I had a friend who cut the tips of his very young chicks and ducklings (one wing) so that he wouldn't ever have to clip wings. This did cause a small amount of bleeding and had to have hurt, but the wings looked normal when they were grown, and they never did fly. And he never lost any to shock or infection. Has anyone else heard of this? Is this an acceptable practice. It seemed brutal but practical.
no, they weren't feathered yet, just a day or two old I guess. He cut the tips off on purpose. He seemed to think it was common practice, but I have never heard of it before.
Picturing in my mind and not looking at a picture of a chicken wing. It sounds cruel and unneeded to me. He would have had to cut the whole tip off from the joint. Flight feathers are not at the very tip.
I think that practice is called "dewing"? I could be very wrong though. I personally think it is as humane as debeaking. Clipping of flight feathers one a year would do the same thing and doesn't hurt or deform the bird.