The right of flight...

[Shadrach]

Hello. I'm Jenny. I live with Bucket Boy here in Spain. I can fly to everywhere I can see from this fence and I've even flown to the bottom of the mountain a couple of times. Bucket Boy gets a bit worried and I think a bit annoyed because he has to come and find me.
I love flying. Most days I don't fly very far; a couple of circuits around the property. You should see the chickens when I fly over.
I've been attacked three times by dogs in the seven years I've lived here. Each time I've escaped by flying into a tree or on to the roof of the house. The weasel used to stalk me and he did grab my tail feathers once. I'm too big for him to hold down.

Hello, I'm Solomon. I'm not very good at flying. I'm okay on the downhill bits but I'm heavy and have trouble getting sufficient lift. When the dogs have attacked, Jenny has led them off and I've hidden in the bamboo clump.

 

[TearDucks]

Guess I didn't do it right she flew into the river just now. She isnt flying as high but shes in the river

 

[Isaac 0]

I guess we all have a different way of maintaining our flock, and that's fine, I have lots of Call's which depend A LOT on their wings to be able to avoid predators, if I were to clip their wings, there'd likely be a dramatic increase in deaths. I have two creeks that run through the property, in which, I regularly trap snapping turtles, but, and I'm sure this applies to most states in the U.S, there are an overabundance of them, therefore, I still lose a few ducks a year to them regardless that I have traps set up around the property.

So really, even if you did catch the snapping turtle there'd likely be another one just up the stream, or a mink, or a raccoon, it's a never-ending battle with them.

Use your best judgment. Most animals tend to flock around a source of water, if you can keep your birds away from that source of water, go for it. My birds are a lot safer, fiddling around the outside skirts of the house, then two miles down a predator infested creek.

 

[Shadrach]

Guess I didn't do it right she flew into the river just now. She isnt flying as high but shes in the river

As mentioned above, wing clipping doesn't really work. It's one of those pieces of advice that gets given out on various forums by people who either haven't done it, or have done it and not noticed the results, or done it combined with other methods such as imprisoning the ducks.

 

[Isaac 0]

Wing clipping can, and does work. For the most part, the feathers are always cut too long due to the inexperienced owner's concern that they're going to hit a blood vessel, I've also noted the effectiveness of wing clipping will greatly vary between breed and species, I've clipped my OEGB's wings numerous times to no avail, but have had great success clipping the wings, of a few Calls, Large-Sized Chickens, and a Goose. They were not able to fly, and no management changes were implemented after this either.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I cleaned the boys side, then my daughter needed something so before I started the girls side I walked away and when I looked back I saw George the groundhog helpy selfie. They forge together him and my ducks. Its like they told him if you dont get enough to eat its the second box in...too funny. Ostara was sitting in the coop she never said nothing. Freaky kinda it could've been the mink! But he wouldn't go for the food dish....

That’s so funny! Poor George was sure in a hurry! Lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wing clipping does work you just have to keep at it till you get it right. My big Drake will not fly why would he all his girls are right here. But my females love to fly and I will keep them safe as I can. It’s up to each of us how we keep our flocks safe and If wing clipping does that then go for it. I could not imagine watching one of my ducks being attacked by a snapping turtle or any other predator.

 

[Shadrach]

Wing clipping can, and does work. For the most part, the feathers are always cut too long due to the inexperienced owner's concern that they're going to hit a blood vessel, I've also noted the effectiveness of wing clipping will greatly vary between breed and species, I've clipped my OEGB's wings numerous times to no avail, but have had great success clipping the wings, of a few Calls, Large-Sized Chickens, and a Goose. They were not able to fly, and no management changes were implemented after this either.

Okay, I'll rephrase.
One may be able to clip wings severely enough to prevent true flight in some species. The wing clipping I've seen here done to ducks (only Muscovies) and chickens (usually smaller and more flight prone and feral than those typically found in the USA from what I have read on these forums) has not prevented the fowl from trying to fly. The amount of success in flying has depended on the determination of the fowl in question and less on the severity of the clip.
If wings are clipped to such an extent that the fowl is rendered unable to get off the ground then in a free range setting and in an open top run, they are left defenseless and helpless if flight is one of their primary means of escaping predators.
A farm not far from here keeps Minorcan Blacks. They are prone to flight and the farm owners got tired of getting them out of the trees. They clipped their wings. The chickens still tried to fly into the trees.

 

[TearDucks]

I clipped further like you said yesterday. I will keep changing the pool outside the pen. so she will hopefully use that and not feel the need to use the river.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My 12 yr old female Muscovy I don’t clip her use of flying is starting at the top of the steps and landing at the bottom that’s her idea of flight now. Bless her