Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bu.edu!xylogics!samsung!umich!sharkey!msuinfo!plemmons
From: plemmons@nsf1.mth.msu.edu (Steve Plemmons)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Clipping wings
Message-ID: <1990Aug1.140519.24207@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Date: 1 Aug 90 14:05:19 GMT
References: <936.26b173bd@desire.wright.edu> <1990Jul30.140835.25056@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> <26B5F8E3.49E6@intercon.com>
Sender: news@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu
Reply-To: plemmons@brain.mth.msu.edu (Steve Plemmons)
Organization: Michigan State University, Dept. of Mathematics
Lines: 43

In article <26B5F8E3.49E6@intercon.com> kdb@intercon.com (Kurt Baumann) writes:
>In article <1990Jul30.140835.25056@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>,
>plemmons@nsf1.mth.msu.edu (Steve Plemmons) writes:
>> I think you would
>> rather try to be a little more careful about open doors and windows that
>> having your friend crash and break a bone.
>> 
>> Good Luck,
>> 
>> Steve
>
>This is just not good advice.  I know of too many people who have lost birds
>because they did not clip, or poorly clipped their birds.  The trick is to
>leave enough feathers, but not too many.  Look for a video on this soon.
>
>Birds have also been known to break their bones crashing into windows as
>well.  So leaving their wings unclipped or poorly clipped is no solution.
>
>Kurt
>--
>Kurt Baumann

Please realize that I did not suggest not clipping at all.  I suggested
clipping symetrically or same on both sides.  The bird in question
walked through the door.  I was simply informing of the dangers of
clipping only one wing.  I think that the clip all depends on the bird
anyway and that is why one should talk to a vet and have them show you
the best clip for that bird and the best way to do it so not to hurt the
bird.  And then sometimes that doesn't work.  My vet at Michigan State
University clipped all flight primaries but three on both sides.  This
was not enough for my blue crowned conure, she is a extremely strong
flyer and could still get lift in this situation.  I then had to clip
two more from either side.  This left her flightless, but with enough
control to keep her out of trouble.

Steve


--
========================================================================
Steve Plemmons                      plemmons@mth.msu.edu
Math Department                     plemmons@frith.egr.msu.edu
Michigan State University           21144smp@msu.bitnet