exotic duck question??

[Wifezilla]

I equate pinioning with removing a cat's claws or docking a dog's tail. That being said, I wont do any of them. I just got a breed of duck that can't fly worth a darn.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
perfectly said and shown, just want to clarify though, your not cutting at the elbow joint, your cutting at what would be their hand joint, the metacarpal section , the bony tip of the wing, just barely past the joint.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
It's not like that, but to each his own.... But with us migratory/ornatmental lovers, the get a species that dont fly deal dont work to good, being MIGRATORY, they are pretty darn good at it.
Now that Spectrum posted pics, everyone can see that it/s not some bloody massacre, or mideavil torture, they dont even act like the feel it.
Just a hey, what was that?? and it's over look.

Personally, I keep mine all penned up and full wing cause I love to watch them fly, but, this is a very common practice and like I said, one of the 2 most commonly used techniques required by the USFWS to properly mark your birds in accordance with their regulations. With migratory waterfowl in the U.S., plain and simple, at birth, a body part has to be legally snipped off, period. Be it wing tip, or hind toe. So this really isnt a matter of morals, or crulety, but just doing what the USFWS tells us we have to do to legally keep these birds....

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
Thanks BBB

I should have clarified that it is the joint farest out on the wing. Comparing to a persons arm it would be the wirst joint. I will go back and edit so it doesn't confuse people as to which joint.

 

[Sumatra503]

Didn't need the pics, but others might. Still doesn't change my mind, but to each his own.

I mostly dislike the unnatural look and the extremely hightened risk of preditors when the birds qare free roming in a lake setting. Flying away is pretty much the only defense they have against predators unless you have a good fence arond the pond or a good guard dog.

Flying is the most natural thing these birds do. It's what they were made to do. It is the bird's right in my opinion, to have its entire wing.

Mine have a large covered area and fully natural wings. I believe this is the common method nowadays as far as I've seen. Most people don't have a large pond, just a smaller pen.

Hope all you that have flightless birds in your ponds have good predator protection. I should assume so, because of the expense of these birds.

Most others just enjoy the wild waterfowl that migrate through. I saw a pair of wood ducks the other day that were much prettier than most that are captive bred.

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
SUMATRA-I posted the photos so others can see it done and how uneventful it is. I was not trying to change your mind. I would like to see how you perform this new kinder technique of cutting off skin down to the feather folicles.

PLEASE POST PHOTOS OF YOUR TECHNIQUE.

 

[destinduck]

I havent heard of Sumatras technique. also there is no "unnatural" look to properly pinioned birds.BTW most all my birds are full flight. People that come over to see my birds couldnt tell which were pinioned or not. We KNOW no ones going to change YOUR mind on pinioning.So please post pics of YOUR technique as an alternative because some people HAVE TO raise them on open ponds ,also they dive or hide in cover to escape predators. please post the way you do it because it sounds hard and really painful! But you can see there is nothin to it as SPECTRUM pictures showed us. Thanks for the pictures BTW .I know alot of folks were wondering how to do this procedure correctly

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
I agree, I always keep mine full winged, just like to see them fly, but predation is not a big problem for these , even pinioned on open water, they have more than one way to escape, like we both have said, just try to catch one yourself, these arent fat little domestics, ALL of them will dive and swim a mile under water to get away, and they work in social groups to defend each other, if one freaks out, they all go.
So often people confuse keeping these as being exactly the same as domestics, well it's not even close.
Plain fact is, in migratory waterfowl, pinioning is a very common, painless method used by all breeders, like it or not (no ones asking you too) but it is frequently used, and is like I said earlier, one of the two options for properly marking them by the USFWS anyway, so on them, at birth a body part has to come off one way or the other.

And yes, it does no harm to their beauty, unless you know exactly what you are looking at, you wouldnt even notice it, and even then , you have to be pretty close. the scissor pattern the the two wings primary feathers make, on one side will be missing, that's it...

 

[Dr. Todd]

Done correctly and at the appropriate age pinioning is a very quick and safe technique. It should not be performed on adult birds by anyone who is not a veterinarian trained in the procedure. I personally only pinion what absolutely has to be pinioned (geese that tend to be skittish including brant and red-breasted, any bird that will be in an open enclosure).

Boggybottom:

The act of pinioning waterfowl is REQUIRED by the Federal Government, that or removal of a hind toe, seemless bands, or tattoos the last 2 no one does.

There are plenty of folks using seamless bands, you've been out of the loop for too long! Many of the serious folks have been using them for years on waterfowl rather than pinion or toe-clip, especially on the rare species. I'd be happy to provide links to sources for the seamless bands to anyone who wants to start using them.

Dr. Todd​

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I clip wings. And honestly they don't want to go anywhere. Why would they fly away when they have water to play in and food to eat? Even if I miss the wings when they molt they don't go anywhere. I just try to make sure the majority are clipped in the fall.
I like them to be able to fly. I had 3 mallards this spring hanging out in a group. 2 were clipped, one was not. Guess who the sole survivor was of a predator attack? They did bite under his wing, so they must have grabbed as he was taking off. I will never pinion my birds. But I would never declaw a cat again either.