Wing clipping free range ducks. Do you?

[amarook]

I have a runner and a call duck that free range in my yard all day long. They never leave the yard. I have a huge row of hedges that they like to hang out in. When it's hot, or if they feel threatened they go to the hedges.

For reference, my yard is just shy of an acre.

I don't clip my call ducks wings because I feel that is her only defense. She has tiny little legs and can't out run a dog or my roo if he decides to harass her, which he has.

So my question is this, if you own flighted ducks, do you clip their wings?

Just curious what everyone else does.

 

[Duck Keeper]

I never clip duck's wings unless they're mallards.
(Wings meaning feathers, I couldn't take part of the wing off as a baby!)

I tried it on my chickens but it didn't phase them in the least. -__-;

Go figure.

 

[amarook]

Quote:
OH yes, only feathers! I'd never clip the actual wing.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Oh I knew what you were saying, but I didn't want to confuse you because I say 'wing clipping.'

You should try it out if you're worried. It's not like they won't eventually molt back in.

I think if you do it really early they don't even try to fly? Maybe it lasts throughout their lifetime...??

 

[amarook]

Oh no, I don't want to take away her defense. I was just wondering what other people do.

 

[1lpoock]

I clipped the feathers off of my black east indie pair but thats only because I just got them and they werent used to my house and I didnt want them just flying off. They became friends with my original ducks and they all swim in the creek everyday and I have yet to have a problem with something getting them.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Quote:
As my dad says "They can fly, but only in circles!"

One wing clipped.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

We have Muscovy and we don't clip. Some of the boys can get up off the ground but only by a foot or two. Most of our older girls can fly buy they just fly around and roost in one tree at night or on our house roof. Our original adult Muscovies had one wing clipped when we bought them and just now are growing those wing feathers back in. The one thing I noted as a problem with their wing clipped was that when they "stood up" to run they would flap their wings and it would throw them off balance so they didn't get anywhere very fast & practically fell over trying to hurry.... ie. Predator bait. Though the drakes don't get far off the ground those wings really help them move along, when needed, plus it's pretty impressive to see some of those Scovy drakes with wings fully extended.

 

[duckface]

We have four mallards that we originally thought were rouens until one day when they all took off in flight and flew huge circles around our property. Each day they seemed to go farther away to the point where our neighbor who lives a half a mile away called me one day and said, "I just saw your ducks and they're on their way home!"

We only plan to keep two of the mallards and we did clip their feathers. Whether it was the right thing to do or not, I don't know. I was worried they would find someplace better to live, I guess.

 

[Squirtchy2009]

I clip one of every call ducks wings, only because im worried that they would fly away from my garden when they are loose, they do sometime try to fly but only get a foot or two of the grounf before landing either on their backs or feet

My runners which im getting i wont bother cos they cant reallly fly and i may be geting some muscovy eggs and i will do there wings when they are old enough