poults should be wing clipped or not?

[Kes]

Opinions vary on this topic.

Some say that, with good husbandry, birds will do as well unclipped as clipped.

Others suggest that imprinting on a shoot is vital and the two weeks or so poults cant fly, if clipped, gives them a strong imprinting on the pen and their area and tends to help retention of the birds.

On a small DIY shoot where boundaries are 300- 500yds max, no adjacent shoots, which would PM members advocate?

 

I do not have a fixed view ( only tried one) and would appreciate any views of which should be the method, especially from keepers who have some experience of both.

So essentially are clipped poults just the same, better or worse than unclipped, in this situation?

Your collective advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Edited July 1, 2011 by Kes

[CharlieT]

Clip them.

 

It will stop them flying out of your pen where all the dangers of the big wide world wait. Foxes, wandering, and everything else you can think of.

 

By clipping them they will become accustomed to your pen and all it provides, food, water, safety etc. Also being contained it makes for ease of medication treatments.

 

I would never have unclipped poults again.

[Dustem Dave]

Talked to our keeper about the subject last night,twice he tried not clipping and twice it was a totat nightmare,he said its ok if you've got a large acreage so the birds are still on your shoot if they wander if not don't bother

[scolopax]

Clip.

[Bleeh]

I never clipped, but then again I had around 2,500 acres to keep them in.

[Ireland's Finest!]

Personally we dont clip them, it gives the birds more of a chance if something was to try and attack them. We found they seem to fly better when they havent been clipped aswell.

 

The only downside is you'll have to walk them back into the pen EVERY morning and eveing.

[M ROBSON]

We never clip.

[Paul223]

Clip

 

it does take a bit of time but if you have to de bit well it's only seconds on the job

 

becarful if your using an anti peck spray, if you get it all over yer fingers it'll taint ya butties, init Rob

[David BASC]

Clipped or not birds will still walk out of the pen - stand by your pens and have a look they dont usually fly out!

 

Keeping on top of your birds is very important, I am sure I dont have to tell you that, and walking back / dogging in is a very important part of shoot management that is often over looked.

 

In my experience its not just a matter of walking up to the pen to see whats what, its starting a long way off, and gradually walking in decreasing circles towards the pen you quickly see / learn where the birds are, and which way they go when they see you.

 

Based on the birds we have had on the shoot this year, they were dropped off last Saturday morning (un clipped) At the pen I am looking after, those that are out in the maize fields already head straight for the pen as soon as they see/ hear me coming in the evening so within a week they have twigged where home is.

 

We are blessed with plenty of fox on our shoot, and frankly if Charlie comes along when a few birds are out I would rather they have a chance to fly away than just run away.

 

I am feeding hard in the pen, keeping the feeders in the middle, and have just started adding a bit of mixed seed with aniseed to the pellets an scattering into the feed ride straw they birds are on it like a shot!

 

I have started putting a couple of feeders outside along the hedge lines where I want the birds to head to the holding woods though.

 

The fact the birds arent clipped seems to make little difference as far as I can see, but I know others are passionate about having their birds clipped.

 

Ultimately its whatever you feel most comfortable with I guess.

 

David

Edited July 3, 2011 by David BASC

[highseas]

dont clip all out pens are with in 300m of boundries we have 2000 in a pen and 7 pens so a few birds we have never cliped aned can get 70% returns! have your brain in gear and you wont need to clip