Clip one or both wings in Muscovies used to flying?

[MyGooseGrayson]

So I've got four new rescue muscovies who've joined my little backyard flock. Two of them are a year old, two are a few years. Three of them are very good fliers (the fourth had some aggressive drake action and she's pretty beat up, including basically no feathering on her wings) and they're used to flying around a large farm property. They just moved in two days ago, and are staying in the fully enclosed run while they settle and start to get used to the others. It's time to clip their wings, though. My neighbours wouldn't appreciate some surprise ducks, I think! I'm not sure whether to do one or both. I'm kind of thinking both would be less stressful to them since they are used to flying- since it just wouldn't work as well, rather than send them crashing in a circle. I'd also love to leave the first two primaries long for appearance's sake, but would this leave too much flying ability?
Thanks all!

 

[Canadian Wind]

When I used to breed lovebirds and cockatiels (yes, big size difference from muscovy!), I would always clip BOTH wings. For exactly the reason you said: they can't fly around in circles. I would also not leave the two end flight feathers, but then again, those are much lighter birds. I find that a good clip, well rounded to follow the shape of the wing, looks fine.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I only clip one wing.

 

[ProudRedneck]

I've clipped both on Daffy just for safe measure She was 3 months old.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank goodness she landed in your yard. What about neighbors with dogs in their yards. That is what scares me the most when members don't clip. Here if mine left their fenced areas they'd be in the woods not a good idea.

 

[ProudRedneck]

Thank goodness she landed in your yard. What about neighbors with dogs in their yards. That is what scares me the most when members don't clip. Here if mine left their fenced areas they'd be in the woods not a good idea.

Yeah I know, we were lucky. That's why they got clipped that same day. One of the houses she flew over has a pool and another house that she flew over has two dogs. I wasn't risking it again. TBH, it was sad watching her try to fly after we clipped her wings. We practiced every morning as you saw in the video, that was our routine, I would walk both of them to the other side of the yard and turn around, run back so that they would have to flap their wings to catch up with me. She had gotten a taste for it and was getting better each day and loved it.

 

[ruthhope]

I clip both wings. That was on the advice of the avian specialis who showed me how to clip wings.

I cant advise on leaving feathers for appearances: the feathers don't need clipping right down to unsightly level. (I have two rescued Pekins that were appallingly and unnecessarily wing clipped when I found them. One has now grown new flight feathers and looks beautiful. The other is still waiting his molt.) My muscovy wings still looked nice when clipped: just straight edges to the feathers

 

[MyGooseGrayson]

I clip both wings. That was on the advice of the avian specialis who showed me how to clip wings.

I cant advise on leaving feathers for appearances: the feathers don't need clipping right down to unsightly level. (I have two rescued Pekins that were appallingly and unnecessarily wing clipped when I found them. One has now grown new flight feathers and looks beautiful. The other is still waiting his molt.) My muscovy wings still looked nice when clipped: just straight edges to the feathers

Good to know! Do you happen to have photos of your birds’ clipped wings? I’d love to see the length you trim to

 

[ruthhope]

Good to know! Do you happen to have photos of your birds’ clipped wings? I’d love to see the length you trim to

I'll take a look if any show the wings. My internet is out intil AT&T come late Monday, so I wont be able to share until after that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah I know, we were lucky. That's why they got clipped that same day. One of the houses she flew over has a pool and another house that she flew over has two dogs. I wasn't risking it again. TBH, it was sad watching her try to fly after we clipped her wings. We practiced every morning as you saw in the video, that was our routine, I would walk both of them to the other side of the yard and turn around, run back so that they would have to flap their wings to catch up with me. She had gotten a taste for it and was getting better each day and loved it.

They really do love to fly but under the circumstances where most of us live it's not a good idea. Mine have had wing clips since they first got old enough to fly and honeslty don't act like they mind at all they can't. They don't realize the dangers out there.