the dorsal major primary coverts as a type of "dotted line" guide. These are the smaller feathers just above (towards the bird's head and wrist) the primary flights. If you cut just an inch below (towards the tail) these feathers, you should never accidentally cut an immature or "blood" feather, which could result in pain and bleeding. Normally, the part of the feather sticking beyond the coverts is mature and without blood supply.
Clipping the wings in this manner can be as painless as cutting hair. Usually, the bird has more objection to the restraint involved than the actual wing trimming. As shown in the diagram, when the wing is fully extended, we can see the area cut. However, once the wing is pulled back into a folded position, the cut portion folds under the secondary flight feathers and cannot be seen.
Tips & Warnings:
I have trimmed my parrots wing since she was a baby, so for me it is easy to do. She just holds out her wing for me to clip it.
If you start when your bird is young, you should have no problem being able to get them to cooperate with you.
I always praise my parrot for being a good girl....and give her favorite treats as a reward.
If you accidentally cause your bird to bleed during a grooming procedure, do not panic! Bleeding can be stopped by using a styptic powder (i.e. "Kwik-Stop") or even regular baking flour, in a pinch.
If you see pink in the sheath over the feather, this is a blood feather that is not yet mature. Do not try to cut blood feathers, as this will result in pain and bleeding to your bird.
If you are unsure of which feathers to trim, or have a bird that is very uncooperative seek the professional help of your avian vet....or avian groomer.