[Selkie]

i think it's about time to clip daisy's wings -- i know it's been discussed here before but does anyone have any special tips?

daisy's a bit of a wriggler so i'll get peter to hold her tight and i'll do the clipping.

what's the concensus on clipping - is it one wing or two? their previous owner clipped both wings but reading on here it doesn't sound like it's necessary to do both.

[muntjac]

search wing clipping rosie anty has a loverly diagram on one of her posts  

[Selkie]

already did a search and found the diagram, but i was wondering if any of you guys had any special tips as it'll be my first time and i'm a bit nervous!

[Aunt Sally]

Here it is Rose

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=13790#13790

[Selkie]

have printed that diagram so i won't have to keep running back in the house to check

will let you know how we do!!

[muntjac]

oh sorry ... ok put the birds head in a sock this will calm it

[Selkie]

ta munters  any particular colour sock?    

[muntjac]

ta munters  any particular colour sock?    

 nah . just dont put one peters on her if ya wan keep her alive  

[Selkie]

[Jellyhead]

A pink glittery sock would be best aye Munty     It isnt as bad as you think Rose, a good pair of scissors 4/5 feathers later on one wing only and its all done. I actually done mine when the sun had gone down and they were sleepy. Much less stressful and no need for socks.

[Selkie]

might do it at dusk (so early nowadays anyway  :cry: ) but still might use a sock just for the sake of it  

[Selkie]

well we've been wing clipping this afternoon -i was so impatient that we didn't wait til dusk.

the sock on the head trick is VERY handy; daisy still tried to peck peter's hand  whereas dora just let us get on with it (i'd expected it to be the other way round, dora's got a bit of an evil streak to her )

while we were dealing with one hen we put the other inside their little house so they wouldn't start getting aggitated - they set each other off sometimes if something winds them up.

it worked out really well, i think i probably could have cut the feathers back a bit more but was worried about cutting a vein.

[Aunt Sally]

Easy isn't it Rosemary.  Most people thing it's going to be really trick, but it's not.

Check them in a few weeks to see if any new feathers has grown  

[Selkie]

thanks aunty s, yes i was expecting it to be alot more dificult somehow.

will check them again like you said, they seem to still be moulting and there are new feathers coming through all the time.

the only thing is, now i'm in a 'wing clipping mood'    and i wish we had more than two hens

i was going to just do one wing on each hen but ended up doing both in the end

[Aunt Sally]

Should only really do one each Rosemary - traditionally the left one (don't ask me why the left one )

Only doing one makes their lift unbalanced and the can't fly stably.