Black East Indie Duck Question

[misty4774]

Do I have to pinion my black east indie ducks to prevent them from flying away. I want to leave them out on my pond. The pond is surrounded by a marsh and is fenced in to keep the livestock out of the creek.
Thanks

 

[Wifezilla]

While pinoning is an option, what about wing feather clipping?

 

[92caddy]

I wouldnt if I didnt have too. Mine fly around the house and barn, they always stay here............

 

[Wifezilla]

My uncle's mallards never left. I guess they knew who fed them so never felt a need to go anywhere. I just focused on breeds that couldn't fly so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

I did have tropical birds and did wing clip. It only took a few seconds. In fact, I have been bitten harder by a parakeet than I have ever been nibbled by a duck...so clipping a duck's wings should be WAY less trouble.

 

[giffy]

If you pinion them they will be a far more easy target for a predator than if you leave them full wing. Mine are all full wing, occasionally one will get excited and fly around the house then try to get back in the fence to join his buds..........I have never had any domestic bantam ducks (all good fliers) take off and leave.

I will say that at nite I lock mine up, leaving them out at nite carries some risk.

giffy
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GiffsFarm

 

[CityChicker]

Yeah, what Giffy said. I would *not* pinion or even wing clip them if you are planning on leaving them out on a pond. You have a higher chance of a predator getting them if they can't fly then having them fly off. When I kept my birds in open runs, I would occasionally have one in a group that would fly out by itself, but they always seem to come back.