Do I clip wings to keep duck safe?

[charlieandpete]

I am having a terrible time keeping my female mallard in my barn. She is in the barn at night (along with her buddy who is sitting on eggs) which is a 12 by 12 stall. The top is open, stall is enclosed. By morning time, she flies over the top and out the horses stall. I can't fully enclose the barn because the horses have to come in for water. This morning my neighbor up the street (kind of far!) said she was in her driveway. She has two Rottweiler dogs and a sherpard, so YIKES! One of those dogs ate my cat two years ago. A few days ago my kids said she met them at the bus stop. Funny, but not really. She was happily waddling down the street. I am home most of the time and the ducks free range, but now I am down to two ducks due to I think a creature getting them. VERY SAD. So, DO I CLIP HER WINGS so she can't get out of the barn? Or am I doing more harm by clipping the wings so she can't get away from prey? Guess I always think of the movie FLY AWAY HOME and how awful and inhumane it seems. However, if I don't, I believe she will become lunch for a creature. If you advise to clip, how do I do it?

 

[KansasKid]

Its hard to say. IF you clip her wings, then she is defensless against predators digging under the stall or climbing in. She could still get chased by the dogs, but at least she could have some means of escape. Usually you just clip the primary flights if you do it, but i like to leave a little bit of feather just enough for them to get a bit off the ground but not enough for them to be flying around. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pricelessparrots.com/images/health-care/wing_clipping.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.pricelessparrots.com/parrot-health-care.htm&usg=__Fl02Mw1whysIzVaXa3K8FGJXOIQ=&h=302&w=300&sz=20&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=J2rwcyGrTs65fM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclipping%2Bwings%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1237%26bih%3D706%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=412&ei=-zrQTIDVOIP68AaF--CnBg&oei=-zrQTIDVOIP68AaF--CnBg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:0&tx=112&ty=35

heres a link

 

[katharinad]

She can still walk off once clipped. So it will be practical, if your yard is fenced in. Plus it is not permanent, the feathers will come back with the next molt. Perhaps by then she has learned a better routine.

 

[KansasKid]

If your yard is fenced in then i would clip, but if it isn't i would leave them fully feathered.

 

[Redwood Violet]

If your pen is not fully enclosed, I would suggest clipping one wing to offset actual flight but still allow her to get away. I had three black east indies, and I clipped their wings to prevent any flight, instead of limiting flight. The next day, my stupid dog killed my drake because he couldn't fly. Let me just say I was furious with her and more than a little guilty over the wing clipping. If the drake had been able to fly a little, he could have gotten away from her. If they could fly a lot, they'd be at the river and I would be out all three ducks. Anyway, coons would be my chief concern if the pen had an open top, not that ducks will do much flying at night.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

i clipped one wing of my female mallard, next day she was dead. eaten by something that she couldn't escape. it's a hard choice either way.

 

[KansasKid]

Have you tried not fully clipping just one wing but clipping just the ends of the flight feathers on both wings?