Continued from page 1More often than I like to hear, baby African Greys are clipped immediately after their first or second flight. This allows no time for them to gain confidence in their flying skills. I feel fledging is vital to the long term mental well-being of an African Grey. I theorize that baby Greys allowed a fledging period of several weeks are much less likely to feather pick a few years down the road, than their counterparts clipped after a single fledged flight.
Another large problem lies in the actual wing clipping of African Greys. Many people, whether they are veterinarians, pet store personnel, or even inexperienced breeders, clip African Greys like they would any other parrot. Greys are large bodied birds, not slip and not particularly graceful. Aerodynamic is not a word used to describe African Greys. Too often the wings of African Greys are butchered, causing the Grey to drop to the floor like a lead weight. Obviously this is dangerous as many Greys have split their chests open when hitting the floor. This type of wing clip and the dramatic landing results also causes trauma to the birds. If this unfortunate situation is the case with your African Grey, please allow the wings to grow out. Make sure the Grey re-learns, if necessary, how to fly, and have the bird properly trimmed once flight skills and self confidence is restored.
At Oakridge we clip the outer primary flight feathers (4-5 total on an African Grey) so that approximately 11/4" to 3/4" remain toward the coverts. Again, some of this is determined by the flight skills of the individual bird. We have noticed that the smaller, slimmer Timneh African Grey is often a more accomplished flier, and therefore may require a slightly closer wing trim.
African Grey breeder Bobbi Brinker, from Ohio, clips the primaries on her baby Greys right up to and just underneath the covert feathers. The primary wing feather extends approximately one inch under the coverts. By clipping just under the secondary, there is no visible clipped stub for the bird to notice while preening. This procedure should definitely be accomplished by two people and must be done very carefully to avoid cutting coverts or actual bone. Bobbi and other Grey breeders have a theory that the stubs left by a wing clip may be a possible cause in Greys who chew their wing feathers.
I have discussed my clipping method with behaviorist Phoebe Linden, of Santa Barbara Bird Farm, to find that she clips her Grey babies in a manner similar to my own. Neither of us have been notified of any of our baby Greys chewing wings or plucking feathers.
If you are obtaining a baby African Grey from a breeder or pet store, please discuss wing clipping procedures with them before it is too late. Once clipped, the results there of will determine much of the personality of your African Grey and its future. Fledging should be fun for both baby Grey and human instructor.
Rita Shimniok About Rita Shimniok
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