When Can I clip wings?

[Keeniebird]

Hi all! Just wondering when is a good time to clip wings? I have some REALLY good flyers, like over a fence and flew just like a Pheasant over a house and into the culdesac behind our property! it was impressive.

Aso how do you do it?

 

[Impress]

They need to be old enough for it first of all, growing pullets and cockerals have blood feathers and if you clip those, they can bleed to death pretty rapidly. So the age of your chickens would be helpful information.

As for how you do it, get someone to hold them, extend one wing by hand and clip the flight feathers, the long ones, the row on the end of the wing. Just one wing should be sufficient.

However some older birds have blood feathers here and there as well so be ready with pliers to pull out the bleeding feather and some corn starch to hold on the wound to stop the bleeding.

 

[Keeniebird]

The Birds in question are 1 year old bantams. I have 4 and 5 week olds too but they are still confined always.
Thank you for the information. I appreciate it. :0)

 

[dodgewoman]

Yes, wait until they sort of fly on their own. You don't want to clip to early and have them have no clue of how to use their wings. I have raised parrots for 18 years and I feel it's pretty much the same. You probably don't have to clip to much on the heavy body birds(I have an African Grey that I can clip two feathers on each wing and he's good, where my cockatiel is light and I need to clip ALL of his feathers). Def. be careful of blood feathers. They should be easy to spot in comparison to the clear shafts of the others.

 

[Keeniebird]

Thank you so much! I will wait for them to get older. they fly really well now at 5 and 6 weeks! lol

just want to be prepared!