- Oct 13, 2008
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Is trimming the flight feathers of standard Coturnix/Japanese quails a practicable way to prevent them from flying out of a fenced area and/or hitting their heads on a low ceiling?
How often do they grow in new flight feathers? How high would they be able to fly with both sets of primaries clipped?
I live somewhere where daytime aerial predation would not be a concern and am exploring cost-effective and manageable ways to provide manageable outdoor space (to complement secure weather-proof pens) for a smallish egg-centric breeding flock while still protecting them from rats, cats, stray dogs, and the occasional owl.
I prefer no such modifications at all in a perfect world but wing clipping is painless and non-mutilating and I know how to do it and if it works it could frankly help make the difference between being able to have quail or not--fencing/netting is expensive here and local options are limited, and the tropical maritime climate destroys fencing material with frustrating rapidity, so a full-blown aviary-type space with high sides and netting over the top is a big investment just to be able try something out.
But I haven't encountered anything about wing-clipping in the literature I have so far read, so I'm wondering why...
TIA for your input, and be well.
How often do they grow in new flight feathers? How high would they be able to fly with both sets of primaries clipped?
I live somewhere where daytime aerial predation would not be a concern and am exploring cost-effective and manageable ways to provide manageable outdoor space (to complement secure weather-proof pens) for a smallish egg-centric breeding flock while still protecting them from rats, cats, stray dogs, and the occasional owl.
I prefer no such modifications at all in a perfect world but wing clipping is painless and non-mutilating and I know how to do it and if it works it could frankly help make the difference between being able to have quail or not--fencing/netting is expensive here and local options are limited, and the tropical maritime climate destroys fencing material with frustrating rapidity, so a full-blown aviary-type space with high sides and netting over the top is a big investment just to be able try something out.
But I haven't encountered anything about wing-clipping in the literature I have so far read, so I'm wondering why...
TIA for your input, and be well.