# What do you think of plucking a pigeons feathers so it wont be able to fly?



## Jasmeet Singh (Aug 13, 2012)

So i was just wondering what you guys think of this? just wondering what ur opinion on it is. Do you care if people pluck the feathers? Just wanting to know... (i personally dont do it)


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## kingdizon (Jan 14, 2013)

Never heard of people plucking their feather out I personally would never do that, it's just cruel to PLUCK them out. I know people *clip* their wings, which is cutting the long portions of their flights,and i wouldnt do that either. They grow back in moulting,but my whole thing is this...I cant take away their ability to fly. My grandma tried to make me clip the wings of my very first bird because she got away and flew home. I told her heck no,she doesnt deserve it after she flew 20 miles at night on her first flight away from home ever. Plus if they try to fly away they just become hawksnacks. For me,if they fly away, they fly away.


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## Jasmeet Singh (Aug 13, 2012)

Same here ik some people do it


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

People do "pluck" or "pull" (same dif.) flights for racing, I will never do it but this season that has meant half my team will not make the first toss this sat as they are moulting one of their final 3 flights.

If trying to rehome birds I think its a bit of a cop-out, There are so many methods one can use apart from this method which inturn puts the bird in danger and really does not achieve anything a settling cage isn't able to achieve whereas the settling cage provides safety, If one thinks the birds will fly away, keep them as breeders, if one thinks they have a chance at homing them, Do it in the best way possible to ensure the birds stay without being put in danger. Thats just my opinion on it.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

It's perfectly fine if done right. It is painful for the bird if you just go to plucking out perfectly healthy feathers. But if you cut them first and give a couple weaks to dry out, they will come out easily and painlessly. You can also just leave the stubs so they are flightless longer, as new feathers will start to grow after pulling out the dead feathers. Same thing as clipping wings of chickens and other birds.


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## Pijlover (May 5, 2010)

MaryOfExeter said:


> It's perfectly fine if done right. It is painful for the bird if you just go to plucking out perfectly healthy feathers. *But if you cut them first and give a couple weaks to dry out, they will come out easily and painlessly.* You can also just leave the stubs so they are flightless longer, as new feathers will start to grow after pulling out the dead feathers. Same thing as clipping wings of chickens and other birds.


Never know that way of plucking the feathers before, people also do that for bringing better feathers


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Pijlover said:


> Never know that way of plucking the feathers before, people also do that for bringing better feathers


That is true!  Sometimes birds moult in wonky feathers, which may be a problem if you show them or something, so doing this may help get better feathers in time. A lot of racing people do it with some of the flight feathers so they won't moult the feathers during racing. Usually the last few flights that are out during YB season so plucking ahead of time can prevent that from happening. The guy in my club who did it told me the trick with cutting first.

With cutting the feathers, like with clipping chicken wings, just make sure you don't cut past the coverts or you will hurt the bird. Most leave about an inch showing anyway, makes it easier to grab and pull out when the time comes. 

A slightly related tip, if you have a bird with a broken blood feather, also best to just go ahead and pull it out. It'll stop the bleeding and the pain, and of course a new feather can get to growing.


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## Jason Heidlauf (Apr 2, 2012)

I would not pluck feathers . I'm sure it hurts


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## thepigeonkey (Oct 12, 2011)

some people pluck over and over to make new white feathers grow in like a black bird with one white wing or whatever. I guess its still common in some breeds like Tiger Swallows?


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Back in the bad old days, it was felt that *repeated *plucking of flight feathers could damage the feathers"folicles" and cause injury to the new feathers, or eventually cause feathers to not grow back. Hence the trimming of flight feathers, even tail feathers, to prevent birds from flying. But that was back in the bad old days


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jasmeet Singh said:


> So i was just wondering what you guys think of this? just wondering what ur opinion on it is. Do you care if people pluck the feathers? Just wanting to know... (i personally dont do it)


why is this done?


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## nitamircela (Oct 28, 2008)

*Yeah, some people do it on people too: for example in tortured chambres*

Some people still do this torturing on people in prisons or mafia conducted raids. They pull fingernails for example. And enjoy the painful screamings. Torturing pigeons, those quiet creatures who never make a sound when they suffer must be a pleasure for the scientist! Do pain in silence. Studying the result, often a failure.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> why is this done?


An alternative to cutting the flight feathers to prevent the birds from flying???


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

No need to pull flights to prevent flying. If a person doent want them flying. Then do not let them out of the loft. If a person has a real need then just trim the flights They will growback as the bird moults. yes feathers do get plucked. Tails get pulled Flights get pulled. But mostly for the moult.And show needs. Pulled feathers grow back in 6 to 8 weeks. Where clipped can hold hold for several months.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i wouldn't do it, if not done right you can fracture the radius or ulna


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> why is this done?


The clue is in the title......


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## dragonsong93 (Dec 25, 2012)

Jasmeet Singh said:


> So i was just wondering what you guys think of this? just wondering what ur opinion on it is. Do you care if people pluck the feathers? Just wanting to know... (i personally dont do it)


My pigeon has his flights trimmed ..Hopefully by his molt he will be tame and won't be as skiddish so I can let them grow out. I wouldn't do this if he wasn't a house pigeon tho, people with lofts don't have a reason to trim them for the purpose of keeping them on the ground.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

MaryOfExeter said:


> That is true!  Sometimes birds moult in wonky feathers, which may be a problem if you show them or something, so doing this may help get better feathers in time. A lot of racing people do it with some of the flight feathers so they won't moult the feathers during racing. Usually the last few flights that are out during YB season so plucking ahead of time can prevent that from happening. The guy in my club who did it told me the trick with cutting first.
> 
> With cutting the feathers, like with clipping chicken wings, just make sure you don't cut past the coverts or you will hurt the bird. Most leave about an inch showing anyway, makes it easier to grab and pull out when the time comes.
> 
> A slightly related tip, if you have a bird with a broken blood feather, also best to just go ahead and pull it out. It'll stop the bleeding and the pain, and of course a new feather can get to growing.


This is something good for those who are new to birds to know about incase they have a bird with a broken blood feather.


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## Jasmeet Singh (Aug 13, 2012)

Thx every1 for the replies i asked this cuz in India most flyers in our neighborhood plucked the feathers so the birds wont fly cuz they all have tipplers/highflyers who fly for 12+ hours so they dont want it happening i never did it when i was there just noticed people doing it


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

I would think if you plucked feathers it would be a mean thing to do.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

...and just because some people do it, does not mean that plucking feathers is a good thing to do.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

What about a broken blood feather?


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## Jasmeet Singh (Aug 13, 2012)

I dont know what u would do if its a bloody feather i guess it would just make a bigger mess? Or wat im not really sure + i never said i am going to pluck feathers i was just asking peoples opinions


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