by Maggie- » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:25 pm
Fledging (learning to fly as a baby) has an important psychological factor. It is like a "rite of passage" of becoming of age: moving into personhood and growing up. Therefore, when a bird learns to fly, it develops enormous confidence. It also develops agility and so on. So, when our babies do not learn to fly, they can be less confident and more clumsy. None of mine ever learned to fly....but I think since then, many breeders had learned the importance of letting their babies learn to fly before clipping the wings to sell them.
Possibly Chili was like my guys and never flew. It is okay to stay that way. Letting your bird fly is an enormous responsibility and should really be thought through before ever doing it. You would need to thoroughly bird proof the house and teach the bird yourself. Otherwise, having clipped wings is better.
There are many out there who are more knowledgable about clipping. But in my book, I say to start by clipping the first 4 or 5 primary feathers (from the outside). Do NOT clip really short or Chilli will become very clumsy. Wings are not just for flying: they are also important for balance and coordination. Look in the Spring 2002 download in this membership section. There is an article in that by Jane Hallander about clipping too.
The purpose of clipping is so that the bird can fly DOWN without a problem but cannot get a lift. So, that is your goal.
NEVER clip the feathers when they are blood feathers.
GREY'T Blessings,
Maggie-