clip wings?

Bumblechick · **Posted:** Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:15 pm

Hi Im totally new to chickens and learning as I go. Ive got two Isa Brown/ Australorp/Leghorn cross pullets now about 17 weeks old, they have a run but Id like to let them into my fenced garden, question is should I clip their wings or not? dh8989u9

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Bumblechick,

I personally do not clip any of my birds wings as I had a cockatiel who's breeder had mutilated her wings when he clipped hers as a chick to hand tame her and she had problems when they finally grew back with free flying when we rescued her

Also my chooks have flown up trees for safety from predators whilst free ranging such as cats and dogs on the prowl for a chicken dinner.

If you want to clip your chook's wings so they don't fly up, on, and over boundary fences, then only clip the flight feathers on ONE wing as this imbalances their flight. DO NOT CLIP BOTH WINGS as they still have lift and can take off. It's a personal choice. Be careful if you cut too high up the chook can bleed.

SCGecko · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:46 pm **Posts:** 3

Petite has it right not a good idea when it comes to predators and they will be sitting ducks or chooks in your case

BigFishLittleFish · **Posted:** Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:33 am

you don't need to clip. my girls can fly really good ! but they ALWAYS come back inside their pen for dinner time.
dont leave food laying out when they are free ranging , then you can always entice them back in again with a yummy afternoon treat and their dinner.
They might visit the neighbours on a few occasions when they are not supervised... haha (mine have several times)
so you should be there to supervise if they are out anyways.
We have a 10 min checking rule. every 10 mins you have to look out the window or out the door and see if you can see all 5 chickens. if you cant you have to call them to see if all 5 chickens come running. and if they still don't appear you know they have taken off and the search is on...

i made this rule up because when i am actually home i cant be outside with them for hours and hours, i've got stuff to do! and even though my yard is fenced they squeeze through gaps and go under the house etc... and can always find a way out if they put their little chicken minds to it.

Bumblechick · **Posted:** Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:26 pm

Thanks for the advice, not keen to clip them as I am still having trouble letting me pick them up , working on that! my biggest worry is if they go in to my next door neighbours...hes being very anti/ difficult about them and at this point they are enclosed in a run and coop. No eggs for him when they get to lay!

HereChook · **Joined:** Sun Oct 07, 2012 4:40 pm **Posts:** 1

I made the mistake of clipping a wing of my rooster and 1 week later he was killed by a stray dog I think if he could have flown he may ha survived

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Even if you give a neighbour who hates chooks fresh eggs, they still can call in the ranger, some people are just plain old mean and have no lives and mind everyone else's business. We have the "Chook Police" living next door, always peeping and a prying and doing chook head counts, looking out for to see how many chookies we have, keeping an ear out for a non existent rooster, we used to give them frsh eggs and chook poop and well it's a long story...

Just keep the coop and run clean especially in summer so that it doesn't smell and attracting too many flies and also doesn't attract any rodents otherwise it will give your neighbour something to complain about.

My girls free range late afternoon under supervision, when someone can keep an eye on them and like BFLF check on them. Also late afternoon is a good time to free range, as they have already laid their eggs in the nesting box and come home to roost.

aussielorps · **Joined:** Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:22 pm **Posts:** 3

I had a difficult neighbor but I took over 1 dozen eggs on the second week and that broke the ice and now we are mates

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