I'm surprised too that your vet insists that wing clipping is a big no-no.  My vet recommends that birds be allowed to learn to fly for both their psychological and physical health before clipping them again (or as she told me: "if you can stand it, let them grow out their flights and fly around for a week or so to learn to fly and land safely")  Unless they are strictly aviary birds, my thoughts are that they should be clipped initially during the trust-building process when they first go to a new home.

 

I do have a couple of lovebirds that are fully flighted and have never been hand tame, and they do get time out of their cage to fly around.  They also know the routine when it's time to go back in, too.  Was a long process, a lot of stressful chasing around and colorful language muttered under my breath, but I stuck it out, was consistant in what I did (will say "time to go into your nest" and wave my hand toward their cage)  and "herd" them towards it.  Usually they go in without a fuss, but it took a long time (think 6 months at least) before they learned that.  My feelings are that you should have them clipped until you can comfortably handle them and then if you wish (and can safely do so) let them grow their flights out again. 

Why did your vet say its a 'no-no'?  My mango is clutzy and when her flights are growing out she flys into the window or door frams and just frazzles my nerves, lol.  Plus I'm always afraid she'll try to race the ceiling fan or something and get knocked out of the air and really hurt.  She's just clumsy like me    As soon as she's showing she can fly again, she's at the vets getting a haircut and a pedicure.  Its also on the reciept the vet gives me after each visit.  It has the dates for her physical, wing trim, nail trim, grams stain....everything.   To me wing clipping is a big YES YES.

 

Leslie

I just recently clipped my Conures again.  I was letting them learn to fly like Zonkers was saying.  I loved them being able to fly.  I loved being able to call to Citrus and hold out my hand and she'd fly right to me with more kisses than I could take.  I had to clip her though, it's summer and it was too much concern trying to keep all the doors shut all of the time.  They get much more out time and I just feel better knowing that she can't follow me out the door.  I keep my English Budgie flighted.  I don't clip him anymore because he becomes depressed every time I do it.  Depressed to the point of no longer singing or preening for months untill those feathers grow back.  I've taken him to the vet numerous times with a clean bill of health over this.  When he's flighted he sings and barks like a dog and flies up to the windows in the vaulted ceilings where I keep treats for him.  He struts back and forth and shows off for the neighbors that look for him daily.  I just can't clip him.  I do worry about him flying out the door too, but I can't keep him sad and depressed.  It's just one of those things I guess.

 

I have a green indian ringneck named Pookie.  What color are your ringnecks ?

 

I have had Pookie about two years, and have her compliments of the sad fact that her wings were not clipped and she slipped away from someone.  I was never able to reunite her with her former owner.  Please consider getting Joey and Lola's wings clipped.  Ringnecks have very sleek bodies and even with clipped wings, my Pookie can fly through several rooms of the house if she accidentally lets go while she is doing her wing flapping exercises on her playgym.

 

I am thankful my girl stays put on her cage top or playgym and is not in the habit of fluttering off to explore and making me nervous about where she is headed or what she might ram her body into (walls, windows, etc).  Birds go through an attitude adjustment when you have their wings clipped... and they realize they are more dependant on YOU to help them move from cage to playgym or from room to room, etc.  Since these birds are new to you and still learning to trust you, it may help in the bonding process for them to have this reliance on you.

 

After you get them home from the pet store or vet's office or where-ever you take them for their clipping, they might be a little miffed at you for a few hours, but Pookie gets over it real fast.  I don't clip her wings myself, but I do click her toenails with my boyfriend holding her for me.

 

Please give the wing clip a try.  If you change your mind- remember the flight feathers do grow back.... but I think clipping would be a good thing for you guys.

 

 

I've done my share of chasing untrimmed Ringnecks around the house--I have 5 of them  They are fast, agile flyers.  If you want to be able to tame/train yours , they will need to have their wings trimmed. When they are trimmed you'll be able to work with them, then if  you prefer later to allow them flight, you can just let the flights grow out and decide from there if you want to leave them flighted or not.  You may just need to give them an *attitude adjustment* trim every once-in-awhile. 

 

Even when they are handfed, they need the training period to be flightless.  When my babies started flying, I only let them do it for about 4-5 days before it was hopeless, and brought out the scissors.   SNIP SNIP....what a change.

 

 Are you in the UK or Australia, where vets seem to not believe there is such a thing as a proper wing-trim?