Wing trimming can be a somewhat complicated process. The goal is to cut the wings short enough so that that bird can not fly away, but long enough that that bird has some control over his flight. For example, if a bird is stranding on the top of his cage and he falls off, he needs to be able to glide down safely.
The main problem with wing trimming is that it is easy to injure a bird’s wings. If you are not careful, many accidents can occur. In most situations, it would be preferable to have your veterinarian to clip your bird’s wings. However, if you are an experienced bird owner, it is possible to safely trim your bird’s wings. Remember, you should always have a partner helping you out!
Here are the steps you need to take:
1) Find an area where you can lay your bird on his back and spread his wings out.
2) After your bird is wrapped in a towel and laid on his back, spread out one wing.
3) Check for blood feathers, which are feathers that are currently growing in. You need to wait until these feathers are fully grown in until you clip them. If you accidentally cut them, your bird will bleed. If bleeding occurs, you can use Antiseptic Quick Blood Stopper Gel to staunch the flow of blood.
4) Clip each fully developed flight wing at the tip. You will cut to the length of the feathers above the flight feathers. You will be cutting the first 6 to 8 feathers on each wing. The exact number of wing feathers you will be cutting depends on the type of bird you have. Birds that are long and lean have more flight feathers. Short birds have less flight feathers.
Now for the tools:
You will need to purchasing clipping scissors, like the Bird Wing Clipping Scissors. These scissors have a comfort grip handle and stainless steel sheers. The sheers are short so you will be able to have full control over which feathers you intend to clip. The tip is rounded so you will not poke or prod your bird. The Bird Wing Clipping Scissors are the best scissors for clipping your bird’s wing feathers!