Clipping Muscovy ducks wing?

[farmerbrowne]

I recently aquired 4 Muscovy ducks and for the past two nights they have flown the coop. Is it a smart idea to clip their wings as I don't want them to get out at night and get attacked.

 

[Brittanyjohnson1986]

I put my Muscovys in a house at night with a roof or you could put netting over your pen to keep them in at night I don't know your setup but my Muscovys only flew when they were younger once they got older they were too big to really get off the ground. My small female is the only one who really gets off the ground now and she's kept in a house at night.

 

[chickens really]

Clip the wings if your pen does not acomidate them...

 

[farmerbrowne]

I'm extending my pen another 100 feet. The fencing is six feet tall, coop with the chickens and guinea is 8x8

 

[The Moonshiner]

I put my Muscovys in a house at night with a roof or you could put netting over your pen to keep them in at night I don't know your setup but my Muscovys only flew when they were younger once they got older they were too big to really get off the ground. My small female is the only one who really gets off the ground now and she's kept in a house at night.

Mine are grown and fly constantly.

 

[chickens really]

Cover the pen top....

Mine are grown and fly constantly.

View attachment 1140567

Yikes.....

 

[Flashpoint]

Mine are grown and fly constantly.

View attachment 1140567

Mine are fully grown, too. Even the 7 year old Muscovy can fly great distances and routinely flies over the house. Very graceful in flight, too.

Now, the Muscovy drake - couldn't get his butt up higher than 4-5 feet and with next to no distance!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Mine are fully grown, too. Even the 7 year old Muscovy can fly great distances and routinely flies over the house. Very graceful in flight, too.

Now, the Muscovy drake - couldn't get his butt up higher than 4-5 feet and with next to no distance!

Yep same here. Ours routinely roost on our house or barn.

 

[farmerbrowne]

So the consensus is not to clip wings? Crap should have put up a poll

 

[The Moonshiner]

That's up to you.
Really only two choices is clip them or completely contain them.
I've clipped ours sometimes because it's an easy fix. But I don't like to because I feel safer about them being able to fly if they do come across a predator.
Covering a run can be a pain and an expense if its a large run. If you have a coop to keep them locked in at night that would also be an easy fix and leave them their flying ability for when they are out during the day.
Day time flight can also be an issue. Most of ours stay in our yard or go into our pasture but I've had a couple that would fly about a mile over the neighbors property down to the creek. I had to keep them clipped to keep them home.