WING-CLIPPING: CRUEL OR NECESSARY? ~ Open Poll~

[alwaysthere4chickens]

Our White leghorns got their wings clipped because they kept flying onto the neighbors fence. And the Neighbor has dogs. ( We have lost a chicken to their dogs before.)

 

[chickenhappy1233]

i clip one wing, and only the chickens that try to explore the neighbors yard

 

[igorsMistress]

I’ve never done it, haven’t had to. I don’t see a point unless necessary. As in for the safety of the bird or to keep them from damaging a neighbor’s garden.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I am fortunate enough to not be in a situation where I'd have to consider it - but its not for me to tell others how to raise their flocks. None of the available vote options reflect my respect for your choices as to use your property.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

I do it but it’s not my favorite because my birds don’t look as good and I really like them with their wings! But if they fly out it’s for their own safety.

 

[AntiqueB]

I would prefer not to, but I do have one EE who really wants to investigate the neighbor's yard. Neighbors are cool, and say they'll just chuck her back in my yard, but I fear she'll get out into the road. I'm trying everything to keep her in my yard; fence extensions will be next, and I hope she'll settle down when she starts laying!

My mother had a story about a friendly parakeet whose personality changed when he got clipped. Taking away a bird's flight, however awkward, is taking away a part of their being.

That said, if it involved the bird's safety, and nothing else worked, I would clip, though hesitantly.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm against wing clipping.
I think it's a management problem. If you find you have to clip a birds wing/s to keep it safe I'm tempted to think you've got the wrong birds for the environment you're keeping them in.

 

[aart]

Clipping wing feathers doesn't permanently alter them, the feathers grow back within a month or two.

No, they won't grow back until the next molt.

Pinioning is when the flight feathers are clipped off right at the feather shaft, which leaves them flightless for the rest of their life.

@Trisseh explained it well.

pinioning as mentioned where the joint at the end of the wing is completely removed is an entirely different procedure and must be done on young birds, and is a much more complicated subject.

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

No, they won't grow back until the nest molt.

That's how it works with my quail.

 

[aart]

That's how it works with my quail.

That could be so, I know nothing about quail.