How to cut the wings of guinea fowls: what you need and 2 ways to not fly

Pets periodically need to trim their wings so that they move less, gain weight better and could not get out of the aviary. However, not every farmer knows how to properly trim the wings of guinea fowl. If the procedure is carried out incorrectly, there is a high risk of damaging the wings and even infecting. Therefore, you must strictly observe the requirements of hygiene and safety, use only serviceable equipment.

Why are they doing this?

Guinea fowl is a large bird with powerful wings that flies very well. Once free, she can cause considerable damage to the household - destroy the garden beds and even peck at domestic chickens.If you do not want to constantly catch pets outside their pen, you just need to trim the wings. In addition, guinea fowls with trimmed feathers move less and gain weight better. Feed and maintenance costs are reduced, and the meat becomes soft and juicy.

How to trim the wings of guinea fowls so they don't fly?

There are two ways to cut wings. For adult birds, you can try to shorten the flight feathers, and only on one side - otherwise the guinea fowl will learn to balance on shortened wings and begin to fly again. And in chicks, you can shorten the terminal phalanx - this is a humane and safe method for he alth.

The operation is performed with sterile scissors. After each bird, they are wiped with alcohol, and if the skin is broken, it is treated with any antiseptic, for example, with a solution of brilliant green. It is advisable to trim feathers or phalanxes in cool weather, or keep the birds indoors for some time, where they can recuperate.

Cutting the phalanx of the wing of chicks

You can cut the phalanx of a guinea fowl only at the age of a few days from birth. When the bird is already an adult, the procedure will be painful and even dangerous to he alth, you can cause profuse bleeding.

The brush of only one wing is docked, because if you cut off two at once, the bird will learn to balance on shortened limbs and will be able to jump over low fences.

The operation is best done in the evening. In the right place, the wing is cut off with sharp scissors with a quick and sharp movement. Before starting the procedure, you need to make sure that the bird is securely fixed. There should be no blood, but if it nevertheless came out, the wound is treated with a solution of brilliant green.

Feather cutting

This method is used for adult birds. The guinea fowl is fixed in place, the legs are tied and the wing is spread out to be cut. Carefully remove the entire lower row of feathers, which are called flight feathers. In their place, small skin growths remain - tubercles, from which a new feather will grow over time.

The procedure is repeated as the down cover grows. The scissors should be very sharp, ideally for cutting carcasses, otherwise the operation may drag on for an indefinite time, and the bird will start to get nervous and break out.

Frequency of the procedure

The phalanx is cut once in a lifetime, so this is an economical way to deprive guinea fowls of the opportunity to fly. If the bird came to the farm as an adult, it will be necessary three times a year, after each molt, to carry out the procedure for cutting the wings again. So that the guinea fowl does not get nervous once again when caught, it is enough to pour a little food into the feeders, and while eating, calmly catch the desired individual.