Wing Clipping and Mallards

[fowl farm]

Going through the duck forum I've noticed a lot people saying " if you don't want to clip wings, don't get a so-and-so duck". My question is, is there really that great a risk of your duck, in my case, Mallards, flying off? Or is it recommended more as a way of confining your bird? Has anyone actually had their bird fly off or migrate?

 

[melissamerry]

I have three white mallards about 3 months old now. They follow me around and come when they are called, but sometimes if something spooks them one will jump high up and fly about 25 feet. After one flys the other two try and catch up but end up going in different directions.

They are inside ducks so they don't much practice with flying, except for flying up in my bed and waking me up every morning, but when we go outside thats when they try. I'm going to clip their wings, I'm just too scared right now because it looks so easy.

 

[fowl farm]

Mine are about 7-8 months, so they are already flying. I was just wondering what the likely-hood of them migrating or something was. By the way, I saw pictures of your ducks on another thread. They are so pretty! I want a white Mallard now.

 

[melissamerry]

Oh thanks so much! Funny thing is I thought I was picking up baby Pekins and then they stopped growing! I was so confused. And then I was told that mallards could also be white. Such adorable little dorks.

I'm not sure about migrating, since this is my first time raising ducks. Are they free ranged?

 

[fowl farm]

Yes. Which is why I'm not clipping. We live on 50 acres of woods, so it's a predator wonderland.

 

[melissamerry]

I think we need some expects up in here!

 

[Miss Lydia]

All I can say and I've said it before, ducks love to fly. One day you might take them outside and one will take off and you may not get it back, I live in the NC mountains with woods all around me and a wild river down below, I have clipped wings for going on 9 yrs because I don't want to lose any of my ducks because they just took off one day for the love of flying and couldn't find their way back or landed on the river and were having too much fun to come home, I have not lost one of my ducks to predation thanks to the good Lord. But if one of them were to fly off no telling what might happen. My ducks are treated really good have lots of food get to free range daily and play in their pools, but ducks love to fly. As far as migrating, I don't know if domesticated mallards would fly off if they saw a flock of wild mallards flying over head or not I wouldn't want to take the chance. Maybe I'm just too protective.