Clipping Buttons' wings...

[yoonymoony]

Hello! I am planning on getting some buttons in a couple of weeks. I am keeping them in plastic storage bins with some hidey-spots and what not. During the day, weather permitting, I am planning on letting them out in a little pen I am building: a 4x8x4 pen out of chicken wire. It will have chicken wire covering the top. I don't want the quail to boink their heads and get hurt...I was wondering if I could clip their wings. Has anyone done this? I'm afraid that because they are so small.....

Any advice is welcome!
Thanks!

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I have buttons - and I plan on clipping the wings of a few of my more flighty birds - I think as long as you have someone helping you - you should be alright - just clip one wing on each bird.



as far as putting them outside - I had a small tractor setup for mine with a little house and a light just in case it was too cold - I used chicken wire for the sides and a wooden top ( mine was pretty tall so no problem with bonking ) - I had 11 birds and a stray cat came along and pulled on the wire and stretched it out of shape I lost all but 2 of my birds - instead of chicken wire you might want to use wire cloth stuff it is alot stronger.

 

[Bettacreek]

Yup. In fact, I go beyond the normal wing clipping. I clip ALL of the wing feathers, and I clip those suckers as far back as I can. So far, it hasn't caused any problems, but the younger ones, you can see the bald spot under the wings a little bit. BUT, I have no more problems with boinking and skinned heads. You just have to be careful of putting them on high surfaces, because now they'll drop like rocks.