# Clip flight feathers???



## phillychad (Jan 24, 2007)

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I last checked in... Hope all is well. Quick question... Will it be OK if I clip my bird's flight feathers? I'll tell you why I want to do it. She has the run of the house, no cage. She has always done very well. Usually, she poops in the kitchen on the tile floor which is easy to clean. Sometimes she will go in other area's of our home but we clean it up and it's not really a problem. For whatever reason she seems to be on a poop mission. She is pooping everywhere! Obviously we can't have this and I don't want to cage her as she has never been in one. Would clipping her flight feathers be ok? We do own a squirrel and a dog but honestly both of them are terrified of the bird. I am not really worried about the other pets because in the past if they came to close she would "slap" them with her wing. Before I clip her wings I wanted to know if this would be acceptable. I have owned parrots in the past so I am familiar with the process. Is it the same with pigeons. Maybe you have other suggestions?? Thank you.... Chad

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7801&stc=1&d=1198802687
The bird on the left is the one I am speaking of. The other one was re-released, if you remember, he was the one with the feather problem. We fed him, his feather's came back in fully and let him go. He is doing great and stops by to see us (along with about 50 of his friends!) every morning...


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Pigeons are meant to fly... that is what they do... your bird wont be happy with you if you do it... but it is your decision. I have clipped flight feathers in racers, but that was to prevent them from moulting thier 9th and 10th flight feathers at the end of the season. I haven't ever cut flight feathers to keep a bird from flying that would be self distructive of my purpose. =)


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Have you thought of confining your bird in a large cage for part of the day? Birds left out unattended can get hurt.
The other option is a diapers which can be ordered from our own BoniBird.
I don't think you should clip the flight feathers either.


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## phillychad (Jan 24, 2007)

Yeah, I kind of didn't want to clip them... She is an indoor bird. We have made our home as safe as possible for ie. no mirrors, curtains on the windows. She gets plenty of sunlight thru our screened in porch. I am thinking of just containing her to a certain part of the house but she is obsessed with me and follows me everywhere. If I attempt to lock her in another room she gets very upset. The diapers sound more messy then helpful as I would always have to clean her. I didn't want to make her unhappy by "clipping" her.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I am thinking diapers would come very handy in this case. Clipping the feathers won't stop the bird from flying though, that's one problem. With enough effort, they can still get around...just not as quick and not as easily.

Diapers - http://www.birdwearonline.com/PGWearStore.html


I don't think the diapers would be too much of a problem, since so many seem to use them. But like I said, clipping would just limit flight..but I don't think your bird would be too upset really. As long as you're there, it would probably be happy


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## phillychad (Jan 24, 2007)

Diapers sounds like the way to go. Has anyone had much experience with them?


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

getting caught with a bird with clipped feathers will put you in a slammer for a day in Sri Lanka. - new laws


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I haven't personally used diapers. . .but I really, really, really wish I'd known about them back when I had pigeons who had the run of the house!!! I used handkerchief diapers on my chickens who lived indoors when they were young, that was kind of a pain. But the pigeon diapers are apparently pretty easy to use. Many people on here use them, and I know a lot of them work during the day and such so aren't there to change them constantly. As I understand, the diaper stays in place and you just switch out the liner. I would think you could even just use it on her part of the time and catch "most" of the poop throughout the day, and maybe she'll go back to the kitchen for the most of the rest.  One of our members, Boni, makes the PG Wear diapers. Good luck!


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## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

I can't recommend the PGWear enough. It's really been a "life-saver" for Sophie and I, allowing her much more time out of her little house. Sophie has the run of the house most of the day, her PGWear is probably changed about 2-3 times per day. The way the PGWear is constructed, the poop just collects into a ball away from the bird, so it's not exactly like a traditional diaper. Also, I have felt bad putting Sophie in her house at night, so I bought her one of those cat enclosures that is like a littel cave. I put that next to my bed, and she stays in it ALL NIGHT LONG. I suspect she doesn't leave because I turn out the lights and she can't see in the dark, since as soon as the first light comes through the curtains, she flies onto me and scares the bejesus out of me to start the day. That's how I wake up every morning now. Also, if I leave the light on, she looks at me and eventually flies over to land on me. The main point is during the night, right before bedtime, I put a fresh liner in her PGWear and then she keeps it on all night until the morning, and it doesn't seem to bother her and the liner is far from being overfilled or disgusting. I am not advocating extended wear for all pidgeys, but in Sophie's case (and she is an EXCELLENT little pooper), it doesn't seem to be a problem. Of course, YMMV. Also, if you want, you can wipe the pigeon's rear end with a baby wipe when changing the PGWear.

Hope this helps, and good luck with you bird!


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

I would recommend the PG Wear diapers if you are home with your bird all day. But the liners need to be changed periodically so if you work all day like I do, I would not recommend leaving your bird diapered. I never leave my diapered birds unattended, as I am afraid the straps might get hung up on something...even though the design is very safety-conscious. The diapers are absolutely wonderful when used with care and caution. I use mine regularly.

I do not condone wing clipping for pigeons. It only makes them frustrated, and they still manage to poop all over the place. I have a Modena pigeon who came to me with his flights clipped and he is NOT happy about being flightless. It really isn't fair to do that to a bird, IMO. Flying is their main means of getting around.

