clipping wings

[upstateNYandy]

at what age should i clip a wing on my turkeys? My pen only has a 4 foot fence & I havent figured for a top yet.
Will 2 turkeys cohabitate with my 6 chicks? they are growing up together right now but not quite 3 months old.

 

[ModernGameGrl]

If their wings are fully feathered I'd go ahead and clip them just to be safe never know what might spook them into flight.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

We clip just the flight feathers on one wing, it throws them off balance when they try to fly. If you clip both wings some can still fly.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Agree that most turkeys with clipped wings can get up on a 6' fence. I think clipping 1 wing will help but will still get over a 4' fence.

 

[Renee']

I tried clipping one wing, it didn't work. I clipped the other wing, it didn't work. I best thing I can recommend is clipping them early to prevent them from learning they can fly. Once they learn, then they just flap like the dickens with what ever they have to get where they want to go. They are not dumb; with clipped wings, mine would hop/flap up on the tractor tire, then hop/flap to the top of the pipe corral, then to the top of the tractor, then to the top of the horse stall, then to the top of the tack room, then to the top of the 25' light pole! Needless to say, this also worked to fly over our 6' fence. Good luck. PS - Mine are Bouron Reds.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Renee' :

I tried clipping one wing, it didn't work. I clipped the other wing, it didn't work. I best thing I can recommend is clipping them early to prevent them from learning they can fly. Once they learn, then they just flap like the dickens with what ever they have to get where they want to go. They are not dumb; with clipped wings, mine would hop/flap up on the tractor tire, then hop/flap to the top of the pipe corral, then to the top of the tractor, then to the top of the horse stall, then to the top of the tack room, then to the top of the 25' light pole! Needless to say, this also worked to fly over our 6' fence. Good luck. PS - Mine are Bouron Reds.

Interesting, I was thinking about getting some turkeys and clipping their wings so they could not go over my new 5 ft. fence..but I see it will be a waste of time..oh well. I am glad I looked at this thread and saw the clipping wings link. And it was Bourbon Reds that I wanted also. lol​

 

[MissTurkey4]

My pens do not have anything my turkeys can jump on to jump over my fence. I keep everything far enough from the fence lines that it never happens. That incudes BR. I do start clipping wings so they can't fly out of the brooder, but i don't think that is why they stay in. When the wings have grown out they have flew over. Some good flyers need to be cut short all the way across the wings, maybe both wings. No beauty cut here. clipping does work.