Should I Get BUdgie's Wings Clipped?

Question

I had a very good relationship with my new budgie before we went on holiday for 10 days. he was staying at someone Else's house while we were away. The budgie was bought a few months before we left and i was able to make him go on a finger skateboard, and i could place him on my shoulder without flying off. since we came back he has screamed and creamed and has been a completely different bird. he no longer lets me play with him and when i try to put him on his fingerboard or my shoulder he just flies away to the highest point in the room and screams. he is fine at night he gets a towel put over him when hes in his cage but as soon as we take it off in the morning he screams. also he never goes on the floor or table any more.

do you think i should get his wings clipped?

does clipping the wings hurt the budgie?

what are the risks of getting wings clipped?

are there alternative things to do for him?

Answer 1

a lot of people say no but they are wrong if the budgie can fly they will fly into the window due to their bad eye site so clipping their wings is preventing you from hurting it

it doesnt hurt them and there are no risks  

Answer 2

He may have been treated badly, or is angry that you left him.

No, it doesn't hurt the bird.  Wing clipping is for the birds own safety, but it does not guarantee that the bird wont fly. A fright or small breeze and your bird is airborne.  Also it makes it easier to train.  In addition, it is not permanent (not like declawing a cat). If your bird does retrain and you wish to have him flighted, by next molt his feathers will have regrown.

There arent too many alternatives to do for him.  You can try to retrain him without his wings clipped but it can (and rpobably will) take a lot more time and effort.

Answer 3

clipping a birds wings does not hurt it. if you cut into a blood feather that does hurt. where ever the bird stayed, he must have been frightened by something or someone. birds can get scared very easily.

your going to have to start over a bit and regain his trust. if you get the wings clipped make sure you have someone do it that knows how. a lot of vets dont even do it correctly. open the wing and clip NO MORE THAN six or seven of the longest feathers (the bottom layer) it's hard to describe in words. look it up on google to find a picture.

the only thing about clipping feathers is that you will have to watch out where he is and where he goes. he should be able to glide down to the floor still but not get much height. sometimes, if a bird has been able to fly for a long time they can still fly fairly well even after a clip.

if you dont want to clip, you dont  have to but it can take longer for him to get used to you and trust you again. just dont rush through it. find a small room in your house that is quiet and doesn't have a lot for a bird to get into or hide behind or has anything dangerous for it to get into. be quiet with him. it will take sometime

Answer 4

I don't think theres really an alternative to clipping wings- not for the reason you need, anyway.

If you take it to your local vet (one that hopefully is knowledgeable in the avian field) they can clip your budgies wing and also give him a health check.

My birds are alot better behaved with their wings clipped- it seems cruel but its much safer for them.

Give him some time, read up on parrot psychology and behaviour and you may find some good techniques to help win him over again.

Answer 5

yes

Answer 6

Never ever clip a birds wings for any reason other than a medical one! birds naturally fly and imagine if i cut of your legs? same type of feeling im afraid. Spend some time with your budgie, you will have to earn his trust back, but in time you will earn it back if you are persistent. there is no way clipping will slove this problem.

Answer 7

It depends...

If you take him out a lot (sounds like you do) i highly suggest getting the wings clipped.   It doesn't seem to bother them.  If done incorrectly though, it could be quite painful.  The only risk would be if the trimmer was not experienced.  Other than leaving him in his cage, it sounds like clipping the wings are the only thing to do.  But, after a clip, the wings will be fine for a while, and in this time your bird may start to return to normal.  Who knows, you may see your bird return to his old self.

Hope this helps....

Answer 8

no it hurts the bird and in my opinion that is like abuse because that is like me cutting off your finger .