Question about clipping wings.

[ChiknNuggets]

Good Morning all,

I let my 5 month old mallards out this morning around 5am and my male mallard decided to take his first big boy flight around the block. He circled around the block for about 5 minutes and landed out front in our residential street (not even 1 car an hour passes by). I had no idea up until this morning that he could fly that strong. I am needing to clip his wings, but not sure if I should clip one or both? If I clip only one, my understanding is that it throws off their balance, but are they still able to fly? I have 6 foot walls around my property and would hate for him or any of the other mallards to be able to get over the walls and not be able to come back. Is it better to clip both wings or just one? I don't mind if they are able to jump/glide a few feet, but if they are able to sustain more than 8 seconds of flight I might have a problem. Any input would be appreciated as this is my first time with poultry that can fly.

 

[GitaBooks]

Some people suggest clipping one wing, since it throws off their balance so they have to set down. Others suggest against this, as they can injure themselves if they try to fly and can't control their flight. You could try just one wing and if it doesn't work clip the other, or just go for both.

I hope this helps. Best of luck!