| Home | Site Index | Contact us | Search this site |
|
Wing Clipping
Pearl's Story
| 8
July 2003
"I am glad that I found a web page that finally concurs with my views on wing clipping. I DON'T and WON'T, because my Goffin has had enough trauma, thank you very much. She came to me after another girl bought her from "would-be" breeders who had sold her mate and no longer wanted a non-productive female who was plucking her feathers. This girl couldn't keep her because her roommate couldn't tolerate her screaming. Pear has a small cage by cockatoo standards, and the bird was given to me, so I wasn't quite financially prepared to go out and purchase the larger parrot cages on the market, but since she has acclimated to our home, I haven't confined her to the cage unless it was necessary to have doors open to move things in or out. She hasn't had her wings clipped in three years, she flies freely about the house (three laps around the living room is standard), no longer screams unless something disturbs her or she is displaying (the "Pearl Hour"). She has manzanita limbs inside the cage and out, rope perches on top and sides, and we also had hanging shelf in the kitchen picture window that she flew to and would march back and forth on until she discovered the items on the shelves near it. She loved the clatter they made when they fell on the counter, and it seemed that no matter what we put underneath the shelf, she would manuever her tail around it when it came time to drop "mines" and we became tired of the clean-up chore when it was time to cook. So the shelf came down. I would not clip her wings again. She came with wings clipped, and this is the first year in three that she has actually had a complete set of unclipped feathers, all wing feathers full and unbroken or chewed away. She never picks her feathers anymore. The days of her sitting miserable for hours on a perch, silent, are done. She talks to us, tells us when she wants something, comments on what's going on, complains when things are moved out of place. I can't imagine her gone. If I could afford to find her a huge cage and adopt a mate for her I would. Instead, for now, I give her the best food and toys we can afford, fresh and dried fruits and veggies, ZuPreem avian fruit blend for large parrots, puzzle nuts like almonds and peanuts a few at a time, and the plant mister several times a week. We tried giving her a mirror, as suggested by a pet shop wizard, and she stared at it, clucked at it, rubbed her head on it, licked it, leaned on it, pined away in front of it, and the first time I saw her pick at a wing, I took the mirror away. It would never be what she really needs--a mate. We will find her one as soon as I can afford to house it properly, but for now, it seems that she is reasonably happy. She seems to respond to my husband's voice best, but that could be because he is home most. Thank you for a most informative website, and for speaking up for natural handling of these beautiful birds." Bright and Pearl
Visit: Wing Clipping - Facts and Fiction Against wing clipping logo © and courtesy of Birds Online
|
|
|
To our shop quality parrot cages and playstands at the cheapest prices on-line with free delivery. |
