/ Register

  1. If this is your first time on BYC, we suggest you start with one of these three options:
    Raising Chickens Chicken Coops Join BYC
    Not a member yet? join BYC here & then introduce yourself in our community forum here.

preventing flight

Discussion in 'Raising Baby Chicks' started by wizbe, Jun 2, 2008.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Jun 2, 2008 #1
    wizbe

    wizbe Hatching

    2
    0
    7
    May 29, 2008
    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.
     
  2. Jun 2, 2008 #2
    lost

    lost Songster

    499
    1
    141
    May 10, 2008
    ,nc
    he cut them too short.If you go to the home page there at the top tells you how
     
  3. Jun 2, 2008 #3
    wizbe

    wizbe Hatching

    2
    0
    7
    May 29, 2008
    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.
     
  4. Jun 2, 2008 #4
    dacjohns

    dacjohns People Cracker Upper

    5,154
    6
    251
    May 1, 2008
    Wherever work sends me.
    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.
     
  5. Jun 2, 2008 #5
    silkiechicken

    silkiechicken Staff PhD Premium Member

    21,494
    269
    393
    Jan 25, 2007
    Everett WA/Corvallis OR
    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.
     

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by: