• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • paul wheaton
  • Jay Angler
stewards:
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Anne Miller
  • Tereza Okava
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden
  • Megan Palmer

trimming wing feathers on geese

 
Posts: 249
Location: Ellisforde, WA
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Occasinally, the gander will fly. If he stays in, the goose won't go as far. Can I safely trim their wing feathers like chickens?
 
pollinator
Posts: 11856
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1273
cat forest garden fish trees chicken fiber arts wood heat greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
All birds can have their flight feathers trimmed with no danger to the bird.  Generally only one side needs to be trimmed.  For the greatest effectiveness, trim both the primary and secondary flight feathers.

 
Posts: 502
Location: West Midlands UK (zone 8b) Rainfall 26"
140
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Tyler Ludens wrote: Generally only one side needs to be trimmed.



Always only trim one side as it puts the bird off balance.  If you trim both sides, they get their balance back and may achieve flight despite trimming.  But probably not a goose.  I'm surprised a domestic goose can fly at all!
 
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 11856
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1273
cat forest garden fish trees chicken fiber arts wood heat greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
You're right, they can sometimes flap really hard and fly anyway, even with stubs.

 
Liz Hoxie
Posts: 249
Location: Ellisforde, WA
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I was surprised to see him fly too. My husband said he saw him fly a few days before, but I figured he just "caught air"! When I saw him, he started about 20' away, gained enough altitude to clear a cattle panel fence by about a foot, and glided gracefully about 20' away. He looked so proud. He never flew until the goose started laying. He is determined to stay with her.
 
Too many men are afraid of being fools - Henry Ford. Foolish tiny ad:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic