To clip or not to clip????

[Hoosiermomma]

My two peachicks are about 5 mos now. I want to let them out with the others to free range during the day (they have been indoors since I bought them) and still bring them in at night....for now. Anyway I am considering clipping their wings but am on the fence about it. Is there a way to clip them 'just enough' so they can't fly but can still get a little airborne? I know that probably sounds contradictory but I want them to be able to get just enough height so they can get up if needed but I don't want them reaching the heights my other pair does.

Also is there anything I need to do prior to trying to integrate them with the other peafowl pair? The older pair is about a year and a half old. They would also be free ranging with our chickens.

 

[greg standley]

no do not clip. i have a lot of peafowl and i bought a pair with one wing on each bird cliped. at the first jont on the wing. and when the cock grows his tail in he can't roost with the rest of them at night. i have to go out every night and pick him up in the barn and he sleeps alone.

 

[Kev]

Greg, that sounds like "pinioned"- the hand part of wing being cut off?

Wing clipping usually refers to cutting the feathers only, not the actual wing itself.

Wing clipping is a bit controversial too.. some think it is OK, others are against it as it can make peafowl very vulnerable.. mainly because they still can jump very high (5 or 6 foot fence will not stop a clipped peafowl), so chances are they could jump a fence but due to being wing clipped.. it's very vulnerable to dogs or anything "on the other side"..

Since you raised them and have other peafowl, personally don't think clipping is necessary but understand it can help with 'training' especially with getting them in habit of roosting in a coop instead of in trees.. you can clip the primary feathers about halfway through.

Only clip the primaries, not the secondaries.. primaries are on the "hand" part of wing- the light reddish colored ones on males.. do not clip past the black feathers(nor the barred parts) of the wing.

Keep in mind, they will remain "clipped" until their next molt, which might not be until next year, depending on what stage they have already went through.

 

[deerman]

If you want them to have some flight. Start with outside flight feather leave first two then clip only 4 on each wing up ot 8. When clipping wing feathers alway clip both side. So birds still have control of any flight they have.

With 8 clip not much height. with 4 should be able to roost in trees.

If you have many predators would not clip any.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Thanks guys.....

I still plan on free ranging them so I don't want to totally ground them. I'm not worried so much about predators b/c between all of our dogs and our kids there is always someone or something outside to keep watch. We did have a close call with the neighbors dog but that won't happen again.

I know wing clipping is controversial so that is why I wanted to get your opinions. If we do not get our older pair in before the sun sets, it seems like they pick the highest branch of the highest tree to roost in. LOL I'm sure the neighbors get a kick out of seeing a forty something year old lady climbing trees trying to get them down.

I want to avoid that with my peachicks as I have already had to fetch them off of the roof.

Is there anything special that you use to clip them or will a plain pair of scissors suffice?

 

[Kev]

Oh yeah higher is better as peafowl is concerned. My free range peafowl all roost very high, some going as far as 40 feet high. On a nature documentary, saw a peacock and peahen fly straight up to a tall, mature date palm tree.. It's a natural instinct for them.

I will admit to thinking that clipping probably will make it much easier to train peafowl to roost in a coop, they can't just "take off for the heavens in one bound" so easily.

Anything will work although sharp ones will leave a cleaner cut.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Thanks Kev!

Yeah these trees are easily 40ft high....not ideal for someone with a height phobia.

I'll just snip off a little. Since this pair has been kept indoors for the last 3 1/2 months I don't want to just let them out and then have to worry about them the whole time. Clipping will allow me to have a little more control over them but still give them enough freedom to do as they please. Hmm wish my kids would have some wings that I could clip.

 

[Kev]

Haha, I don't like heights either. I wouldn't make a very good free range peacock..

 

[deerman]

Wire cutter work real well for the larger feather. I like to leave the two outside feathers, that way the bird doesnt looked clipped

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Quote:
Glad I'm not the only one. Going higher than 10' scares the bejeepers out of me. LOL So you know why I don't want this pair to do the same.