KB>> or pinion them [...] IS irreversible.
KB>You should not even mention that method not to bring any one to the idea.
I doubt any vet would pinion a bird for a pet owner. It's considered
major surgery, and is much too expensive for most pet owner to think
about anyway. Besides anybody with a bit of heart who cares for their
birds wouldn't go cutting off their wings permanently!
KB>KJ> becomes the normal way of life for the bird. I have birds here
KB>KJwho WON'T  fly, even when I do let their wings grow in--they prefer
KB>KJ>to be carried  around!
KB>If I got those birds, I would immediately train them to fly again.
Hah!  You don't know my lazy flock very well! I'd like to see you
giving my antique cockatiels flying lessons! 
KB>> And yes, I clipped my budgies when I had them, to keep them from getting
KB>> up onto the high light fixtures where I could not reach them to get them
KB>> back down...
KB>Boo boo! Kathi, how can you grin after doing so to a budgie?
I grinned at the mental picture of not being able to reach them.
KB>Clipping budgies is IMHO the very last!
Well, where I lived with the budgies, I couldn't take a chance on
them doing any damage to the walls/ceilings. Had to control them, and
didn't have a big enough house to fit a flight-sized cage.
KB>Sometimes bird keepers are more afraid of things than their animals.
And that's what gets some birds into trouble...the LACK of fear of
things that can hurt them.
KB>e. g.: I never let my amazons fly free. But friends of mine do so with 
their
KB>pair
KB>- and the birds always return to their house, like cats.
KB>(I'd never thought that it works!)
I could never do that here--too close to the city. They'd either get hit
by a car/truck, stolen by someone if they landed too close to them, or
they would eat some garbage that would kill them. And I wouldn't do it
anyway--even if I were out in the country, we have way too many hawks
and falcons around in the rural areas of Michigan. A parrot would be
lunch within hours.
KB>The amazons sit on the board outside the kitchen window looking what mama
KB>prepares.
KB>The parrots are not allowed to gnaw in the house, when indoor, they must
KB>reside in a cage.
KB>And they return from their day trips every evening.
That is interesting. Parrot Jungle (a theme park in Miami, Florida) does
this with a couple dozen macaws. They fly free all day, as far as 12
miles from the park, and come home at night to roost and eat. They
haven't lost one yet, they claim...
KB>I hear you say: Such a bird is beaten by a hawk some day..
KB>Yes, perhaps. But he has had a better life before.
I question this way of thinking, but people will do as they please with
their birds no matter what I say.....
KB>Well I know your clipped birds have also a happy life with you!
 I hope they think so! They seem pretty happy here.
--Kathy
 * SLMR 2.1a * I'd love to, but I'm going to be old someday.
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