Bibed call duck wing.

[70%cocoa]

What size are your ducks? I know you said that they are Call ducks, but your boy isn't that tiny. Ducks that are a couple of pounds can't fly, so if yours are a couple of pounds, maybe you don't need to clip their wings.

If you do decide to clip a wing on each of them the idea is just to clip the large Primary feathers that are on the outer half of the wing. The last 10 feathers on the wing. If you think your boy might fly then I'd do his wing too. I don't think that his slow feather growth will matter at all, from a wing-clipping perspective.

 

[cskotek]

They cant be over a pound definately no more then 2lbs. So they shouldnt be able to fly because they are so small? And i just dont want to have the possibilty because that would be one bad day. And clipping wings is just the outter feathers? hmm. I guess ill see if they start taking lift off and if so ill get them clipped.

 

[70%cocoa]

If they are that small then they may be able to fly. Generally, small ones can fly better than big ones (as ducks get bigger, i.e. bigger breeds, their body gets bigger but their wings don't get too much bigger...meaning that their wings are too small to support their bodies in flight...Muscovies are the exception, they do have big enough wings and can fly, at least when young). As you say, see how they go and if they are looking like they can get enough air to get over your fences then clip. If you clip they will re-grow their wing feathers in fall next year.

 

[AliciaM]

They can fly.. I would clip there wings.. Ive got a couple pet quality calls that are much bigger than my breeder/show quality ones and they ALL try and fly..I keep mine clipped, so they never realy learn, but they all try..itt.
Mine also like to find holes in my fence and go walking about all over the place..sneaky little buggers..

 

[cskotek]

Hmm, ill have to see which exact feathers to clip and how to do it. never done it myself or seen it done, or know anyone whose done it. My luck lol. So ill deff have to do something their my fav ducks so far and i dont want them flying away. id be POED they like to skinnie between the 5 gallon buckets. but my dads pile keeps them from the main yard and they hardly ever leave their spot behind the house, i keep the grass a little longer to keep their attention. Ive caught them going for walks though to my main ducks cage about 30 feet katty corner from their spot. Just as long as they dont go any further xD. Off to youtube I go for wing clipping vids.

 

[cskotek]

so whats the diffrence if you just cut the ends vs. cutting along those secondary set of feathers seen from the top becides the obvious that your allowing them longer or making them shorter?

 

[70%cocoa]

So you mean what's the benefit of cutting just the primary versus just the secondary feathers?

Cutting just the primaries will have a bigger impact on preventing flight - it will be more effective at keeping them on the ground. It also looks a whole lot better than cutting the secondaries. If you cut the secondaries it will look really messy and ugly when the duck folds its wing (IMO) because you will see all the cut ends, but if you cut the primaries you will hardly notice it when the duck folds its wing.

Before you trim you have to make sure the feathers have completely grown through and have absolutely no blood in the quill end (near the body). If you cut a feather near to the body that is still growing it will bleed. Since both your birds are black you won't be able to see the blood through the feather staft (which will be black). But as long as your birds have have their full primaries for a couple of months then it should be fine. Just cut one at first and see how you go. Get someone to hold the bird for you while you do it.

I like this diagram here where they illustrate just cutting the primaries, fairly close to the body, but leaving all other feathers untrimmed.

http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/wingdemo.html

 

[cskotek]

So you mean what's the benefit of cutting just the primary versus just the secondary feathers?

Cutting just the primaries will have a bigger impact on preventing flight - it will be more effective at keeping them on the ground. It also looks a whole lot better than cutting the secondaries. If you cut the secondaries it will look really messy and ugly when the duck folds its wing (IMO) because you will see all the cut ends, but if you cut the primaries you will hardly notice it when the duck folds its wing.

Before you trim you have to make sure the feathers have completely grown through and have absolutely no blood in the quill end (near the body). If you cut a feather near to the body that is still growing it will bleed. Since both your birds are black you won't be able to see the blood through the feather staft (which will be black). But as long as your birds have have their full primaries for a couple of months then it should be fine. Just cut one at first and see how you go. Get someone to hold the bird for you while you do it.

I like this diagram here where they illustrate just cutting the primaries, fairly close to the body, but leaving all other feathers untrimmed.

http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/wingdemo.html

Thats the one that i seend second. The first i seen with the feathers in that diagram that have been cut off that rather then being fully cut their like trimmed. And if one does happen to bleed it said that they can bleed to death.. and id have to pull the quil, are they hard to pull?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Way over thinking the wing trimming. You don't trim until the blood has receded from the feathers. In your case trim his right wing only, and don't cut close to the bone. Follow the image in the guides available online and it will be fine.

 

[QuackedUp]

Hi! I told you about the one duck I have that had the droopy wing similar to your duck, and told you what my vet had told me. I took my duck back to my vet this morning for a follow up on that same wing (also because he has some crooked feather growing), and when the vet stretched out the duck's wing I too noticed several really small feather. The little feathers are not as numerous as the ones on your duck, but they are in the same place.

Since you had shown the pictures and inquired and since I noticed them on my duck too, I asked my vet about it. The vet said that the feathers had either been pulled out and were just now growng in again, or he said that those little feathers may just be very sow growing and that the duck just may be delayed in that area. He wasn't worried about the feathers affecting its flight. Perhaps this is the same for your duck.

I just wanted to share what I had learned.