Pet birds - wing clipping

Today I received an interesting email from someone who bought a budgie from me recently asking about wing clipping and if I knew how to do it.

Although I am aware of the procedure, wing clipping is something I have never actually done in practice. I’ve kept birds for well over ten years and never actually clipped any wings. It suddenly dawned on me that for such a simple procedure I wondered myself why I have never actually tried it in over a decade of bird keeping as a main hobby.

The simple answer is most of my birds are housed in a large outdoor aviary so I’ve never had to, and although I have kept a number of birds in cages as household pets I have never considered actually clipping their wings.

Some would argue that the procedure is cruel and unnecessary, whereas some would argue that all pet birds should have their wings clipped.

All I can say is it is a matter of personal preference, the bird feels no pain or loss whatsoever apparently and it does prevent them from flying away as with clipped wings they are unable to get any lift, and also if attempting to fly from a height they’ve climbed would simply glide to the ground with no pain or injury incurred. If they attempt to fly it would go some way to preventing injury by crashing into windows and other inanimate objects.

So it’s up to you. If you wish to tame your bird then wing clipping will help but if like mine your birds live in an aviary in a semi-wild state then there is no need.

The procedure is simple with just a trimming of the middle section of the primary feathers on each wing. It would be quite easy to do yourself but if you are unsure then the best bet is to call in the professionals.

Below is a few videos I’ve found that will show you the procedure, just click on any or all of the links to access them, the diagram above will also show you where to clip.

http://youtu.be/eqhxMWBcNO8

http://youtu.be/NftNrmu3LFo

http://youtu.be/kvXMZ0kgeq0

http://www.ehow.com/video_2349545_wing-clipping-parakeets.html

Thanks!

'Stanton Birdman' - aka - Pete

Flutter of tiny wings

I will be posting more details about the Australian grass parakeets soon, as promised, although somewhat delayed due to my other commitments.

I thought I’d take the opportunity to do a little upgrade post about the bird situation at home.

Stanton Birdman currently has 5 baby budgies for sale to good homes only.  They have now been taken from the aviary and placed in a cage ready to go to eager buyers.  There was 6 to start with from 2 clutches but one has already been claimed, a beautiful bright yellow from Squeek’s first clutch of the year, go to my earlier post http://stanton-birdman.blogspot.com/2011/07/nest-box-cleaning-time-again.html to learn a bit more about their upbringing and a photo of them when they were younger.

To try and make sure they go to good homes I'm asking £10 each for them.  I am only selling them locally however to minimise the phychological damage that they would suffer should they have to travel far to new homes.  If you would like any and live fairly local to Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK then please email me at stanton.birdman@gmail.com.

Of the 5 that are left, 2 are from ‘Squeek’ (hen) – not sure who Dad is –  and the other three are from ‘Blue’ (hen) and ‘Pied’ (cock), my most prolific breeders.



This year's first babies ready to go

 Check the picture to take a look at them now but please excuse the quality as I only have my mobile phone’s 2mp built-in camera to take photos with.

They are all strong and healthy birds that are eating well and ready to go, but as they have not yet seen their first molt I can’t tell which are female and which are male.

So far there’s no cockatiel chicks (although they’ve laid eggs) and no Java sparrow chicks (they have laid eggs also), the Bengalese (society) finches and the zebra finches appear to be struggling with the concept of egg laying – the nests are built but no eggs laid.  Meanwhile both ‘Squeek’ and ‘Blue’ have already laid again, but I will only allow my birds to raise a maximum of 2 clutches each per year.

On a similar note, ‘Squeek’s’ baby from last year – another beautiful bright yellow – which I decided to keep myself because of her colour has also laid eggs but no chicks yet, so good luck to her!

Apart from the budgies the other birds seem to be struggling but I live in optimism.

Nest box cleaning time again



'Squeeks' babies

 Spent a full hour today cleaning out nest boxes and faeces off chicks feet.

First I took down one nest box at a time, but only the ones that contained hatched chicks (just 2 fortunately, or not depending how you look at it).

I opened the end panel of the nest box, took out the three chicks that were in there and put them safely in a cardboard box. Then I removed the concave insert and was forced to scrape the dried up faeces off it with a wallpaper scraper, and then I had to also scrape part of the inside wall for the same reason.

After returning the concave insert I got to work on cleaning my baby budgies feet. To do this I had to soak each foot in turn for about a minute in luke warm clean water (no additives or detergents), whilst trying not to give the baby budgerigar a bath in the process.

Then I needed to carefully prise the dried feaces off the chicks feet and claws - difficult to do without a soaking first, the soaking of the foot loosens the dried up faeces so it's easier to remove, but still challenging as it is important not to injure the baby bird in any attempt to clean.

When done i dried the chick by padding down any wet with a piece of kitchen roll (highly absorbent and does a better job of drying and soaking up any dampness) before returning the baby budgie to the nest box.

I then had to repeat the process with the other two baby budgerigars from that nest box, then repeat the whole thing with the other nest box that also contained three budgie chicks; much to the annoyance of the parent birds who were often squawking at me for disturbing their babies.

Fortunately my birds never seem to hold a grudge whenever I do this and are soon my friends again, especially if I bribe them with some treat.

Comment
If you are breeding your pet or aviary birds this is a process I'm sure you will be familiar with, if you're not familiar with this then you should be!

Until they fledge and leave the confines of their nest box naturally all their activity is within there, including going to the toilet. Bird droppings, whether from adults or chicks, will dry up into solid clumps that can be very difficult to remove. Even more difficult when trying to remove it from a baby birds feet and claws, which will undoubtedly get clogged up and can in worst cases cause a permanent deformity in your birds as they grow.

