Poultry birds periodically need to trim their wings so that they move less, gain weight better and cannot get out of the enclosure. 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 causing an infection. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly observe hygiene and safety requirements and use only working equipment.
Why do they do this?
The guinea fowl is a large bird with powerful wings that flies very well.Once free, it can cause considerable damage to the farm - destroy garden beds and even peck domestic chickens. If you don’t want to constantly catch your pets outside their enclosure, you just need to trim their wings. In addition, guinea fowl 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 fowl to prevent them from flying?
There are two ways to trim 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 the shortened wings and begin to fly again. And in chicks, you can shorten the terminal phalanx - this is a humane and safe method for health.
The operation is performed with sterile scissors. After each bird, they are wiped with alcohol, and if the skin is broken, they are treated with any antiseptic, for example, a solution of brilliant green. It is advisable to trim feathers or phalanges in cool weather, or keep the birds indoors for a while, where they can recuperate.
Trimming the wing phalanx of chicks
It is possible to trim the phalanx of a guinea fowl only at the age of several days from birth. When the bird is already an adult, the procedure will be painful and even dangerous to health, and it can cause heavy bleeding.
It is better to perform the operation in the evening. In the right place, the wing is snatched 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 does appear, the wound is treated with a solution of brilliant green.
Feather Trimming
This method is used for adult birds. The guinea fowl is secured in place, its legs are tied, and the wing to be trimmed is straightened. 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 eventually grow.
The procedure is repeated as the downy coat grows. The scissors must be very sharp, ideally for cutting carcasses, otherwise the operation may drag on indefinitely, and the bird will begin to get nervous and struggle.
Frequency of procedure
The phalanx is trimmed once in a lifetime, so it is an economical way to prevent guinea fowl from flying. If the bird came to the farm as an adult, the wing trimming procedure will have to be repeated three times a year, after each molt. To prevent the guinea fowl from getting too nervous when caught, it is enough to pour a little food into the feeders, and while eating, calmly catch the desired individual.
