Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!psuvax1!psuvm!hcm100
From: HCM100@psuvm.psu.edu (Hans C. Masing)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR: Wing clipping
Message-ID: <91049.160259HCM100@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 18 Feb 91 21:02:59 GMT
References: <3217@legs.UUCP> <1991Feb14.165445.23866@eng.umd.edu>
 <27BC1320.3C83@intercon.com> <1991Feb15.233832.9126@eng.umd.edu>
 <27BEAA61.5224@intercon.com>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 29

When I clip the wings on my doves that I use for magic, I clip every
other flight feather.  This keeps the birds looking better than if all
of the feathers were clipped, and limits the flying to a controlled glide.
This is for their own safety.  I often produce the birds from pans of flame
(harmless to the birds, I assure you) and other places.  Sometimes the
audience reaction (I do magic mostly for Kids) can startle the birds more
than anything.  What would I do if they took of for the highest rafters
in the school auditorium?  In the case of my birds, as I believe in the
case of most birds who are in possibly dangerous situations from flying,
clipping should be considered on a case by case basis.  My doves show no
tendancy to fly away, but JUST IN CASE, I keep them clipped.  Off season,
however, in the summertime, I let the feathers grow (ie-after the spring
moult) and keep them in a closed off area of my patio.  They don't tend
to fly too much anyway, so clipping in their case doesn't seem so bad.

On a humorous note, and on a change of subject, I discovered that if I
hold a deck of cards in from of the female dove, she will pull a single
card from the deck.  Very humorous, but will she continue this behaviour
after she is done nesting?  Is there any way to "train" doves to do this?

Thanks,
Hans.
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