First time clipping - please advise

[jolenesdad]

This is my first time ever clipping and I've read everything and watched the few videos out there.

I'm still terrified of the first cut but my mallards want to fly. They are 8 weeks old. I spread out my drakes feathers so you can let me know if the feathers are ready. I just don't want the blood... I don't have one hundred percent faith I won't scream like a little girl and cause a huge scene.

Can anyone let me know if these wings are ready to clip?

 

[buff goose guy]

wrong side u have to look at the other side for blood feathers


go watch this http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...pibCPQYINB63Lo72DyfVoJw&bvm=bv.92885102,d.eXY

 

[jolenesdad]

THANK YOU! That's what I needed. That was a close one the one that's flying still has a blood feather so I will just monitor her for a few days until that's gone.

Whhhhhhew. I can't believe I haven't seen that video I wonder if it's because I was trying to be specific to mallards. Either way THANKS!

 

[buff goose guy]

ur welcome

u can always leave that feather and clip the ones that are okay, i just left them in a coop and run for juvenils until they are ready to clip.

Some advice for u is that i had to wait 2 months for all of my mallards to get rid of there blood feathers and i wish i had just left that feather alone and clipped the rest that way they still cant fly

 

[jolenesdad]

@buff goose guy it looks like the only blood feathers that are left are the last two feathers on the tip of the wing on any of my mallards. So while I can't do the clip she does in the video, I could do the clip where you leave the outer two and trim all the other primaries.

Do you have a preference from your experience for what is best for them? And why would some people leave one wing unclipped and some do both? Thanks so much!

 

[buff goose guy]

Okay yeah u could do that , that's what I do for my Muscovies is leave on Wing unclipped and the other wing clipped with the first 2 feather left alone

Okay well
It comes down to free ranging , if ur birds free range at all cut both wings but that means all the primary flight feathers or they could get to much lift . Clipping both wings lets them fly down hills and still jump really high to avoid predators

Clipping one wing throws them completely off balance very little flight like maybe a foot of clumsy almost falling motion , basicly no lift at all really . So if they free rang the clipping on Wing can be bad if predators are able to get them


Sorry if anything is unclear or misspelled I'm on my phone :/