We LOVE flight suits
and use them on our youngsters during their handfeeding and weaning period.
They have enabled our birds to go where "no other parrot has gone before"
(OK, maybe some parrots have been there before).
At a recent APHA horse show, mom was
wearing her Blue Headed Pionus all day and the other spectators thought it
was wonderful and no one saw any bird poop on her shoulder. This is due to
the flight suit also serving as a diaper. There is a pocket below the vent
that catches the poop. The pocket hangs far enough below the bird that the
poop is not pressed against the bird while wearing the suit. In fact, when
we take the flight suits off, there is not even any poop clinging to the
feather area around the vent.
Parrots accept the flight suits much
more readily if they have been introduced to them while young. That is why
we begin our babies wearing them during their weaning time. One man was
having a real struggle getting his suit on his Yellow Sided Green Cheek.
Here is what he says after a few months of having Libby: "Even putting on the flight suit is second nature
now. She's turned out to be the most wonderful companion."
If your parrot has been
weaned for some time, your bird is NOT going to like the flight
suit.
I do tell buyers that an
older bird will HATE the suit at first,
but we have put them on many an older bird and have persevered with
the wearing of one. They get used to them with time if you
reward them with an adventure. My Grey garbles happily on my
shoulder wearing her flight suit while I drive my miniature horse!
Another good thing is
that the birds learn to be comfortable in them. They have a very fun time outside enjoying the
weather and since the Flight Suit is made from a stretchy, comfortable
material, the bird is very comfortable the entire time! There are no rough
straps or clips anywhere...just a strip of Velcro on the back to attach it
and comfy cloth! The birds love hiking with you, biking, roller skating, (in
our case) riding horses or just being outside listening to other bird
noises!
Suits should not be left on
unsupervised birds.
My
Charlie had never worn
a flight suit until she was over 2 years old. She is still somewhat of a
wrestle, but I love using the flight suit in the evenings with her. I put
her in the flight suit and bring her in bed with me when I read at night.
After reading for a few hours in a poopless bed (all of her poop is in her
diaper), I take off her suit, tell her to fly to her cage, and Charley flies
over to her sleep cage. It is so kind of her to not make my tired body get
out of bed to put her to bed!
To see a beautiful female
Eclectus flying with in a flight suit, click
here. She comes when Lisa calls her! There is no Lanyard on the suit. We
often put the suits on our babies and leave them on for awhile for them to
get used to wearing them.We once had a Patagonian Conure who loved being outside so we took her with us on a hike in Sedona.
She was so excited that she would bounce up and down and yell "Hello!" to
every other hiker we saw!!!
Have you ever been around horses? Or,
have you ever seen a wild horse haltered for the first time?
They flip out wildly and act like they are going to die. This is
because they feel like they are losing their ability to escape.
Horses are prey animals. So are birds. Flight is their way of
escape. Just like horses learn to wear a halter and come to
accept is easily, so does a bird learn to accept the flight
suit.
If a suit is new to a bird, I put it
on them in a location where they are in a safe place. They could
really flip around (just like a horse wearing a halter the first
time). The more your bird is used to you, trusts you, and
accepts your touch everywhere, the easier this process will be.
I usually begin with the bird on the carpeted floor, in a
wide open area where he can't knock his body or head on
anything. First I put the suit on with out the lanyard. Once the
suit is on, I just allow the bird to throw its tantrum. Then as
soon as they get over it, I feed them a treat, and walk around
with them. They will calm down faster when they find out they
can still fly with the suit on. There are owners who go very
slowly and spend time playing with the suits with the bird and
not putting them on. I don't do this. I just put the suit on and
then play with the bird.
We have put suits on many mature
birds (Pionus, Greys, Eclectus, Cockatiels and Green Cheeks) and
have had them come to accept them.
Whether or not a bird will accept a
suit is more dependent on the owner than on the bird.
I used to sell the liners
that come with the flight suits, but they were high priced for what you are
buying. For size Junior Small to Large, use the cotton disc-shaped pads. For
sizes Wide on up, use a Pantiliner. I cut them in half for the suits.
All sales are final. Beware of shipping charges on other sites!!!
