Pinioning

Pinioning is the act of surgically removing one pinion joint, the joint of a bird's wing farthest from the body, to prevent flight. Pinioning is often done to waterfowl and poultry. It is not typically done to companion bird species such as parrots.

Procedure

Removing the pinion joint of a bird stops the growth of the primary feathers, preventing the acceleration required for flight. Pinioning may be done by a veterinarian or by a trained breeder, dependent on the country in which the keeper is operating. For example, it is illegal for anyone other than a veterinarian to carry out the procedure in England. It is similar to other forms of modification of domestically raised animals, such as docking the tail of a dog.

Apart from the prevention of flight, there is commonly thought to be little long term negative effect from pinioning if performed correctly and at a young age. However, the animal welfare impact of pinioning is subject to increasing debate. For example, it is now known that the operation, which is often performed without pain relief, is just as painful in young birds as in mature birds, if not more so. Evidence also suggests that pinioning may cause a phantom limb syndrome similar to what is observed in human amputees. For these reasons this practice has been prohibited in certain regions and is subject to increasing scrutiny.