Now I feel stupid and like and awful mommy ...

[RavenStorm]

My chicks have all gotten their flight feathers by now (they are 2 weeks old), and every one of them loves to periodically flap like crazy and run around the brooder. Well, them one of them does this it becomes chick pandemonium and a few of them will slam into the walls. They are also trying to fly out of the brooder (it's a bathtub in an unused bathroom), and I really need them to stay there until my dad finishes the coop.

So last night I decided to clip their wings for a quick fix and the last one was the one that really hates to be held. I know about blood feathers and how to avoid cutting them, but this chick was giving me a really hard time about staying still and then my DB startled me right as I cut and I nicked the tip of a blood feather. The little girl screamed; I didn't know they could feel it! I tried the whole chicken hypnosis thingy to clam her while DB grabbed me some corn starch, and it appeared to have coagulated even before I put anything on it. Just to be safe I kept her from the rest of the group until it was too dark for them to see anything in case it started to bleed. I keep checking on her and there is no bleeding, but I still feel horrible about the whole thing.

Has anyone else, even you super-duper chicken heroes who have had birds for years, done this or something else you think of as a rookie mistake and felt like and idiot later?

 

[krjwaj]

I can cut my dogs nails, but I am nervous about ever having to clip their feathers. To be honest, I get a little nervous when I even hold one of our girls. I am trying to face my fears, though.

I think if you show your chicken some love, she will forgive, forget, or both. In fact, she probably has already.

Everything is a lesson.

 

[gumpsgirl]

So sorry you hurt your baby. I know that made you feel terrible!

I think we've all done some things with our chicks at one time or another that made us feel completely terrible and like bad chicken mommy's. I know I have! It is all just one big learning process.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
There is nothing like holding these soft, affectionate creatures. Face your fears! It will only take one time and you will be hooked and completely in love.

 

[Chicabee19]

krjwaj.... I don't even have my chickens yet, and I am totally nervous about picking them up and holding them!

I think I'm gonna need a babysitter to talk me through it when my chicks hatch!

 

[PotterWatch]

I haven't tried to clip any wings yet and I'm sure if I did, I would definitely be nervous about it. I still am nervous about clipping my dog's nails too short and I worked at a vet clinic for several years!

 

[Chicabee19]

i actually clipped the end of my baby's fingertip. after that the doctor said 'use your teeth and peel them gently sideways'. it worked great.

don't guess that would work with dog or chicken toenails though.

 

[KellyGwen]

I haven't clipped my chickens feathers (they have a 6' tall covered run) but I have clipped my little parrot's feathers. I just use the next row of feathers as a guide and haven't nicked him yet! I make sure to wait until he's all done molting to be sure all the feathers are done forming so I don't hit a blood feather... and so I don't have to do it twice!

As for dummy mistakes... one happened yesterday! I had covered up the nest boxes to keep them from roosting (and pooping!) in there (they aren't laying yet). I stapled paper feed bags over the boxes... Well I guess I left a gap because yesterday morning my MIL went to let them out and there were 4 of them trapped in there... they had found a weakness in the cover, peeled it pack a little bit and climbed in! They were panicking in the morning because they couldn't get out! (Figures my MIL found them that way right??

)

I didn't think they'd be THAT determined to get in there so I didn't staple the covers on very tightly... I fixed that PDQ!!!!

ETA: From this picture it looks like parrots have a few extra rows of feathers that chickens don't have... *sigh* Oh well, no guide for their wings... thank goodness for my covered run!!

 

[cheraboo]

Quote:
Do you have to clip their wings? I'm pretty new to any chickens except broilers and cornish and we never had them long enough for such questions to arise.

 

[Akane]

I dropped a chick from my 2nd hatch.

I was used to the older ones who I could just let sit in my hand after catching and they had a concept of height. I scooped one of the new chicks up, loosened my grip so it could sit flat, and reached with my other hand to close the brooder when it just dashed forward and popped out of my hand. It dropped straight down and landed rear first on the wooden stand before sliding to the floor. I scooped it up before the cat or dog could pounce on it, checked it over, and then let it go back in the brooder. They all ran around like idiots for a moment and by the time they settled I couldn't even tell which one it was. I worried for days but never saw anything odd about any of them.

I've quicked nails on all sorts of animals. Guinea pig, cat, dog.... They get over it fast and so long as you stop the bleeding usually don't even remember anything happened within the hour.