Below
are cash prices
PETITE through Large
Wide AND Bigger
Flight Suit,
including Lanyard (leash) and shipping
$29
Econopack:3 Flight Suits, 1 Lanyard and shipping $62
Flight Suit,
including Anchorline (leash), and shipping
$33
Econopack: 3
Flight Suits, 1 Anchorline and shipping
$73
*Trainer
Flightsuit, Lanyard and shipping
$25
Econopak of trainers includes 3
trainer suits, 1 lanyard
$49
*Trainer Flightsuit, Anchorline and shipping
$25
Econopak of trainers
includes 3 trainer
suits, 1anchorline
$53
Spare
Lanyard
$6
Spare Anchorline
$9
*WHAT
IS A TRAINER SUIT?: These are our same famous flight suit, but you do
not get a choice of color. Our "trainer suits" are
sold at a reduced price to encourage you all to raise and wean your babies wearing
flight suits.
Some may have a sewing error or a imperfection.
Payment Instructions: If you
would like to buy a flight suit, please email me
(pamperedpeeps@msn.com)
and let me know. I will let you know what is available. There are 3 methods
of payment:
(3.)
Postal
money
order to: Beth Lee, PO Box 432, Waddell, AZ 85355. I like
POSTAL
money orders, and not other types of money orders, because my post office can cash them for me. I don't often
leave home with all that we do and our bank is quite a distance from home.
By the time you buy a money order and pay postage, you are about the same as
paypal.
I cannot
offer refunds on flight suits due to the nature of
contagious avian diseases.
If a parrot has a viral infection and the minute, tiny particles are on the
opened flight suit, they could be transferred to someone else's beloved pet.
Again, use the
round cosmetic cotton pads for liners in suits up to the Large size. For the
bigger suits, use a Carefree Pantiliner.
To learn how to put a flight suit on
your bird, click on our Santa Blue Crown on the left.
To learn what size flight suit, your
favorite parrot would need, click on the Eclectus on the right.
To see color examples, please
click on the Yellow Sided Green Cheek on the left.
Why
do I think it is good for breeders to put flight suits on and off of their
babies? I think it is important enough that I recommend asking your breeder
to put one on and off while weaning your baby. Mail one to your breeder
while waiting for your baby to wean.
Birds accept flight suits more
readily if they have been introduced to them while they are young. The
bird needs to consistently be wearing the flight suit as it matures, but
a breeder can start this process and make it less traumatic for the bird
if it starts out young.
If a breeder puts a flight suit
on and off of your baby while it is weaning, that breeder is forced to
really, really handle the baby. You HAVE to lift wings, touch feet, talk
to them, encourage them as you put them on and off. I include this in
my criteria of things to consider when looking
for a good breeder.
Parrot owners love taking their
birds outside. Birds love going outside. Clipped wings is not enough.
Young birds should be exposed to
something new everyday. This is true when they are with the breeder and
when they are in their new home. Many birds become phobic because of
fear. Help your bird be more flexible, accepting and tolerant. A flight
suit allows you to take them on outings where they can't help but meet
new people and see new things. T
More fun videos
are on 'you tube.' See a YSGC who has been well-adjusted to her flight suit
and to car travel. This Green Cheek owner is in MN.
I should have known I
would get ongoing videos, for I even got one the day I
shipped, of him picking his bird up at the airport!!! As
soon as his bird arrived, he fixed up the passenger seat of
his car with a perch for his Libby who goes back and forth
to work with him and wears a flight suit. She is with
him all day as he works in his store and townspeople come in
just to see his Libby. He put 2 clips on youtube of her traveling to work. Here is part of his
email.
I went on a
drive to a neighboring town's library yesterday, and thought
that it would be a good time to test Libby's new visor
cam. I made a bracket that attaches to the visor in front of
Libby's car seat perch to hold the digital camera.
Libby seems unimpressed with the skill shown by the immense
and powerful Flock Leader as he pilots the white thingy with
the wheels onto the freeway. All she seems to care about is
the chow!
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhUULhAcM5U>
Was hoping to get some one footed seed snacking, or a least
a good lean into a curve on a cloverleaf, but got this
instead. Watch out Libby!!
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUSsY92YFpU
DO NOT ever assume your
bird can't fly and take them outside unrestrained. I have been told so many
stories of birds flying away unexpectedly. These birds were severely clipped
and always went straight down with no lift while inside the home.
Read 2 true accounts by Vicki and Suzanne by clicking here
IF YOU TAKE YOUR BIRD OUTSIDE, HAVE IT IN A
CAGE, CARRIER, HARNESS, OR FLIGHT SUIT!!!!!!!!