The largest representative of the grouse is the tropical forest dweller, a turkey domesticated by the Indians of South America more than 1,000 years ago. Currently, this bird is actively bred by farmers in many countries. Turkey feeds on grass, acorns, seeds, berries, insects. In case of danger, it can fly at a speed of about 30 km / h. As well as the bird is able to run away on the ground at no lower speed, therefore for breeders it is very important to prevent flight and save livestock.
Why and at what age to cut the wings of turkeys
To keep the turkey on the farm, various methods are used:
- grid construction over the entire surface of the range;
- trimming of feathers;
- cauterization of the wings daily turkey poults;
- tangle of wings.
Did you know? In the wild, foxes, cougars, eagles, owls, and coyotes hunt on turkeys. Fleeing from predators, the birds developed a specific manner of speed running in zigzags.
Features trim wings
The most common method is trimming the feathers. Before you trim the feathers, you need to consider a few points.
The plumage of the wing is divided into feathers:
- first order, which are attached to the brush and are shorter;
- second order, fixed on the forearm, long, flywheel.
Trim need some feathers.
Find out what breeds of turkeys are suitable for home breeding, as well as get acquainted with the peculiarities of the content of such popular breeds of turkeys as Canadian, Grade Maker, Victoria, white wide-chested, Uzbek fawn, black Tikhoretskaya.
To do this, use various techniques:
- cut off all the feathers circumferentially to a length of about 6 cm;
- 2-3 biggest ones are cut;
- cut off the veil, leaving the core.
It is also recommended to identify and eliminate the factors due to which birds began to fly.
Did you know? Wild turkey meat is much tastier than home-made meat because of its dietary characteristics, which is why the hunt of white settlers for turkeys has led to an almost complete extermination of livestock.
All turkey food is on the ground - seeds, berries, grass, etc. And if there is enough food and the birds are not worried, they have no need for flying, so this behavior indicates a lack of food, the appearance of danger, etc.
How to cut
In order to properly trim the feathers, it is advisable to divert the turkey from the procedure with food. At this moment, it is clamped with its legs, the wing is straightened and the feather is cut with a sheath or good scissors.
It will be useful for you to find out how useful and how high-calorie turkey meat is, about the benefits and harms of turkey liver, and whether turkey eggs can be eaten.
The procedure can be performed by one or two: one person holds the turkey, and the second quickly and accurately cuts the feather. The action can be carried out for all turkeys aged 4.5 months.
How to trim the wings of turkeys: video
What if the birds behave aggressively
If the turkey is restless or aggressive, then its head can be covered with a dark cloth - this will reduce mobility, calm and eliminate distracting factors. You can also trim on different wings at different times to reduce the effects of the stress from the procedure.
In addition, the bird can stop flying with one wing trimmed.
Is it possible to trim the wings of turkey poults
Small daily turkeys carry out cauterization of the last wing segment using a hot metal plate. For turkeys aged over 24 hours, such a procedure is no longer carried out, since this may cause bleeding and death of the chick.
Important! It is impossible to carry out any manipulations with the wings of a turkey with a knife or scissors, this will cause bleeding and lead to death.
Will re-pruning be required
Clipped feathers will surely change during seasonal moulting. If the turkey will fly after changing the pen, the trimming procedure can be repeated.
Other bird retention techniques
In order to prevent flights of young animals, it is recommended to stretch the net around the walking yard or the open-air cage up to a height of 2 m. The overlapping of the open-air cage with a mesh roof is also practiced.
For the proper maintenance of turkeys, it will be useful for you to learn how to make a roost and build a turkey-hen with your own hands, and also what to do if turkeys and turkeys fight, how many turkeys grow to slaughter and how to score a turkey correctly.
According to the observations of farmers, Christmas-tree shiny tinsel hung on the top of the net also prevents birds from flying out. In this case, the effect of surprise is triggered - there is nothing in nature like the Christmas rain, and the turkey simply does not have an experienced way to interact with it, so it does not risk flying through tinsel.
Wings can be fixed with special clips for wings (see patents class А01К37 "Device for fixing birds"), which restrict movement. It is also practiced tangling the wings with the help of a bake.
Wrapping Wings with a Bakey
For fixing the wings with a bake, choose a tape from a soft material 1-2 cm wide. One end of the tape is fixed on the first joint of one wing, passed through the belly of the turkey and fixed on the first joint of the second wing.
Cautery of wings in daily turkey poults
For cauterization, they take a thin plate of iron, heat it on fire, apply it to the last joint of the wing. You can do this operation only daily chicks. The wounds of the poults quickly heal, and later the birds do not fly.
Important! It is forbidden to use fishing line, wire, rubber, other rigid fasteners, because it can damage the wings of a bird.
It is believed that well-fed turkeys and crosses also do not fly. These birds fly prevents weight. Each farmer can choose from the variety of ways of attaching the wings to any one he is more prone to. It is only necessary to remember that the chosen method should not cause inconvenience to birds.