So be sure to check your nest boxes regularly and do whatever cleaning is required!

Suggestions for Choosing Your New Small Pet Bird or Birds - A Few Things to Consider

Cockatiel

By Pete - aka Stanton Birdman

When selecting what type of new pet bird would best suit your circumstances and desire there are a few thing you must consider before making that all-important purchase.
During my 10 years experience I have only dealt with small pet birds so unfortunately for some my knowledge is restricted to these only.
Firstly you must decide what type of bird you would like and if it would be suitable to your circumstances, then you need to be sure you have a home set up for your new feathered friend before you bring it home.
　
Below is a brief but hopefully informative list of the most popular small pet birds and the ups and downs of their upkeep:

BudgieFrom the parrot family and originally from Australia the budgie is often called ‘parakeet’ or ‘long-tailed parakeet’, the budgerigar is without a doubt the most popular pet bird in the Western world and with good reason; small enough to handle, easy to tame, inexpensive, a startling array of different colours, can be kept on its own, very friendly (if tame), a chatterer, minimum requirement to keep in good health, easy to breed (if you want to), usually mixes well with other small birds (budgies and other species). Ideal in a cage or aviary.
However budgies can inflict a nasty wound if they bite you whilst handling (rarely a problem if they’re tame, but they can draw blood if they sink their beak in), they can also be rather destructive (they love to chew), and budgerigars can be very territorial during breeding (especially if kept with other birds).
In the wild budgies live in large flocks and so need plenty of interaction to save them from becoming bored. They therefore need to be kept busy with lots of toys and your attention, or alternatively kept with another of their kind, so as they can interact with each other.

CockatielAnother Australian bird often called ‘tiel’ for short, these small parrots are also very popular as pets, due to their calm nature and unique character. A little bigger than the budgie so more space is required (a bigger cage for example), the cockatiel also lives in large flocks in the wild so again interaction and toys are a must.
They can be kept an their own or in pairs or small groups, and easy to keep. Ideal as a cage or aviary bird, and because of their calm nature the cockatiel will normally mix well with other small birds of a different species (cockatiels are often kept in the same aviary as budgerigars and finches with rarely any problems). They can learn to mimic other sounds with patience and determination, and are easy to tame.
However they can also inflict a rather nasty wound if they choose to bite (probably a worse injury than the budgie due to their larger beaks, but again not usually a problem when tame). Ideally if you want to breed your cockatiels they need to be on their own as a breeding pair with no other birds. These birds can also be very destructive due to their desire to have a chew at almost anything, but they are easily startled (so no sudden loud noises or sudden bright lights please!).

FinchesSomewhat smaller than budgerigars and cockatiels, and not part of the parrot family, the most popular types of finch are again very popular for good reason: very easy to keep, good natured, small and compact, extremely active, cute, prolific breeders, usually low priced, little space required for good upkeep (the perfect pet bird for apartments, flats and small living areas).
There are many types of finch available on the pet bird market but the most popular are: zebra finch, society finch (Bengalese finch), gouldian finch, java finch (java sparrow), the java being the largest of the four just mentioned (slightly smaller than the budgie).
All of these can be accommodated in a cage of aviary and also usually mix well with other species (I keep budgerigars, cockatiels, zebra finches, Bengalese finches, and javas together in a large outdoor aviary and very rarely have any problems).
As for the initial cost of these little characters the zebra finches usually come out the least expensive (from £3 to £8 each, often with a good deal for a pair), next would be the society finches (from £5 to £10 each, again with a better deal for a pair), then the javas (£8 to £15 each, buy two for a better price), and the gouldian finches coming out on top (the cheapest I’ve seen these is about £20 each right up to £60 - sometimes more - but a deal on more than one can usually be arranged). The reason for the bigger price for the gouldians is because of their great colouring and rarity, a desirable bird that people will often pay handsomely for.
However finches do not always take readily to handling and must be kept in groups of 2 or more.
At least due to their small size a bite is not likely to bother you a great deal.


OthersThere are many other types of birds available but the price is usually higher as they are not as common.
Many other types of parakeets however are still rather popular - ring neck parakeet, grass parakeet (bourke, turquoisine, elegant, alexandrine), kakariki (New-Zealand parakeet), rosella, love bird to name but a few.

The upkeep however for all small pet birds is basically the same.

Always remember to shop around for the best deal and if possible buy your new bird or birds from a breeder, or hobbyist rather than a pet shop.

A note on accommodation for your new pet bird.Most small pet birds will live happily in an aviary, and this is the nearest they are likely to get to their natural environment, but in an aviary your birds will become semi-wild and may not take very well to handling or one on one interaction.
Caged birds however are a different matter, and can often be tame and friendly towards us humans. Make sure that if you plan to keep your bird or birds in a cage then go for the biggest you can afford (within reason of course, no good putting zebra finches in a large wide barred parrot cage); your bird needs to be able to stretch its wings to their fullest extent and still have some room left.
Most pet birds - especially parrot type species - will spend more time climbing than flying, even in an aviary.

For more bird keeping related issues please email me with your questions.

More information can be found in my new pet bird keeping ebook available now, visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Bird-keeping-Secrets-Stealth-Guidebook/dp/B004WP3OFW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305890625&sr=8-2 to get your copy.


'Stanton Birdman' is also on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Stanton-Birdman/178059325577474