Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!intercon!ooblick
From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR: Wing clipping
Message-ID: <27BC1320.3C83@intercon.com>
Date: 15 Feb 91 16:58:08 GMT
References: <1991Feb6.231825.29272@cbnewsj.att.com> <3217@legs.UUCP> <1991Feb14.165445.23866@eng.umd.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Sterling, VA
Lines: 27

In article <1991Feb14.165445.23866@eng.umd.edu> linco@eng.umd.edu (Sam C. Lin) writes:
>So clipping should be considered on a case by case basis.  My belief
>is that it is cruel to clip a bird unless it is clearly going to hurt
>itself otherwise.  This argument that birds will fly away is a crock
>of cow turds.  If you are too careless to keep your windows and doors
>closed when the bird is out, maybe you are too careless to own one.
>And taking a bird outside even with clipped wings is stupid if the
>bird is of a species that flies particularly well. Any cockatiel with
>clipped wings can easily catch the slightest breeze, and disappear in
>seconds.

In my opinion, this is a highly simplistic attitude.  Accidents DO happen.
If bird ownership is restricted to people who never make mistakes and never
have accidents, nobody would own birds.  Having an opinion is one thing,
but berating other people's opinions is not useful to this discussion.
The fact is, accidents DO happen, and birds DO fly away.  Every week, at
least two birds are listed as "lost" in my local bird shop.  Perhaps these
people were "too careless", but more likely they made a mistake.

*My* belief is that it is cruel NOT to clip wings unless you know for
a fact that you are so perfect that you could never make such a mistake,
AND you know for a fact that your bird will never harm itself flying in
the house.  All my pets are clipped.  

Mikki Barry
Natural Intelligence Aviaries
Home of the Electric Cockatoo