Autumn's wing pits do not smell!
Wing clipping may be nice for people who do not want their birds to be able to fly free and get into things, and that is a personal choice, and for some it is the best choice. Just make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing either do it for you or teach you how. An avian veterinarian is your best choice. New feathers that are still growing in will still have a very strong blood supply ("blood feathers") and you must be very careful not to cut those feathers. If you do the bleeding must be immediately stopped by pulling the injured feather out. This can be emotionally hard to do the first time, and if you feel you would not be able to do so get help from a professional to clip your birds wings. More information can be found in the chapter about health and injuries. If your bird panics, won't hold still, or you feel like you might mess up, please have an assistant hold the bird while you trim the wings. With young birds or birds that have never flown before, it is often a good idea to let the birds fly for a while. Flying is the best exercise your birds can get and is the best way to increase balance, coordination, endurance, and self-esteem. When you do trim the wings of a bird for the first time, try to trim slowly, only one or two primary flight feathers each time, so that your bird can just used to having trimmed wings and not try to fly and end up crashing and hurting themselves. Also: as I've said before, cockatiels are very strong flyers, some 'tiels can still fly even with one or two primaries. Maria, amazingly enough, can get a bit of distance with completely clipped wings!
Nail filing can be good at times, especailly if the bird will be around a lot of elderly people or young children whose skin is thin and gentle and prone to the cuts cockatiel talens can accidently give. But young cockatiels need long nails because they do not yet have the balance of older birds, and use their nails to get a good grip on things. Also, you can often get the same result from frequent trimming, without the stress, from a good variety of wooden perches and no dowels throughout the birds living area. If that doesn't work, a concrete perch near the bottom of the cage can help. But make sure to put this perch where the bird will not use it often, usually on the bottom of the cage near the food dishes, because concrete perches can be very rough on a bird's feet and cause irritation or infection if this is the bird's usual perch. The easiest way to trim your birds nails if you do choose to do so if with a regular nail file. Slowly introduce your bird to the file by letting him or her look at it for a few days, and then rub it once or twice on one nail several times over a few days. After your bird gets used to the feeling of the file across their nails, try to file one nail. If your bird responds well to this, continue filing all of the nails. If your bird is startled by this go back to the second step and move slowly. Eventually your bird will get used to having their nails filed and will sit still and allow you to file them, some will even hold their feet up for you because they like the way it feels! Clipping nails is slightly more difficult, especailly on birds with opaque nails where you can't see the veins in them. This is not difficult to do, but be sure to only do this yourself if you have a steady hand and someone to hold your bird. Be sure to also have some flour, cornstarch, or styptic powder on hand just in case you cut too far. Be very careful if you are doing this on a very young bird (<1 year) because some young birds have blood supply throughout their entire nail.
Note: Styptic powder should only be used on nails, never on cuts on the skin, because it can kill living tissue. Use flour or cornstarch and a warm damp cloth to stop bleeding on the skin.
Beak trimming = Bad. I hope I said that clearly enough. There is not one good reason to trim a healthy bird's beak! The only two reasons I have heard for trimming a healthy bird's beak are that A.)The owner thinks it's neccessary or B.)The owner doesn't want to the bites to hurt as much. Reason A is false, as a healthy birds beak keeps itself trimmed. Ever heard your bird grinding it's beak after eating a good meal and before going to bed? That is a sign of happiness as well as your bird keeping it's beak in shape. Ever seen your bird chewing up a storm? Keeping it's beak healthy! A depressed bird or a bird with certain types of health disorders often has an overgrown beak, but that it a completely different story. Reason B is just ridiculus, and if you really think that, you shouldn't have a bird. See the chapter on basic training for ways to control biting. There have been incidences of a healthy bird dying from the shock of a beak trim. Not just a small amount of birds, a large portion of birds who have had their beaks trimming all their life will go into fatal or nonfatal shock at some time from beak trimming. Just because it didn't happen this time doesn't mean it's not going to happen next time, and just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it's never going to happen to you. And if you think I am being too mean here, I feel sorry for your bird. Also, most birds who have had their beaks trimming often will lose the natural ability to keep their beaks healthy themselves. Some will also suffer injuries to their beaks that keep them from being able to eat! If you do need to have your bird's beak trimmed, first have your bird get a thourough physical exam from an avian vet first, and then make sure that only a licsenced avian vet, with the knowledge to do it right and the equipment to handle shock if your bird does go into shock, is allowed to trim your bird's beak. This is not something that should be done by breeders, in a pet shop, or at home. Ever.
Autumn's wing pits do not smell!