advice on clipping mallard wings

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Thank you for that link. I have some 14 week olds who are just learning that wings flapping means feet off the ground! I love watching them practice, they get so excited.

 

[Novaleigh]

Great link! Thanks! Just got two mallard ducklings today!

 

[Roark]

We picked up three "Mallards" at Tractor Supply early this Spring, and they are just beginning to fly up and down the yard stairs, instead of bumpity bump bumping their butts down them Just yesterday they started a few low level flights where they get a couple of feet off of the ground and cover about thirty feet... scares the bageezus out'a the dogs - pretty funny. What's not funny is da wife looking like the idea of one of "her" ducks flying away is akin to one of the kids leaving the country... she refuses to acknowledge the reality, so I fear I'll have to clip or end up with her in grief counseling.

Checked out the link, much appreciated, but the other comment also interested me. Of the three, two look like the OP's, but our third was a real dark chick that has grown into an all black with white belly fatty. He/she is a little bigger than the other two, but we can't figure out what it is breed-wise. I realize that most domestics come from wilds, and that the commercial Mallards aren't always true, so I'm thinkin' it's just a variant that popped up in the run. You can see a little bit of the greenish iridescence in its hood, but that's about it. Sorry I don't have a picture handy.

Not lookin' forward to the clipping... had a bad experience with a parrot tearing me up whilst doing his years ago. Bird was fine, but my piano playing days came very close to ending. Hope I don't get "billed" to death. ; )