If you are not home during the day, I would recommend a large cage or dog crate to keep your bird in. Then when you get home, diaper her and let her have the run of the house. Safer for the bird and easier for you to keep sanitary.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

My 2 cents.  While I don't really see a problem with clipping the wings of any bird that stays in the home, my main concern would be the inability to get away from a cat, dog, etc. or even being stepped on.

Personally, those that we have to keep in the house over winter don't seem to mind being in their cages for several hours a day as long as they are getting out to fly around a while in the morning and afternoon. We keep them confined to the kitchen area and poops are no problem.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Lady Tarheel said:


> My 2 cents.  While I don't really see a problem with clipping the wings of any bird that stays in the home, my main concern would be the inability to get away from a cat, dog, etc. or even being stepped on.
> 
> Personally, those that we have to keep in the house over winter don't seem to mind being in their for several hours a day as long as they are getting out to fly around a while in the morning and afternoon. We keep them confined to the kitchen area and poops are no problem.


My experience too. They mostly just stay in the same place for most of the day anyway.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

OK, here I come with MY comments...I am one of the (probably) FEW PT members who used BOTH the "original" Flight Suit Pigeon diaper AND Boni's PG Wear...

With the Flight Suits, you have to know what SIZE to get for your pijie. The size RECOMMENDED for pigeons did NOT work for Squeaks! He was MUCH bigger! Fortunately, I have a bird store down the street who had different sizes. I finally found one that fit Squeaks...FIVE sizes BIGGER! Worked JUST FINE! Poops collect under the vent area and is changed periodically. The suit, of course, is washable. You can call the company at a toll free # and they will advise about the size PLUS you can exchange, I believe. The size they recommended was too small, but maybe I just didn't give the right info...

Re: PGWEAR and Boni...she came up with a BETTER, less _intrusive _design. I think pijies are much more comfortable wearing her diapers. The material is cotton, while the Flight Suit is nylon. Boni's Vet did NOT recommend nylon. I, personally prefer "natural" fibers myself...

Also, with Boni's diapers, each one is *CUSTOM MADE *for YOUR pigeon AT a VERY reasonable price! 

You have already been given Boni's contact address. IF you want to do some "comparison" shopping, here is the Flight Suit info:

www.flightquarters.com (AvianFashions Flight Suit)
888-412-7667 toll free.

GOOD LUCK. I, personally, do NOT like the idea of clipping for reasons already given. DIAPERS ARE THE ANSWER!

SQUEAKS and I RECOMMEND BONI'S PGWEAR!!  

Let us know what you decide... 

Shi & Squeaks


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2008)

I so want to try the flight suits, but I'm afraid that Poopy won't trust me if I try to put them on her. It took so long for her to trust me. I can't keep her off me now and I don't want to betray her trust. Does anyone think it's too late to try using the flight suits on her now?


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## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

Honestly, I would try the PGWear. I've never used the flight suit, but I hear that the PGWear is a lot less intrusive on the bird. Sophie got used to it right away, and doesn't mind wearing it at all.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

TeresaL said:


> I so want to try the flight suits, but I'm afraid that Poopy won't trust me if I try to put them on her. It took so long for her to trust me. I can't keep her off me now and I don't want to betray her trust. Does anyone think it's too late to try using the flight suits on her now?


Yes, I would recommend PGWear...MUCH easier to put on and less intrusive for the pij...PLUS, you can request a particular pattern from Boni's "selection."  

She tells you how to measure your bird to get the right fit...I think you will be very pleased. Some pigeons may take to diapers better than others, but with use, I think most, if not all, pet pijies will like Boni's PGWear... AND, her diapers come with instructions to "dress"...

Shi & Squeaks


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Like Shi and Mr. Squeaks, I have tried both the Avian Fashions "flight suit" and Boni's PG Wear. Here's my review of both:

*The AF flight suit *is constrictive and annoying to the bird, not adjustable, very complicated to put on, and relatively expensive. The optional leash is too short, hard to put on/take off, and adds quite a bit of bulk to the suit. Also, the suit size recommended for pigeons did not give my bird the best fit. The site I bought my flight suit from had some limited color options, but they all cost extra to choose so I went with the default rainbow spandex which I really think is ugly. (Additionally, the velcro closure very quickly made pulls and snags in the spandex fabric, adding insult to injury.) Changing the liners is a real pain - these suits are not easy to get on and off. While my birds eventually did get used to it, they did not adjust quickly and seemed continually annoyed by wearing the flight suit. This suit does the job, but apparently does not have the bird's comfort as a priority.

*Boni's PG Wear *is made to order so it is sure to fit. It is also adjustable and very easy to put on/take off. The optional leash is a nice length, lightweight, and easy to attach or remove. Changing the liner is simple and does not require full removal of the diaper. PG Wear is less expensive too, and you can choose from many fabric designs - all of them lightweight and attractive. My birds put up a small fuss at first, but eventually the PG Wear has become second nature and they do not seem to mind wearing it. I've got several pigeons who wear PG Wear on a regular basis. (but my one "flight suit" has been retired) Boni designed PG Wear with the bird's comfort in mind, so it does the job AND is more comfortable for the bird. I would recommend this product for other pigeon owners who want to spend more time with their birds but are tired of cleaning droppings off the furniture and drapes.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

BEAUTIFULLY SAID, Karen!!!

Did you send this to Boni??? I know she would appreciate VERY MUCH!!

Many thanks!!

Shi 
& Squeaks (who adds his own 2 WINGS UP!)


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