hay you guys,like i've been screaming,i'm so glad everyone is coming back from taking the summer off.it's been pretty ruff over the summer so many new members with a thousand and one questions.some ask for help and when you give it they don't listen;then when something goes wrong they back asking how to fix things.i'm so glad the members who have been on here for a long time are back you can't and shouldn't have to sugar coat your reply they should be mature enough to respect a honest answer.we're here to help each other take the best care of our birds as possible.this is serious matter to the majority of us.no fun and games.tell it like is is.

Re: Big Bad Momma's comment: "you can't and shouldn't have to sugar coat your reply they should be mature enough to respect a honest answer"

For what my opinion is worth, since I'm neither an old hand nor a newbie, I think the above comment is quite on target. The key word in Lisa's introductory remarks for this forum is respect. And while tactful and kind and friendly are great, I agree that sugar-coating isn't necessary.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and make two observations. First, it seems that many of the new members aren't respecting the old hands' time by reading Lisa's site (and why not also go to the library/bookstore? -do a search on this site for previous discussions?).

Second, I'm sensing that some of the old hands are feeling burnt-out lately, judging from some of the posts. Burn-out is common in the helping professions when people feel overwhelmed, frustrated from constant repetition, and have very little sense of accomplishment ("I'm tired and angry and underappreciated and I'm not making a difference!"). From what I've observed lately, tempers seem frayed and the repetitiveness is, understandably, a real source of irritation.

So -- do I have any constructive suggestions, you say? Well, perhaps some members who have spent many hours lately helping (and you know who you are you wonderful people) could take a break from the posts that start out "Help!" Sooner or later someone will respond with a post like, "Welcome & please read Lisa's info on..."

The caring and helpfulness of the old hands is a very, very valuable thing and perhaps it needs a mini-vacation once in a while to sustain itself!

As Big Bad Momma said, "we're here to help each other take the best care of our birds as possible," but ultimately the bird's owner (or his/her parents) must make the decisions (clip wings or not, take to vet or not, feed pellets or seeds, take outside or not, breed or not, etc.)

So --- kisses from Pudgie to all the helpful people!

yea if i tired to do that my keet would bite the xxxx outa me

Do you mean if you tried to clip its wings, or do you mean if you asked it to give kisses? lol

Seriously, you can read up on techniques for wing clipping or have a pro do it.

I clip all of my keet's wings and it isn't very hard to do but I do recommend going to your local petstore or vet and having them show you how to do it first that's what I did just to be safe. If you got your keet from like petco or petsmart they usually will already be clipped when you buy them and if not then they usually do it for free mine did. Even if they do charge you..You would be watching them and it would only be a one time thing. I always find it easier to have 2 people doing it, one person holding the bird and the other doing the clipping cause all my keets wiggle a lot when we are trying to clip them lol. Anyway I would rather pay to get it done 1 time to make sure I am doing it right then not too and an accident happen. Think of it this way 1 time fee to see how it is done or vet visit fee to fix the accident...Which is cheaper? lol

well, I think sammy will forever hate me. I clipped her wings crooked. It was so cute when she hid under the blanket after I clipped her wings. She was trying to hide under and make a hole in everything she saw, even my legs! Lol, Mango, You are next xD

I just did mango, and she did fine. Now the hard part will be pretty bird. She has almost all white feathers that I am going to clip. Wish me luck!

BUMPP this guide is great! I read (and skimmed) the whole thread and WOW there are so many people that were here! And as we get farther in the thread there are some people I actually recognize!

bump for 3Budgies

llpb - thanks for the pictorial guide. I clip my roosters flight feathers and it is good to know that is is pretty much the same thing - only smaller.